We had numerous pre-port meetings in which they put the FOG into us about staying safe during Carnival. Expect to be pick-pocketed, don’t fight back, don’t bring valuables or put all your money in one place, stay aware of your surroundings, wear close-toed shoes, don’t go anywhere without a man. Oh yes, don’t forget to have fun.
As we left the ship in Salvador a fancifully-dressed woman with a large bustle tied a colorful band on each person’s wrist, securing it with three knots. The knots represent wishes one is to make, and if you keep the band on until it disintegrates, the wishes will come true. The bands are said to last as long as 2 years! Mine is a very pretty shade of red but I doubt you will see it on my wrist when I return home. It was hot and steamy, and many street vendors were selling their wares. Margie and I wandered down to the Mercado Modelo, an outdoor market near the docks. Margie bought a coconut for $2.50 Real (ree-yah’-lehs, about $1.75) and the guy expertly whacked at it with a machete to make a hole for a straw. The milk is watery and tastes mildly sweet. One can also eat the meat of the coconut, but we opted not to. For one thing, you really need a machete to get it apart, and we had left our machete on the ship, along with all jewelry, electronics, and gold fillings. (The next morning bunch of students did report being pick-pocketed, and one group was herded into a secluded area and had their money belts stolen, but I didn’t hear of any serious injuries.) Some students paid about $150 to join a samba school (a ‘bloco’) which meant they wore a particular brightly-colored jersey and got to dance in the parade behind their school. Those who don’t invest in the jerseys follow on the outskirts, and are called ‘popcorn’!
In the afternoon we walked around the historical area of Pelourinho, where Carnival was in full swing. The city is divided into lower and upper Salvador, and one actually takes an elevator that rises several hundred feet from the docks to the old part of the city. In Pelourhino, families were everywhere, people of all ages. There was a man selling delicious cashews, and many people selling strings of beads (just like Mardi Gras). I felt we were a rather conspicuous group with our disposable cameras and baseball hats, but no one seemed to mind our presence. It’s all about having fun. The statues in the square had been partially boarded up with plywood, I guess to protect them from the revelry. We saw dancers and the large paper-mache heads, heard loud samba music, and generally enjoyed the intensity of it all.
The next morning we arose early and stumbled to the dining room for breakfast. Not many students were present. In fact, many faculty were conspicuously absent. We had signed up for a 15km bike ride through Pituacu, a park in the Northern part of the city. We had a good group and really enjoyed the easy ride along the sort-of-paved path around the lake. Our guides explained biological things to us about water plants that thrive on eating pollution and how they grow so quickly that they have to be cleared out regularly. It was very hot but we were shaded more often than not, and at times there was a good breeze. One person got a bit overheated and Margie’s lens fell out of her glasses, but those were the only mishaps. (Margie did find the lens, unbroken, but not the screw, so had an adventurous ride sans spectacles!)
I now fully understand the reason for siesta. It makes no sense to be out during the heat of the day. Margie and I spent the afternoon writing postcards and journaling and relaxing in air-conditioned comfort on the ship. Tonight, we will venture out with friends to find some authentic Brazilian cuisine!
Posted by Melinda Baumann 
