The new part of the city is more toward the center, which is a little tighter and has a ton of character. Plenty of nooks to explore! I am building up a sizeable list of my favorite places in the city, consisting of bars, restaurants, and food stands!
I am totally stoked for this coming week, as I will complete the trifecta! São Paulo, Salvador, and now Rio! I am going for a ten day trip to check out what sounds like one of the coolest cities in the world! Sorry if you dislike the word "stoked," it just seemed apropriate... Anywho, I will let you know the outcome of the trip in a timely manner, unlike the past two which I will write about now.
My past two journeys away from the city have really put the uniqueness of this city and its people into perspective. The first to occur was a sailing trip that materialized out of nowhere! Walter messages me that a friend from Haddonfield (Andrew Purves) is docked in a marina in Salvador. I was near a marina that day, so i walked down the dock calling his name and found him on a 45 ft sailboat that is sailing from Uruguay up to Trinidad and Tobago. A couple shared beers and 16 hours later, I get a call and an invite for a three day sailing trip with him and couple Brits! The trip was awesome! It had the same kind of bad-ass feeling as when you are camping in the mountains. The bad-ass aura continued when we returned, as I felt like I was conquering the city approaching from sea, sailing past the numerous colonial forts, and stepping on land! I also got to learn some sweet knots, so now maybe I can tie my rope to the tree at home without risk of falling to the ground when I am climbing up. Nonetheless, the three days at sea was quite a contrast to life in Salvador.
About a week later, I headed south, surfboard in hand, to the waves and the cocoa plantations! Itacaré used to be just a tiny fishing village until people in other parts found out about the gorgeous beaches and sweet surf break! You can tell how small it used to be by the old church which seats about fifty people. That small village character is now infused with a sweet surfer vibe, wedgie style bikinis, and a hopping night life driven by reggae and electronic music. You can literally smell the awesomeness as you approach via what they call the "Cocoa Coast." During the last twenty minutes of the bus ride, the air was filled with the most fabulous chocolatey smell from the fresh chocolate being made! Twas definitely the best chocolate I have ever had in my life! Itacaré, another check in the awesome category!
Upon return to Salvador, and in reflection, the uniqueness of this city is quite apparent, but the way in which to describe it in words still evades me. Maybe an interpretive dance is the way to do it.
