Vitoria--minha vida, meu orgulho, meu amor

So this past week was midterms, papers, headaches, tired eyes, and the realization that time has flown by. I have been having such a great time here in Brazil, I am already dreading leaving! There is so much I feel that I have left to do. I am trying to dig my heels into the ground, or turn my watch back a few hours, or some how put on the brakes of this high speed train called life. I am not nearly tan enough, my Portuguese is getting better but I haven't forgotten English yet, I haven't won a Capoeira battle, I have not danced pagode all night...the list goes on. I did, however, manage to do some memorable things this weekend:

1. Bale Folcorico--We went to this performance on Thursday night that exhibited traditional Bahian performance. We saw makulele (a high energy dance/staged fight with swords and sticks), a long dance of Orishas, and some acrobatic Capoeira that was absolutely breath taking. My favorite act was the fire-dancer. This man with a cauldron of fire balanced on his head and two small bowls of fire in his hand danced and twirled across the floor. Once he put the bowls down he held the flames with his hands and stood on the fire with his bare feet. Needless to say it was very impressive.

2. Ile Aiye--This is the most renown Afro-Brazilian drum group in Brazil that was founded here in Salvador. They were an important element of the Black Movement in the 1970s and continue today to be leaders in the maintaining black pride and culture. They are the oldest and most famous black group to perform in Carnival. Anyway, every month they play music all night in this big empty gym-esque building over in Liberdade (a neighborhood about 30 minutes away). Their drumming just fills your soul and your heart beats one with the drums and your feet begin to dance to the rhythm. We danced all night and I could not wipe the smile off my face even though my checks began to hurt.

You can't really capture the feeling or music in a picture but here are the drummers:


3. Futebol! I finally went to a Brazilian soccer game! Vitoria (thats my team, from Salvador) vs. Flumenese (a Rio team that traditionally is strong but having a weak year). I had bought a jersey a few days ago in preparation for the game. The bus ride there was AMAZING. We were sardined into a bus crowded with Vitoria fans. Everyone was drumming on the windows and the ceiling and singing Vitoria chants and songs, after a few refrains to catch the words we were singing too. I couldn't partake in the drumming because the bus sped through the city so fast that I had to cling on for dear life (picture how fast the Knight bus from HP3 would take the turns...it was basically like that). It was on the bus I decided that Brazilians need to teach Americans a lesson or two about delectation. The energy was just great. It felt like the Quidditch world cup outside the stadium with different vendors selling their paraphernalia and everyone excited and cheering. At the start of the game the mascot even came on the field (I was so juiced!). Vitoria is red and has a lion mascot (which is KINDA like Gryffindor, which of course got me excited as well) The game was good, but we ended in a tie 2-2. I definitely miss going to UCLA football games (and dancing to Ow!).

Here I am with my friend Alex decked out in our gear (unfortunately I don't have face paint)


I really like this picture I took of all the jerseys for sale
and no, its not upside down, they are all just hanging that way.
Oh and if you are wondering, Fiat is the sponsor not a player

Lencois

Nestled 6 hours inland from Salvador is a small town called Lencois. The nature surrounding Lencois is absolutely breath taking (Abba, you would have loved it). There are very impressive rock formations, plateaus, and caves. Also there are amazing waterholes and waterfalls. The area is extremely unpopulated and tranquil (We were basically the only people there, and from the top of the highest plateau there was not one village/town/or city in sight). We spent Friday through Sunday there. Here are some pictures to describe my weekend:

1. Ｗe climbed to the top of this Chapada (plateau). The view from the top was amazing. The land expanded around me green and flat except the outcroppings of rock chapadas. Literally there was not a town or inhabitance as far as the eye could see. This land was once underwater.

2. Here I am doing a cartwheel at the top

3. The wind was very strong. We were on top of the world!

４．　Friday afternoon, after hiking up the chapada, we went to "O Posso do Pato" to swim. Unfortunately it was cloudy and evening so our ganas to get in the water was not so strong. However, once we arrived it was so beautiful we jumped into the cold water--you just had to be a part of it. 　


