Ilhéus, Itabuna and Barra Grande

After my two relaxing days in Porto Seguro, I was ready to head back to reality. My plan was to take the bus from Porto Seguro straight to Barra Grande, my paradise that wasn't nearly as commercialized as Porto Seguro had become, at least not yet. At the bus station, I found out that there were no direct buses going straight to Barra Grande, but I was assured by the saleswoman that there would definitely be a direct bus to transfer me from a layover in Itabuna. After roughly four pleasant hours of busride into Itabuna, I found out that this was not to be the case. The only next available bus onwards to Barra Grande would leave at 11 at night, and arrive at 2:30 in the  morning - definitely not a good idea. I resolved to stay a night in Itabuna and take the bus the next morning at 6am. After asking several people what there was to do in Itabuna if  you had a full day here and hearing them all reply "the shopping mall", I decided to take the 30  minute bus to Ilhéus, a quaint little seaside town, famous for Jorge Amado, a well known Brazilian writer who had lived in Ilhéus for much of his life.

Walking the streets of Ilhéus (1)

Walking the streets of Ilhéus (2)

The Christo of IIhéus

Sunset beach

Church in Ilhéus

Jorge Amado statue - Downtown Ilhéus

 Ilhéus was definitely worth the bus ride, but I only stayed for about two hours, taking a walk downtown and on the seafront. By the time I got back in Itabuna, it was dark, and I found a hotel across from the bus station - it looked a bit sleazy, but at least it was cheap, 25 reais a night with TV. Watched a bit of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in London then to sleep.

1 night cheap hotel room in Itabuna

 The next morning, after my five hour bus ride, I arrived in the city of Camamu, the closest you can get by road to Barra Grande. I was happy to already have an idea where to go and not get caught by the tourist trap like I did the first time. Right when you get off the bus there is a speedboat that will take you to the island in 45 minutes, but costs 30 reais. What they don't tell you is that there is a normal boat that takes 45 minutes longer, but only costs 6 reais. Someone even tried to sell me a ticket to it for 10 reais, but I knew better. I walked off in the direction of the ferry, bought some tapioca cake and coffee, and waited.

On the way to Barra Grande

On the ferry boat I met a nice old man who sold me the most delicious tangerines. He spent most of the time on the boat talking to me, telling me that he had seventeen children, which was nothing compared to his father, who had had twenty two. He lived on a farm but worked in Barra Grande, selling produce. I was lucky enough to meet him because later on when I saw him again in Barra Grande, he gave me several more tangerines, this time for free. And the third time I saw him, he even paid for the coffee and sandwich that I was having for breakfast. I thanked him, and he told me that if he ever came to visit me in the town of Canada, he was sure that he would have a place to stay there, and besides, he had my number if he ever needed to reach me.

Arrival in Barra Grande

Arraial d'Ajuda

Getting of the ferry at Arrail d'Ajuda

This sums up how my day went

Fried Aimpim

Church of Senhor do BomFim in Arraiail d'Ajuda
(same concept as the one in Salvador - you make a wish and attach the ribbon to the gate)

My second day in Porto Seguro I decided to take a day trip to the nearby town of Arrail d'Ajuda - a tiny touristy town with nice beaches, and, once again, too many souvenir shops to choose from. The atmosphere of the area was a bit resort like, with helicopters landing to drop off famous celebrities and paragliders flying over head - so I decided to pull up a chair, order some 'aimpim frito' (Fried Aimpim - Mandioc Root - A bit like Fried potatoes except much more delicious) and relax.

Itacaré Sunset and Porto Seguro

It's been much too long since I have updated my blog - a month now, and I'm not even sure where to start. Since my last post, I have went travelling to the south of Bahia (Porto Seguro, Ilhéus, Itabuna and Barra Grande) and also been to the interior (Irecê and Lapão) for part of my research project at school. I'll start with a description of my travels to the south.

