How time does fly! We are in the ever-buzzing city of Salvador, but I want to catch up in chronological order. We left Joao Pessoa on a night bus with an assortment of provisions (some beers, the local version of cheez-its, water bottles, chocolate, and a big bag of cashews - actually 'castanhas de caju' - the caju refers to the juicy fruit you saw Flora biting in previous pics- the castanha is the actual seed/nut), and we woke up in Bahia, which is considerably more lush than Paraiba. By brunch time we were in Salvador, where we were guided to Barra/Ondina (thanks Cheryl, fellow Portlander!) and stayed just long enough to stash our bulky stuff (thanks again, Cheryl and Wilma!) and buy some bus tickets to Chapada Diamantinha national park, located in inland Bahia. On recommendation (Ashi, Solila, and of course, Cheryl and Wilma!) we picked the most remote town Capao, which meant another hour of 4-wheel-drive jolting about after the end of the (overnight, again) bus route. Here's a picture of the 'town' of Capao, which is by far the most tranquil spot we've experienced on this journey. The higher altitude meant cooler weather, which was a nice relief. It's definitely a destination spot for nature/trekking enthusiasts, which as you might imagine, makes for a different 'vibe' than the beach scene. We met some fabulous folks from other parts of Bahia, Israel, Chile, Spain, Australia... Maybe some of you are reading this now! Here's a little set of videos from the grounds of our pousada Sempre Viva. Note the surreal purple trees:
As you might expect (not), the small village of Capao is home to a full-blown circus troupe, complete with a big top tent and trapeze equipment. Naturally, they offer classes for anyone interested in having a circus experience. Flora and I signed up (actually, we didn't sign anything, which is kind of a humorous relief compared to the layers of liability waivers one would have to sign to participate in such a thing in the US). We did lots of stretching and tumbling gymnastics-style, then we got to pick a circus art to focus on. I chose the trapeze, and Flora chose the silk ropes (they call them 'tissues,' which is a hoot). So here we are working on our respective circus schtiks: ((Ahhh - internet troubles again... having trouble uploading more. Well, here is Flora climbing up the tissues))Perhaps the most famous waterfall in these parts is called Cachoeira da Fumaca (Waterfall of Smoke), so named because the stream is so small and the distance is so high that the fall appears to vaporize before it hits the pool below. Here`s a video. We`ll load more pics and elaborate more when we can.
Wish y`all were here.
Coming soon...
-the conclusion of Chapada Diamantinha
-Portuguese immersion school in Salvador
-our great apartment
-Forro, buying plywood and cheap delicious ice cream in Rio Vemelho...
