here are my one word reflections:
music in salvador - dynamic
morro - idyllic
beaches in morro - beautiful
boipeba - unspoiled
sunsets in bahia - breathtaking
body issues - confidence
hang gliding in rio - amazing
futbol game at maracana in rio - wild
christ the redeemer as a 7th wonder - really?
rio - busy
buzios - blah
driving in brasil - scary
people - friendly
food - mediocre
caipirinha - yummy
i am so sad to have missed olodum, as they were touring when i was in salvador. for those who don't know, olodum is one of the more established drumming groups based in salvador and performed with paul simon in this video of the obvious child:
the first scene shown on the video is the same place where i saw the reggae star geronimo play and where i met wonderful new friends from chile, italy and england and whom i hope to visit soon.
compare the opening scene in the video with this picture i took:
the place is a bit run down now but it is still a great place to hold concerts. i was there... dancing and drinking! :D i love salvador!
i did enjoy other drumming from salvador, which i absolutely enjoyed. view those videos here, here, here and here.
even though i did not see olodum, i am now addicted to at least 2 of olodum's songs:
1. faraó divindade do egito (i think it is something about the pharaohs of egypt)
2. i miss her
if you click here, it will take you to the olodum site that has a radio playing their music.
here are some practical tips if anyone plans to go solo to salvador, morro, rio and buzios for 3 weeks:
1. if you don't want to check anything in, just buy your toiletries there. everything is cheap and the quality is the same. if you land in sao paulo, rio or salvador, pharmacies abound to buy shampoo, soap, toothpaste and all other liquids you want to avoid packing.
2. if the only electronics you plan to bring are your ipod, cell phone and camera, don't bother bringing a converter. usually, those take 110-240 volts. make sure you check though.
3. don't bother bringing flip flops. buy your havaianas (very comfy flip flops) there. it is cheaper there than here. buy one the first time you land. then shop around for even cheaper ones for your stockpile back home and/or presents.
4. bring only one bathing suit and buy your extras there. first, it is cheaper and second, you get the brazilian fashion so you don't stick out like a sore thumb at the beach.
5. i took 3 gigs worth of memory card for my digicam. i used up about 2.75 gigs in 3 weeks. keep that in mind.
6. definitely bring a phrasebook with you if you don't speak portuguese or spanish. a lot of the locals don't speak english.
helpful words/phrases:
"mais devagar, por favor" [mahysh deh-vah-gah, por fah-vor] - slowly, please
"obrigada" [oh-bree-gah-dah] - thank you (use this if you are a girl)
"obrigado" [oh-bree-gah-doh] - thank you (use this if you are a boy)
"muito obrigada/obrigado" [moy-toh] - thank you very much
"onde banheiro" [ong-day ban-yeah-roe] - where is the bathroom?
"tudo bem" [too-doh beng] - everything's alright (this is the literal translation but it is equivalent to "what's up." you can respond by saying "tudo bem" back or just the shortened "tudo")
my favorite phrase i learned the entire time i was there
"vocé está brinquendo con meu coração."
guys in brazil are very passionate. they say all these things that i would not hear an american dude say. it sounds so cheesy but it sounds good when you hear it in portuguese.
so, what does it mean? it means "you are toying with my heart."
how does one say it? voh-say bring-ken-do cong myo koh-rah-song.
fyi, no one said it to me nor did i say it to anyone. but i love it. it is hilarious!
head to head:
salvador v. rio - salvador wins
morro v. buzios - morro wins
salvador v. morro - tie
rio v. buzios - rio wins
morro v. boipeba - tie
caipirinha v. caipisaque - tie
lime caipirinha v. any other fruit caipirinha - lime caipirinha wins
any other fruit caipirinha v. any other fruit caipisaque - any other fruit caipisaque wins
extensive ramblings on my trip can be found here.
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