It took me an enormously long time to get to Porto Seguro, as I decided against the direct bus trip, which was much too expensive - and decided to spend a night in Itacaré instead. Itacaré is a beautiful surfer's paradise which  must be visited, but since I had already been there twice before, I used it as a layover and was back on the bus the next morning. The timing worked out perfectly for me to catch the sunset and have some delicious 50cent ice cream. I also got a chance to see the now 'famous' guy who does headstands on his longboard in front of the sunset (apparently a magazine wrote an article about him and now he is there every single day for the sunset on his longboard so people can take pictures of him). Here are a few pictures from my stop in Itacaré.

Arriving in Itacaré

2 fishermen

Sunset

I arrived in Porto Seguro the following afternoon, after passing kilometers of green valleys and rivers. Porto Seguro is where Pedro Cabral, the Portuguese explorer, first set foot in Brazil. Now it has become an extremely touristy city, with more souvenir stores than are really necessary. During the day there are several trips you can go on to nearby beaches, and during the night there are shows and beach parties to go to. Porto Seguro is famous for it's parties. There is even an exclusive island that opens only on Friday and Sunday nights, with a 50 reais (25$) entry fee, called "Ilha dos Aquarius" (Island of the Aquariums). It is filled with expensive bars and nightclubs. I think my favorite part of the trip was the tapioca - I had one (crêpe style) filled with 'carne do sol' (dried meat), tomatoes, oregano, and cheese - a complete meal for only 2$. It was at 'Tapioca da Neguinha'. Here is a youtube video of the very same person I got it from, that shows how it is  made (in Portuguese). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjd9L8oaBwc. I've never seen Tapioca powder ('Goma') in Canada though, which is the base of what you need for making it.

These next few pictures were taken on a day trip to 'Praia do Espelho' (Mirror of Beaches). It was a beautiful but exclusive beach that stretched on for miles. The downside was the cost of the lunch - costing me 25$ to share a Moqueca (fish stew). A ridiculous amount when compared to the normal cost of a Moqueca (between 5-15$ for one portion). I met some nice Brazilians to share lunch with - several ladies from São Paulo, who loved to joke about the Bahian accent (to them it's as if you are talking through your nose, very nasally) as compared to the São Paulo accent (to Bahians it's almost as if Paulistas (people from São Paulo) are talking with an American accent - they pronounce their 'r's very strongly. (Ex. PoR favoRR). (Please in Portuguese).

 On the van ride back we stopped at an Indian village. All the Indian children were dressed up in typical Indian attire - grass skirts and headdresses, and they held parrots on their fingers. This was obviously set up for tourists - as the Indians in the region all use regular clothes no different from the rest of us. It did make for a nice photo shoot though - which I would've done had the kids not told me that it would cost "1 real cada um" (One real (50cents) for each kid you took a picture with) - so if you want to take a picture with all of them that will cost you 5 reais. I think they made a lot of money with that, with several tour groups stopping by throughout the day I'm sure they made at least 40-50$ just in picture taking - and I didn't even have any change left, so no pictures of me with cute Indian children were taken. I did, however, take a picture of the 'berimbau' tree. The fruit hanging from it is what is used to make the 'berimbau' instrument used in Capoeira. I had no idea it was the dried shell of a fruit. Here is a picture of the berimbau instrument, and following is the tree.

Source: http://zoio-capoeira.blogspot.com.br/

The Tipping Point

Despite the fact that these last few weeks have been relatively normal here in Salvador, I managed to find some inspiration this morning in my Geochemistry class.