５．On Saturday morning we hiked through some underground caves. They were made by subterranean rivers. The orange color in the rocks is due to iron deposits

６．Inside the cave there was some stalactites and stalagmites forming. This one is called the Angel...I thought it looked like nature's version of the Winged Nike！

7. Here we are climbing out. (We had to walk through the cave with a lantern, but once we saw light coming from the exit I immediately thought of the red 'puter saying "the light that you see at the end of the tunnel, is the head light of a fast approaching train")

8.．After that hike we went down to "Posso de Diablo." This was another amazing water hole. To get there you have to traipse over large rocks and boulders. We ziplined down from the top into the water.


９．On Sunday, we only had a half day. We took another hour hike to this natural waterslide. The slide was sooo much fun! It was like tobagoning but in water.　Click on the picture to enlarge it and see a person on their way down.
10. Another picture of me and Nadia at the slide.

Parabens pra voce!

Thank You all for the plethora of birthday wishes. It is great to hear from people from home. I spent a very nice birthday. My host mom took me to lunch at Mahi Mahi, a ritzy waterfront restaurant where you can jump off the pier and swim in the ocean or go in the pools on the deck. It was an absolutely gorgeous day--warm but not too hot. Every time you overheated you could just dip in the water and immediately be refreshed. We spent the afternoon there.

Here are some pics from the day:

1. Mae and I eating lunch (the vegetarian selection was limited because the place's specialty is fish, but they custom made me a salad which was nice).
2. This guy jumped from the upper platform and dove into the water. Needless to say I did NOT try this myself, and preferred to use the ladder to descend into the water. (Although perhaps I should have jumped in because I did step on some coral getting into the water and a piece is stuck in my pinky toe and I can't walk on it)
3. Another picture of me and my host mom

4. Here I am, age 20!5. This is the homemade strawberry cake my mom made. Yet another culinary dessert masterpiece by her.

O Poder Mudou

I have seen this ad many times around the city. It is part of the advertising campaign for an old newspaper that is changing its make and look. The line reads "O Poder Mudou" which means "The Power has Changed." It sends a pretty bold message about our country. The fact that people across the world recognize Obama (who is not even President (yet)) as an agent of change is impressive. And the fact that is phrased in the passed tense--while may be appropriate for the newspaper--makes it seem that the world is confident that we will elect him. And despite how many countries we have razed on the international level, they are willing and ready to give us a second (or maybe thousandth) chance. If Obama is bringing hope to Brazilians...wow.

There is one month until elections and I still haven't received my absentee ballot stuff here, but I heard rumor that I can vote at some consulate within two weeks of election day. This is going down in history books, so be sure to play your part and VOTE!

P.S. Tomorrow is election day here in Brazil. Voting is mandatory. (Wouldn't that create a different campaign strategy?) How do they enforce it? Since in order to get any job, you have to pass a test, if you skipped out on voting you cannot take the test, and thus not get employed.

P.P.S. Tomorrow is my birthday so if you feel like sending me a birthday email, I would love it!

Quiejo

One of my favorite foods here in Brazil is the Queijo. At first sight, one may seem a little skeptical. It is a narrow block of white cheese (with small holes) skewered onto a stick. The queijo is sprinkled with oregano and slowly roasted over a small pot of hot coals. When I first saw them selling this on the beach, I was like WHO would buy hot cheese (that has not been refridgerated) on a scorching hot day. But now, I cannot make a trip to the beach without getting some. As each side toasts a light brown, the delicous smell wafts towards you. mmm! The final touch to the oregano-toasted-cheese is a light drizzle of honey. Strange? No, its delicious!

Morro de Sao Paulo

Uma ilha de paraiso!

This weekend I spent 4 days in Morro de Sao Paulo with a bunch of kids from my program. Morro is a island off the coast of Salvador and is absolutely beautiful. At times the white sands and palm trees made me feel like I was on the set of Pirates of the Carribean. Other times (more inland) it felt like rural northern Nicaragua due to the lush green tropical landscape, rolling hills, muddy streets, and small houses.

