Salvador!

I wrote this blog last week on paper, but I didn't get a chance to transfer it to an electronic device until now. So, let's take a quick time travel back to last weekend when we went to Salvador, Brazil!

We were all SO EXCITED to go! As it is about 25 hours driving from Campinas to Salvador, we flew. The kids we're thrilled about the idea of flying, and it was extremely entertaining to watch their reactions to the take off.

Upon arrival, I was informed that it is necessary to always drive with the windows closed and doors locked for safety, so that was a little shocking! I was also struck by the amount of graffiti covering every wall – never before had I seen so much graffiti in one place.

We stayed in a hotel right near Farol de Itapuã (farol = lighthouse). The hotel was great, with an awesome breakfast complete with a multitude of fruits, cakes, breads, and juices – and one day, I even had a quesadilla-style tapioca with condensed milk and corn. Best breakfast EVER!!! One of the people who worked at the hotel spoke English, so I asked him how he learned. Turns out, he spent a year as an exchange student in DENMARK! And he can even say rødgrød med fløde!!!!!!! I've never been so starstruck.

Salvador is known for its partying. Apparently most cities in Brazil celebrate carnival for four days – well, in Salvador, they celebrate for eleven. This culture of partying was very evident in the amount I saw people drinking, and how empty everyplace was in the mornings (literally nobody on the beach… Methinks everybody was out too late partying!)

We went to many beaches over the course of our time there. The water was warm like a bathtub (not surprising considering the intense heat in Salvador – it hits like a brick and sucks out all the energy a person once possessed.) There were always waves of a pretty decent size. People were surfing where we were swimming, and we took to the sport of attempted amateur bodyboarding – which is honestly the funnest thing I can imagine. I don't recall the last time I was so giddy with glee, and there is a small possibility that I shed a few tears when it didn't look like we would go back. (But we did!) :D

I am so in love with the ocean.

Its majesty is so great, it is home to so many creatures, it has so much strength and power over everything on earth. It is vast; unending it seems. And God is present in every inch. I am awestruck.

We went to Projeto Tamar, a marine wildlife conservation project with a special focus on sea turtles. We got to see critically endangered sharks, many exotic fish, and of course the turtles! The best part came at the end of the day when we saw the newly hatched turtles emerge from where they had been laid, and then journey into the ocean!

The trek from the nest to the ocean is the most dangerous time of the turtles life, and after seeing the release I understand why! If there is a sandcastle, the turtle gets stuck. There is a hole, the turtle gets stuck. And the waves are so intense that many turtles get flipped over by them, and they will quickly be buried in the sand by the proceeding waves. Additionally, the turtles are programmed to head towards the light emitted over the ocean by either the sun or the moon. However, if a human-made light source is greater than that of the sun or moon, the turtles will head towards that instead, leading them into great danger and minimizing their possibility of ever returning to the ocean.

Salvador is interesting in that everyone and everything lives together. There are vast preserved natural areas right next to apartment buildings. There are favelas (the poorest and usually most dangerous areas in Brazil) right next to huge, fancy, rich houses and apartments that have personal gondolas to the beach. There are no boundaries.

One day we went to Pelourinho, which is where Brazil ultimately began. The cobblestone streets are bumpy and windy, and there is literally a church on every corner. Apparently they used to have a different church for each day of the year - all Catholic, I might add.

When we arrived, it was a little scary as there were many men pointing to parking spaces and attempting to convince people that they were in fact the real parking people, and it was difficult to tell who was legit and who just wanted to rob us upon exiting the vehicle. We had to make sure nothing was sticking out of our bags or pockets; there were people approaching from all directions trying to sell us things. I will fully admit to being terrified. However, the old town was very beautiful and worth it. It was quiet (because again, it was morning), bursting with tourists and street drummers as well. In the summer, they have tons of drummers who come together for huge concerts. Michael Jackson even recorded a music video with the drummers there in Pelouronho (for his song "They Don't Care About Us").

We spent a great deal of time visiting with André's family and friends. They were all so wonderful! And it was interesting to see how home lives differ between Campinas and Salvador.

Then, all too soon, the time came to return to Campinas. I saw the southern star out the plane window while over the ocean, which was pretty exciting because it's nearly impossible to see it from lower elevations, especially with the city lights. At that moment though, I could see galaxies. I've never seen such a pitch black, unobstructed sky in my life. A great end to a great trip!