Technically my classes are supposed to be finished because the last day of classes according to the academic calendar was July 7th, but due to the lack of planning and organization of a certain teacher, I still have class. All that's left for us to do is our final test, which he told everyone he would be announcing at the end of today's class. People were already starting to get frustrated as the class is already a week over schedule. At the end of the class, he announces that some students have told him that because the classes are supposed to be finished, they shouldn't be obliged to come to class. After hearing these students' complaints, he then made a few phone calls to the direction of the university, and discovered that they were right - no one was obligated to come to class after the last day of classes on the academic calendar. For that reason, he told us, he would be changing the date of our final test to after the strike has ended - which might go on for months. The whole class broke into an uproar - myself included. Can you imagine having just one class left before the final exam, and then having to wait months before being able to write it? The teacher, seeing the students' despair, backed down and told us that it would be next Monday.

Little situations like these happen all too often here in Salvador. At first, I really didn't mind, and just went with the flow, telling myself that this was all part of the cultural experience. First week of classes no classes because the teacher's still on holiday? Not a big deal. Teacher sends an e-mail at midnight saying that tomorrow's class will be cancelled? It happens.But this is getting to be too much. At the same time, I'm not sure how some Brazilians will take it if I start openly criticizing everything here that is starting to frustrate me -   I'm maybe a bit out of place to do that.  

FIFA in Salvador - What's going to happen?

Last night I went out with some friends to a public debate on the consequences the FIFA World Cup will have on the city of Salvador. It was interesting enough, but there was one point in particular that really caught my attention. My first impressions of Salvador’s preparations for the World Cup were that Salvador was not at all prepared. The bus system in Salvador is the same as always – there have been days that I’ve waited for up to an hour for my bus. The absence of bus schedules definitely increases the amount of frustration at the bus stops. The only way to know the times and the routes of each bus, is to ask. 

Now imagine arriving and only knowing how to speak English – good luck for taking public transport and finding your way around the city, as the majority of people you’ll see on the street speak absolutely no English – besides basic phrases such as: “The book is on the table.” 

The buses are often overcrowded during peak times, and the traffic is much worse than it was a few years ago. Not to mention the non-existent metro, which has been in construction for over twenty years but supposedly won’t be ready in time for FIFA. Initially, I, as well as all of the Brazilians I talked to about the arrival of the Cup, said that this was due to the unpreparedness of the Brazilian government – leaving everything to last minute. But during the debate, I gained a different perspective on this so-called “unpreparedness”. It seems to be that this is all part of a strategy. The government is prepared and aware (as well as the FIFA organization), of all the changes that are going to take place, but is keeping this information secret. Everything will come together efficiently and last minute, and it will be much more difficult for the citizens and residents to put up a resistance to the changes that will take place. Many, many people will be moved from their homes, making room for new infrastructure; the names of neighborhoods will then be changed, becoming more chic and also more expensive, so that the previous residents will no longer be able to afford it. It was a very depressing debate.

There is so much manipulation of information in the media, that no one sees the true consequences of the FIFA World Cup. I could even draw a parallel between the passivity of the Brazilian people facing the arrival of FIFA and the lack of demonstrations against the changes that will take place, and the passivity of the students on strike at my university. The only thing I notice about the strike when going to school is that there a few big posters up in several places on campus, with slogans such as: “UFBA on Strike” and “Free Public Education for Everyone”, and a much quicker line up at the campus cafeteria (what was once an hour of waiting in line is now only 15 minutes!) But this means that the students, rather than being pro-active and using their time to manifest in the streets, etc, etc, they are at home, at the beach, or at a party. I’m not saying that all the UFBA students on strike are like this, I am sure there is a small percentage of representatives that are working hard in order to improve the situation, but at least from everything I’ve seen and heard, it certainly seems like the vast majority are. 

