February 8: Craig's List from Brazil

February 8:  Craig's List from Brazil

 

 

1. Bom Dia.  It is February 8.  We are chilling today, recovering from the past few days and looking forward to Bahia By Night this evening (will report in later postings).  So a few reflections…
2. We have thoroughly enjoyed a wonderful beverage, Caipirinha de Cachaca  (refined sugar cane, lime juice, sugar, ice, grain alcohol).  Considered the national drink of Brazil, it is quite refreshing and appropriate for this tropical climate.
3. The first day in port, my boss and I had lunch al fresco and enjoyed some Feijada at Camafeo de Oxossi.  The Feijada is basically rice and beans garnished with tomatoes, some meat, and a spicy salsa.  Kenn speaks fluent Portuguese which enhanced our time on the street, changing money and talking with the locals.
4. A very popular soft drink, Guarana, I find is like a Mountain Dew, Sprite, and fruit drink.  It has a bit of a kick and is used in a manner similar to Red Bull for revving up post-siesta.
5. We participated in a Camarote for Carnival.  The Camarote is basically a private site for viewing Carnival.  Ours was located on the primary street for the main celebration on the last night of Carnival.  There was seating for about 100 people and stages were constructed in the patio of an apartment complex.  Seats were sold for viewing and there was a bar and food available.  One could leave the Camarote to join the dancing and festivities on the street.  At any one time in Salvador, it is estimated that there are 1.5 million folks dancing and partying. Various Samba schools participate in Carnival- each with distinctive garb representing their school.  The Salvador celebration in which we participated generally included two semi-trucks per entertainer.  The entertainer and his/her band were on top of the first truck which was basically one big moving sound system that also included a bar and bathrooms.  I observed a class system for participating in the Carnival.  First class included participants who were on the entertainer's truck.  Second class participants rode on the second truck that had no entertainers but did have a bar and restrooms.  A whole gaggle of folks walked on the street, separated from the crowd by event security staff walking with a rope that served as a moving blockade.  All of the above paid for their privileged spots.  Fourth class included the "popcorn" participants who paid nothing but surrounded the trucks and filled the streets.  The rest of the folks join the popcorn, created their own parade, milled about between entertainers, or watched from balconies, side streets, and Camarotes.  I had expected costumes and more traditional Brazilian dancing and celebrations, however, it seems that the Rio Carnival is more in that vein.  Bottom line, for me, the Salvador Carnival is like several rock concerts rolling through the streets with lots of folks dancing to the tunes.  Very loud and very many people drinking considerable amounts of alcohol. Next time, I want to try Rio to experience the pageantry and perhaps go to smaller venues to experience a more traditional Carnival.
6. The taxi drive back to the ship was almost as exciting as Carnival.  We secured four taxis and after witnessing Brazilian police in action, we proceeded to play Test Track through the streets of Salvador.  To give you a flavor- the four of us were in a two door taxi, with no seat belts, head lights that only worked when flashing high beams, driving what appeared to be the wrong way on narrow one way streets while dodging pedestrians and other vehicles traveling in what appeared to be a permanent state of merging traffic.  We did, however, make it back to the ship and all is well.
7. The following day, we joined 65 students and traveled by schooner through Baia de Todos os Santos (All Saints Bay) which is dotted with 38 tropical islands.  Our first stop was Ilha dos Frades which is a small island about 90 minutes from Salvador.  The portion of the island we visited included a small village of 20 families who just received electricity two years ago.  They now have a small collection of beach bars and provide a nice gathering place for boaters to land.  We then traveled to Itaparica Island, a larger island with a few more conveniences.  We dined on a buffet of Bahain dishes- fish, meat, rice, beans, and fruit.  Mighty tasty vittles when combined with the sun and the waves created several opportunities for rest along the way back to Salvador.
8. On my birthday, we had a nice lunch of Bobo de Camarao, a shrimp casserole-like dish with rice, coconut milk, yucca, and tomatoes at a local restaurant after spending some time trying to convert dollars.  I was duty dean and enjoyed a quiet evening on the ship.  Stacey, Kelsey, and Eric joined 350 students who went to a Futebol (soccer) game- Bahai vs. Pocao.  Bahai won 2-0.  Eric is now sporting a #10 Brasil jersey- Ronaldinho.  We are preparing for Eric's 9^th birthday party that will be on February 10, on our way to South Africa.  Stay tuned…. Tchau.