Salvador, Brazil

The last port we visited was Salvador, Brazil. It was weird knowing that it would be our last time getting off the ship in a new place before Fort Lauderdale. We had all become so used to the pre-port meetings, the diplomatic briefings, and the entire process of going through immigration and customs before disembarking the ship. And yet, no matter how many times we went through this tedious process, we never became jaded to the feeling of stepping off the ship and into an entirely new country and in some cases, like Brazil, an entirely new continent.

Brazil was no different. We arrived at the port on April 21st to a country that we had studied about in our classes, but were anxious to see for ourselves. Our first encounter was with some drummers and dancers who were there to welcome us. This only confirmed what we already knew about Brazil’s passion for music and dance. We made our way out of the port and out onto the sidewalk where we walked for a few minutes until we reached a huge marketplace. We had to walk though a marketplace, cross a busy street, and take a paid elevator ride in order to get to the rest of the city. (We were told that it was possible to take a cab there and it was safer to do so at night, but during the day this was the cheapest and easiest way to go.)



I got off the elevator and looked out over the waterfront and marketplace. The view of the different boats and ships docked at the edge of the city was one that would never get old. I was trying my best to take in all the little things that were part of our trip—things that I wouldn’t be able to experience in a few weeks. I walked out of the elevator and into the upper area of the city. There were old, beautifully designed buildings that looked almost European. We walked down the small cobblestone streets where people were eating lunch outside of cafes and coming in and out of boutiques. We could see women in banana skirts and brightly colored clothing. We could smell the food that was being cooked in the restaurants. But the thing that took over our senses the most was the sound of the music that was being played almost everywhere we turned. Whether it was coming from the radio of a small café or the instrument of a street performer, the sounds seeped through every wall and every window, and vibrated throughout the entire city.






The people were beautiful and friendly as usual. They walked with pride and confidence. You could tell the women were comfortable with their bodies. We noticed this when we went to the beach later that day and saw women of all shapes and sizes in tiny Brazilian bikinis that hardly hid any part of their bodies. The men were no different, wearing nothing but tiny Speedos, regardless of their age or body type. (It was probably the best I’d ever felt in a bathing suit.) Even though it was raining a little bit, we could still take in the beautiful scene of the ocean and the people. The rain actually made it nice because the beach wasn’t too crowded—a complete contrast from the Ghanaian beach we were at the week before.





However, what made this beach similar to the one in Ghana was the restaurant set up. In both Ghana and Brazil, we sat at on casual outdoor tables with plastic chairs and an umbrella over our head. In both places we had waiters who would bring us menus and run back and forth to the kitchen to bring us our food. In Ghana, we were sitting fairly close to where the food was being made, but in Brazil we couldn’t even see where the food was coming from, especially with all the umbrellas everywhere. Our waiter didn’t seem to speak very good English, so we were always surprised when he came back with everything we had ordered.

The only time we things got lost in translation was when I tried to order ice cream. I pointed to word “ice cream” on the menu, but he didn’t seem to recognize it, even though it was written in English on the menu. In an attempt to help him understand, my friends and I kept saying “chocolate” and “vanilla.” He gestured to us that he understood and then quickly left the table. A few seconds later, we looked away from the beach and up onto the main road, where we saw him running (literally sprinting) down the street. I didn’t want to believe that he was running to get our food, but sure enough, a few minutes later, he came back with about 5 different types of chocolate bars. At this point I didn’t even care about the ice cream, I just couldn’t believe he had run all the way to the store and back to get us our food. I wondered if he had done this at any other point in the meal. Never has any waiter in the United States ever run down the street to get me something in the middle of my meal. Needless to say, we gave him a big tip.



That night we went out dancing. Since it would be my only night in Salvador (my Amazon trip was the next day) I knew that I had to experience the dancing of Brazil. It lived up to all my expectations. Women moved their hips in ways I didn’t even think were possible. And both men and women danced until they were dripping with sweat. It was quite a workout and us Americans could hardly keep up. Everyone was laughing and the music just took over our bodies. If I ever have the chance to visit Brazil again, I want to spend more time dancing. I’d love to try all the different styles and learn more of the moves. The music and dance in Brazil is truly captivating.

Unfortunately, on a negative note, a lot of people were mugged in Brazil, especially on our first night in Salvador. Thankfully, I was never mugged, but a large number of my shipmates were. It didn’t just happen at night or to people who were walking alone. It happened to several people during the day when they were walking in groups. People had necklaces ripped off them and cameras taken right out of the hands. Unlike the other countries where people were pick pocketed without even noticing, many of the muggers were aggressive and occasionally hurt the person they were mugging. It is so unfortunate that this had to happen because it made so many of us afraid.

I have to say, it was one of the only times I ever felt afraid on the trip. Each of the other times had been because I was in a bad area, it was late at night, or I was wearing or carrying something that made me stand out as a tourist. This was different because it seemed like there was nothing you could do to protect yourself. After that first day, I heard that people stopped taking anything with them. They tucked money in their underwear or bras and didn’t even bring their cameras. This could have been partly because they had nothing left to bring because it was stolen, but most likely it was because it wasn’t even worth the risk. I imagine it must have been a bummer not to be able to take pictures.

Despite the immense amount of muggings, I did not let this taint my impression of Salvador or of Brazil as a whole. It is a beautiful and vivacious place where attractive people and talented musicians illuminate the streets with an atmosphere of creativity and excitement. We learned that the level of happiness was the highest of all the countries we visited and even to a tourist who was only there for a short time, this joy was apparent.