Barra Grande

The rest of my time in Barra Grande, fortunately, was much better. The next morning I ate my breakfast in the fisherman’s village (where I was staying), and a young girl (I’m guessing she was 15) cooked me some scrambled eggs and sweet potato (it’s different from the sweet potato in Canada. This one resembles a root, and tastes and looks like a potato when mashed, but has a sweet taste to it). I ate it with grated coconut, and it was delicious. I chatted a bit with the girl (I believe her name was Dede) over breakfast, and found out that the fisherman had left that morning at 2am for a fishing trip, and would only be back in a few days. After my morning breakfast I had almost forgotten about how bad the room was, and was considering staying another night after the older woman said she would clean it up for me. But after coming back after a day at the beach, it was just as bad as before, and sadly enough I took my backpack and set off. I would have liked to stay there more for the experience, because it was everything but your typical touristy hotel, but at the same time having clean water and enough water to shower are essential factors in any hostel room. I had spent an unexpectedly lovely day walking 9km in the rain towards Taipu de Fora, a beach well known for it’s coral reefs, where I rented some snorkeling gear and set off for the next hour exploring an underground world full of colored fish. I really can’t explain what it was about Barra Grande, because despite the fact that it rained almost the whole time I was there. The next day I went out on a boat trip to visit several nearby islands. It was a bit less adventurous than my first day, but I chatted with a pleasant couple from São Paulo who found it extremely courageous that I was out there travelling alone. I don’t think I could have met any more people or had a more interesting trip travelling with others, because everywhere I went, be it on the boat trip or morning breakfast or on the beach, people would stop and chat for a bit before heading on their way. I’m already planning on heading back to Barra Grande for my last month in Brazil – it will be a bit like living the dream life, this is what my definition of true paradise is – having the whole day ahead of you to do whatever you please, be it surfing, or snorkeling, or diving (which I plan on trying). At the same time, after Barra Grande, I think it will be even harder to leave Brazil! Also, the nice thing about this place is that, unlike so many other touristy spots in Bahia, Barra Grande is still not as commercialized as the others. Twelve years ago, I believe there were only one or two farms here, and the rest of the inhabitants were fisherman. Now, it’s starting to be more well known, but it hasn’t reached the point where you don’t see any of the actual locals when you go in the downtown area, like it is in a few other places I’ve been to, where the town seems to have only tourists. I’m not even sure I should be naming this place, because I want to be able to go back in ten years and still recognize it, which I think is unlikely. My last night I decided to go out, which I had been hesitant at first because I feel a bit strange going out at night on my own, but the owner at the hostel (which was cheaper than my first night, had hot clean running water, and zero cockroaches!) convinced me that I should. Normally I would head back to my hostel at about 8-9pm after wandering downtown, finding that there wasn’t too much to do, but apparently everything started after 10. So that night, as I entered the town square, I was very pleasantly surprised to find a band playing samba, and so many kids dancing in front, while the adults, watched and conversed among themselves. I met someone I had talked to earlier that day, who explained to me how his sister had married a German that had come here on vacation, and now he lives six months in Barra Grande, and six months in Germany. I was not surprised.  Later on, more people started dancing to samba, and I couldn’t help myself. I love Samba – it feels like one of the most natural dances on the planet – there is no fancy footwork like in tango or salsa, you just have to feel the rhythm of the music and move. I couldn’t believe how well the young girls danced – there was one who had to be about 8 or 9 years old, that could dance much better that I could, much  much better. And you dance barefeet! Just recalling these memories fills me with ‘saudades’, which is  a Portuguese word to describe the feeling of missing something.

And just to give an update on the strike, it won’t affect me as much as I thought it would, as only two of my five teachers will be on strike, and they have already told me that they would ‘work something out’ and ‘make an exception’ for my case. Which will probably consist of me having to answer a few questions, hand in an extra paper, and pronto! I’ll have my final mark.

I’ll end this entry with a few chosen pictures of my trip, taken during my walk along the beach from Barra Grande to Taipu de Fora. 

