Brazil

My recent trip to Ecuador with my mom in May was my first trip to South America. Since May, I have learned so much about the continent: it’s geography, cultures and languages. After living in Cochabamba for two months and learning about Bolivian customs and history, I joined the Felson family on their annual family vacation, this year to Brazil. Dave had not seen his family since he left home in January, so this reunion was highly anticipated.

We flew in to Salvador late last Thursday night and met Dave’s parents, sister and brother at the Pousada Redfish (hotel) in the Pelourinho neighborhood of Salvador. Salvador is the center of Afro-Brazilian culture and in 1985 this area was named an UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, and the preservation process is noticeable in the architecture and brilliant colors. The cobble stone streets of this neighborhood were lined with vibrant colored art galleries, shops and welcoming pousadas. Salvador is the capital of the Bahia State of Brazil, and it was also the original capital of Brazil. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and has the sixth largest population.

Friday was spent cruising the streets, window-shopping, eating, learning African-Braizlian drumming lesson for Ben and Dave, watching capoeira (a style of movement originating among Brazilian slaves (from Angola) treated as a martial art and dance form), and we ended the day with a great dinner of moqueca, a traditional Bahian coconut curry stew of fish or shrimp.

Saturday morning, we left the Hotel Redfish and set off for the island of Morro de Sao Paulo. We took a two-hour catamaran boat ride from the port of Salvador to Morro. As we hit the open seas, and the waves that come with it, we were all feeling sea sick, and we were not alone. The boat company had anticipated this and had thoughtfully tied personal barf bags on to the back of each seat. I will spare you the details, but for someone who “doesn’t get seasick”, those bags came in handy. I have never been so happy to arrive somewhere. It could have been Cleveland in February, and I would have been elated, but lucky for me we arrived on the tropical beaches of Morro.

After arranging our island taxi, we followed our “driver” to the third beach (there are four beaches on Morro- the first two are the party beaches, lined with a boardwalk and restaurants competing for your business- and the third and fourth are more removed and quiet) where were settled in to the heavenly Pousada Villa dos Corais. Vacationing during the “winter”/off season, you run the risk of less than sunny days, but we all cashed in our good karma and enjoyed two days relaxing in the sun; reading, jumping in the pool and/or ocean to cool off and walking into town via the beach. 

Dave’s sister Rachel introduced us to Acaí while we were on Morro. Acaí is a berry that is found in the Amazon, and is commonly consumed in juice form (I am told that you can buy it at Whole Foods). The Acaí berry has one of the highest antioxidant levels of any fruit or berry, and tastes great! We enjoyed some on the beach with granola and bananas- a great breakfast or snack.
(On the left is a photo of the second beach).

            We rode our favorite catamaran back to Salvador on Wednesday, this time we had loaded up with Dramamine and assumed positions on the deck for some fresh air. Upon arriving in Salvador, we buckled up for a six-hour drive inland to the town of Lencois. Lencois is in the Chapada region of the Bahia State, and is surrounded by the Chapada Diamantina National Park. Lencois was a prominent diamond mining town in the 19th and 20th centuries. In 1985 when the land officially became a National Park, the diamond mining industry of Lencois came to an end, mostly because of the negative environmental impacts of mining. The town of Lencois is a quiet, colorful small town surrounded by lush forests, rivers and mountains- hard to beat! We all fell in love with the town and with the natural beauty that surrounds it. Thursday we spent the day orienting ourselves, and enjoying a short hike from town to a waterfall. Friday we went on an all day hike with our guide, Levi, through the woods and along the river. Saturday we explored another area of the National Park and were able to swim in natural swimming holes and climb a mountain for a memorable sunset.

Overall, it was a perfect vacation, filled with sun, beautiful scenery, a new and exciting culture and family. Dave and I returned to Cochabamba on Sunday rejuvenated and completely relaxed. Thank you so much Felson family!

In other news: Dave and I are planning a trip to the Salar de Uyuni next weekend. Wiñay is going well and I am looking in to doing a research project for them, which I am really excited about. I'll keep you posted!