Morro is a small island designed for vacationers (mostly other Brazilians, Argentinians and Israelis--there was more hebrew writing there than I have seen outside of Israel). Since it has just turned spring here (low season), the island was very tranquilo and not bustling (I can imagine that in the summer it would feel very touristy). There are no cars and the streets are all sand. Everything is done on foot or via wheel barrows. Everywhere artisans sell their wares--beautiful jewelery, hand crafted mobiles, art, dresses, or homemade cakes.

The main attraction to Morro is the beaches which are exquisite. Unfortunately Thursday and Friday were rainy (so far all rain that has fallen in Brazil has only lasted for about an hour. However, this rainy drizzle lasted two days!). So we did a lot of exploring of the island or relaxing in hammocks under roofs. On Thursday night they had this great festa on the beach. They played music (everything from samba, forro, techno, hip hop, michael jackson, etc) and we all danced in the rain. On Saturday I took a boat tour that stopped at a bunch of different locations on the island. We saw dolphins playing in the water (the dolphins are super cute and only about 2-3 feet long). We also went to this amazing mud place. From afar it looked like a cliff of purple and yellow rock, but the rock was softer than clay and we lathered ourselves in the mud (which looked kinda like orange/strawberry sherbet or chocolate milkshake). It definitely brought out the little kid in you as you got to climb through mud, jump into it from higher up, lather it everywhere and throw it at each other. Then you would let it dry and rinse it off. It made your skin feel phenomenally soft.

I am finding it very difficult to put to words the feeling of the island (which ran on island time--meaning there were absolutely no clocks and you were NEVER in a rush...sometimes things went very slowly). Anyways I took a lot of GREAT pictures

These are the ruins from the fort. From here I looked out and could almost see the Black Pearl approaching...

This is me and my friend Daryn at the ruins. (When the sun finally came out on Sunday it was scorching hot).
Here is sunset on Saturday. Saturday was mostly cloudy but occasionally the sun poked its golden rays through illuminating everything with a warm glow. We stayed basically right on the beach.

Friday morning we took a long walk down the coast and then cut inland across the island. This wet greenery and sandy streets brought me right back to Nicaragua. I felt like I was revisiting a long lost home...
Here is the mud. I have other pictures to do the color of the rock more justice, but it is still hard to capture the vibrancy on camera. We climbed up to this sort of vat/pool of mud nestled into this cliff face. You had to crawl up because if you tried to walk you would sink too deep.
Here are Daisy, Jessica, Arilene, and Ysenina with the mostly dry mud all over their bodies.

Faces of Salvador

I admit, I have not been as good of a photographer as I hoped to be on this trip. Many times I choose to leave my camera at home because of the hassle of carrying it around, and the danger that it brings. Or even when I do bring it with me, I only reluctantly take it out so I don't draw attention to the fact that I am a tourist with a valuable camera. I do think I am being a little overly cautious, but as many of you know, I treat my camera like it was my first born child and if someone stole it/it got damaged, I would be devastated. Not just the value of the camera, but it would be like the loss of a friend.
Anyway, I took most of these pictures at the Favela we visited today in our culture class. Our teacher is very passionate about breaking the stereotypical image of a drug-ridden favela that City of God has given Americans. (For the record, the 'favelas' shown in that movie based in Rio are actually PROJECTS, not favelas).
Favelas are the type of living communities for the majority of the population who cannot climb the ranks to upper-middle class. Favela dwellers come and invade the land and begin to build their home (with the help of other favela dwellers). After three years of inhabiting the space, the land is considered theirs. Also after three years the government provides electricity, running water, and sewage system. Favelas also have the best views in the country. Unlike the US where the rich flock to the hills, here hills are covered in the disjunct little box houses that teeter on the slopes.
The favela we visited today is on a hill right on the edge of the ocean. The views are exquisite as is the breeze that provides a little relief from the scorching sun. The lack of roads (only uneven footpaths and disjoint stairways) in the community makes the entire area very tranquil and free from the bustle of city life. This specific favela is home to many foriegners (Italians, Americans, Germans, Swiss) though the majority are Brazilian. The community is working on this great beautification project of putting up mosaics on their walls.
Here are some of the kids that followed us around--gawking at the spectacle of Americans in their favela. As we, in turn, took out our cameras to gawk back:



Sorry about the underlined--I'm not sure how that happened. And dont forget to click on the photos to enlarge them