First night in Barra Grande

An excerpt taken from my travel journal leaving Barra Grande on June 9th, 2012: 

I am leaving paradise on a tiny ferry boat. This trip was amazing. I arrived Thursday night, after a longer than expected day of travel from Salvador to Barra Grande. Waiting for the boat to leave from Camamu to Barra Grande, I met two friendly young men with diving gear and harpoons. One of them started chatting with me and told me that the woman who lived on the same lot as him rented out cheap rooms to travelers. He was a wood sculptor and his friend visiting from Itacaré, a nearby surf town, to teach him how to fish with harpoons. The house was just a five minute walk from where we disembarked. So off  we went, harpoon gear in hand (or on shoulder) along the sandy beaches of Barra Grande. If I was looking for a cheap pousada (hotel), he said, this was the place to go. We arrived soon enough, and after I had a quick lookover at the room and was told the price (30 reais with breakfast included), I accepted. Now, at first glance, the room really did seem alright. Fresh sheets and towels laid out nicely on the bed, a mosquito net, TV, and everything seemed fairly clean. I laid down my backpack and proceeded to the bathroom. It was upon opening the bathroom door that I realized maybe this hadn’t been the best idea. There were mosquitos everywhere – you could even hear the low buzz fill the room. I nervously lifted up the toilet seat, to find several dead flies on the lid. It didn’t stop there. The tap water was yellow – really yellow. I definitely wasn’t brave enough to use it for brushing my teeth, but what about taking a shower? I took a step into the shower entrance. A cockroach was waiting for me. Okay, I can handle this. Remember that movie, Joe’s Apartment? I watched it when I was about five years old, but it left imprinted in my mind the idea that cockroaches weren’t so bad –  But then I saw one on the wall. I jumped, and saw the other cockroach  scurry into the shower drain. I guess I wouldn't be taking a shower that night either.

That night I went out for a quick bite, but it was already dark on the way back and I had forgotten to even ask for the name of the place I was staying at – not smart when the only way you know to get there is by the beach but at night the tide goes up and angry dog’s are guarding their owner’s property. I tried to go behind, by road, except that there were no street lights – after asking someone for directions: What’s the name of the place you’re going? You don’t know? Where the wood sculpter lives in the fisherman’s village? Right … well then maybe try this way. And good luck. This wasn't looking too good. But I was lucky, and made it to the pousada safe and sound. Soon after arriving, I tucked in the mosquito net around my bed (it wasn't just the mosquitoes I was worried about) and fell asleep. 

Baia de Todos os Santos

The bus prices went up from 2.50 to 2.80 this week, so I've decided to walk the hour to school at least once a day to save money. This evening, coming home, I decided to stop for acarajé, a typical Bahian street food made from fried beans in dendê (palm) oil. It's been less than 10 minutes since finishing it and already my stomach is making strange noises. It has the same amount of calories that a normal human being consumes in one day.

This weekend I went on a boat trip for the day around Baía de Todos os Santos (All Saint's Bay), which is apparently the second largest navigable bay in the world. It was beautiful, even though it rained a bit, so I've put up a few pictures. Also, when we were docked at an island, another boat came by with a white cross on top. It was filled with women (and some men) dancing as part of a ritual in Candomblé, which is an Afro-Brazilian religion practiced by some here in Salvador. The video is below.

In other news, the teachers are still undecided about the strike, with a few already on strike and some completely against it, which leaves us students in a discouraging situation, some people having only one class out of five. The students here are talking about going on strike, some are saying to support the teachers, others in order to improve other aspects of their education, but everything is still up in the air and uncertain. One last little comment about the education here: Today I had a test and the teacher decided to put us in pairs! Another thing I've noticed during tests is that an enormous number of people cheat, about half the class (but it could be that just my class has an abnormal high number of cheaters). And also, there are almost no final exams. In Canada, after classes end, we have about three weeks of exam period, but here, the tests are during normal class time and when classes are over, that's it, there's no final exam that goes over everything you learnt that semester. No stress. 

Boat with Candomblé

Baianas dancing during ritual of Candomblé

Map of Baia de Todos os Santos

Street in Itaparica

Election Campaign Posters

Ferry Boat Itaparica - Salvador