Salvador Part 1: Back to ma African Roots

Oh my. Salvador did not disappoint.

After another long day of flying, I was eager to finally experience the colors and flavors of this African meets Portuguese meets Brazilian city. All of my roots, wrapped up into one, neat little package. I was picked up at the airport by Rodrigo, a young and very talkative tour guide, who was eager to become my best friend...and sell me his latest tour packages. I accepted two of his offers, but refused his plea to take me on an all day boat ride. Heck to the no.

After dropping my gear off at the hotel, I took off to explore my surroundings...and this is what I saw.

Another jam-packed beach, but what a beautiful setting indeed.

I mosied up the road, sat on a ledge, and watched the sun sink into the water.

It was here, in this oh-so-romantic setting, that I met none other than GABRIEL (I put his name into caps because, as you will soon discover, Gabriel left his mark upon me. In more ways than one. And Salvador would not be the same without him). This young, black, shirtless, man-child stopped and introduced himself to me and relentlessly invited me to hang out/dance some "Capoeira" (an incredible Afro-Brazilian cross between martial arts and ballet) at "the studio" with him and his friends. Was it love at first sight? Um, no.

I pulled out every excuse in the book, but Gabriel would not take no for an answer. So I said I would call him the next day. And after a nauseous kiss on the cheek and one too many touches, I escaped the wrath of Gabriel... for the time being. Too bad he knew exactly where I was staying...

Luckily, my newest friend, Rodrigo the Talkative Tour Guide, came to pick me up with his friend, and take me to eat nothing but skewered meat at the "Churrascaria"...and then on to watch some of the best Capoeira dancing you will ever see (and in the place where it was born, at that). Was it slightly weird and awkward to be eating dinner alone with these two men? Yes.

I kid you not folks. Nothing but meat. Honestly, I wasn't complaining.

Have some more meat while you're at it.

The show was incredible but the bodies were even more so.

At the end of the performance, a few of us were pulled up on stage to dance with the group. As a side note, I prefer watching from the comfort and seclusion of my seat. And if the sweaty hand that grabbed me was any indication of how much sweat would be spraying on me once on stage, I might have refused the offer all together. But when in Brazil....

The next day, Rodrigo picked me up at 9am to show me some of the old city. Was it slightly weird and awkward to be alone with Rodrigo, again? Was his tourism business probably struggling being that I was his only client? Would I have preferred to explore the unknown on my own? Yes. Yes. And Yes.

But you don't mess with a package deal, so I followed Rodrigo around the old city, stopping at various stores so that he could shop for religious hats and robes. Slightly weird and awkward? Yes.

But that's okay. I enjoyed the lively atmosphere of the old quarters...with its assortment of people, colors, vendors, Reggae music, and narrow cobblestone streets.

It was truly charming, and yet part of me felt like I was being shown exactly what tourists are "supposed" to see. I longed for something more real.

And Rodrigo did not disappoint. He took me in his car (awkard? once again, yes.) a few kilometers into the outskirts to find the famous Bonfim Church. The route he followed allowed me to see and understand a little more of what life is truly like here.

We drove past the Igreja de Bonfim (perched above on the hill), and then made a pit stop at the local market. I wanted authentic and I got it.

Dark, dirty, smelly, loud. A confusing entanglement of vendors, one after the other. One man selling live chickens, the next man selling sandals, the next man selling

fruits and beans and anything else both haphazard and exotic.

I've been well trained to watch my back and hold onto my belongings. I've also been well trained to stand in the middle of chaos and breathe it in. Was it slightly weird and awkward helping Rodrigo try on and shop for the perfect pair of white sandals for over a half hour amidst the yelps of chickens and the whiffs of animal poop?

Yes. But folks, I was definitely getting used to it...