a slight change in plans. we found ourselves renting a car and heading to praia do forte for a respite. along the coast we drove. we passed a series of beaches and crawled through a couple gongested areas. i've driven before in brazil and it is always an experience. the rules of engagement are simply more intense than what i've known from driving in the states and japan.
honking is a big part of roadway communication. a honk can mean anything from "hey, i'm coming through" to "get your punk ass outta my way." the motorcycles honk more than anyone. but that's because they are constantly weaving their way though the lanes. the delivery people are the best. since they are on the go all day, they have great skill and will duck and weave through impossibly small openings. if you've ever played that pizza delivery video game, then you have an idea of what this looks like. they brake, accelerate, and lean hard to the right and left. the sqaure container affixed to the back comes within inches of cars and trucks and bobs to and fro like a featherweight boxer.
so points of the drive were soothing. it always feels good to be on the move and headed somewhere new and beautiful. other parts...not so soothing.
alas we arrived. we ditched the car and went directly to the beach. what a sight. this is one of the most tranquil beaches i have ever seen. sparsely populated by people and powdery soft sand under foot. the water stretched out, calm and peaceful, about the length of a football field. beyond, the calm gave way to rolling waves on which surfers rode, sank into, and paddled back through for more.
palm trees tall and lean lined the beach. their fronds uniformly pushed back and giving the appearence of a face atop a long neck leaning forward into the wind with hair blowing majestically back. no noise. no litter. no hustlers bumming change and scoping out items to snatch, nor vendors demanding one buy their wares.
from there it was off to dinner in the little village. i knew not what to expect from this beach community, and i was pleasantly surprised. it's like a little tourist oasis in a tiny village. pousadas line a couple streets and come in various colors and architectural styles. in the town center one can stroll easily and without worry and take in the sight of shops, restaurants, and all the other delights that the average tourist might enjoy.
just a couple streets over in any direction, however, is something much more interesting. in fact, surrounding the tourist area is much more what would be described as "real brazil." winding through narrow passages and past tiny residences where locals relaxed, prepared food, and scurried about in their daily routines, we were given many quick peeks into lives quite different from our own. we agreed that we could spend many hours--days even--milling about this quiet little community.
on day two we settled ourselves at a table outside in some shade for a meal. the food was provided by a woman who simply set up a table and some chairs in front of her home. the menu was scribbled on a dry-erase board and the options were quite simple. i settled on fried chicken. with the meal came rice and beans and a little salad. a couple liters of beer were enjoyed and for dessert we had the freshest mango i've ever eaten. lunch for two: just under fifteen u.s. dollars.
just above our heads, little monkeys flew from limb to limb, giving chase and swinging in a most carefree fashion. a local man at a nearby table stood quickly in an apparent huff over some issue. a string of words flew from his mouth, vehement and forceful, directed at the proprietor. he picked up his bicycle, shouting the whole time and gesturing wildly with his free hand. the whole time he kept creeping toward the street and was nearly run down by both a car and a motorbike. he moved to the next mom-and-pop shop and tried explaining his situation, with increasing volume, to them. he was asked to leave. finally he rode slowly and unsteadily away, swiveling his neck to continue the string of verbiage as he was nearly plowed by yet another vehicle.
we exchanged looks of wonder and amusement and another local, just one table over, said "too much drink, he craaaazy." we nodded and proceeded to have a little chat. in the streets kids played. shoeless and reckless they streamed from one house to another and up and down this alley and that. monkeys continued their games overhead and a scrawny cat patrolled the area for table scraps.
more beach. more food. more drink. more strolling. more relief from the grind of salvador, which has become a giant headache. it's a beautiful city, with beautiful beaches. and the bahians are a wonderfully friendly, curious, and talkative people. but the carnaval preparations are in full swing. and this means that temporary structures are going up everywhere. so vehicles plug the streets and the sidewalks. sound systems are being tested every few meters. the hustlers are fully operational. people continue to stream in (word has it that 2 million strong flood in for the party). and the odors are all blending into a full-blown stench.
the official start isn't until thursday, but really it has already begun. friday i will go with some friends to a camarote--a sectioned-off party that includes food, drink, and some comfort from the mass of humanity (the pipoca, or popcorn) that will be frenetically popping below. ai ai ai.
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