Amen for Salvador

Alleluia!  I had arrived in Salvador, a colourful, musical and culturally rich province. 

Still a little apprehensive about Brazil and about my safety it took me a while to get back into the travelling way of thinking again and I can’t think of a better place to do it.  My Belem experience made me believe that Brazil would be a huge disappointment; little did I know that this beautiful, magical place called Salvador existed. 

In one night I managed to dance to Samba and Salsa but quite badly. The beer flowed freely and my birthday day was spent relaxing on a beach

I am in the old town of Salvador called Pelourinho where music never stops, the sun is always shinning and the people are always smiling.  The bahiaian people are so talented and vibrant in every way, their crafts, rhythm and fashion; your eyes get a real work out here.

Immediately when I arrived at this fantastic hostel, where you could spend all day taking the advice of the locals here and chilling out I was immediately welcomed.  I had already met Moses from Spain on the bus from the airport then I met a English guy Paulo, trying to set up a hostel business here, from then on I have not stopped meeting people, from Argentina to Switzerland at this point I knew that it wasn't going to be a bad experience after all. 

So far I have visited some of the many churches that they have here, one for everyday of the year in fact and been to the museums where you learn the immense history of the Afro-Brazilians, their crafts, music and religion deriving from the slave trade. 

Music is of major importance here, it is never quiet.  If you close your eyes and listen to the drums in the street you could almost believe that you were in Africa, imagining the people jumping up and down like on the BBC One advert.  An absolutely amazing place which I have really taken to, if it wasn't for the constant attention (border pestering, especially after a few days of it) you receive from the children and mothers of the street trying to sale you their products it would be paradise.  Please don't think that I said that in a horrible way, but it is so constant and terribly sad, you give what you can (which I know is never enough) but you would end up covered in head to foot in beads if you are not careful, that’s if you’re given them.  There is something about the people of Brazil.  Unlike the other countries that I have visited in South America where they are extremely open and genuine here they are so set on selling in order to feed themselves that you never see the real person because it is all a facade.  That sounds terribly harsh but it is only if you stayed here for a long while and really gained the trust of the locals would you be able to understand their outlook on life.

On Tuesday night the plaças come alive even more than normal, seeing live music and dancing every corner you turn.  In one night I managed to dance to Samba and Salsa but quite badly.   The beer flowed freely and my birthday day was spent relaxing on a beach in the next neighbourhood of Barra, what more could I ask for on my birthday.  I had wonderful company from a lovely Chilean lad Felipe (a truly beautiful person) who made the day even more special, he brought me a rose and a lovely cd of Latino music, how I meet such wonderful, talented people I will never know, God is most certainly looking down on me.

This part of Salvador is small but I could still walk around the streets for days without ever getting bored.  So I must admit that I am quite happy here and have no plans yet to leave.  I will visit an Island near here where there are beaches to die for apparently, just to have a little peace and quiet and to reflect on my travels so far.

For now I am spending my time with Felipe before he has to return home and just being content with life.  

Thank you to my darling friends for the cards that I received they are lovely, I just wish you were all with me here so we could go out and celebrate Brazilian style, there is always next year though.  I had a wonderful day and despite my reservations about being lonely I had one of the best birthdays ever.  Although, the card from Nan and Jack brought a tear to my eye, happy tears though, the words were lovely and meaningful thank you.  To know that you have people around you that love you no matter what is enough.  See I am already getting into the free love spirit, next I will be playing the guitar with my hair in dread locks singing no women no cry (a particular favourite here)