NOT back in New York

So, if anyone remembers when I said I'd be back, you'd be expecting to see me somewhere in New York right now.  I was supposed to arrive on Thursday and would probably be finishing capoeira class in the park right about now.  But instead, I'm still in Brazil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am lucky enough to teach a few online classes as well as in-person classes.  And I am lucky enough that the online classes started last week, but the in-person classes don't start until mid-September.  So, a few weeks ago, I decided to change my return flight to stay here longer -- two weeks longer to be exact.  I'll return to NY on September 9th. 

In the meantime, I am back to my normal Brasilia routine.  Capoeira classes all over the city, street rodas every other Saturday, visiting with old friends and making new ones, enjoying good music, eating good healthy food, working on my online classes in the morning, going to the park or agua mineral or a waterfall in the afternoon, and -- most of all -- laughing A LOT.  There is something very light about the energy in Nagi's house, and whether I'm passing the day with him or his roomie Dudu or his brother Jad, we are always laughing.  

Yesterday we went took a trip to a waterfall called Poco Azul. 

There are actually a series of waterfalls here and we didn't get to see them all. But we did enjoy two of them.  The first was beautiful: a fall cascading about 15 feet with a bunch of areas to jump into the deep pool below (I didn't jump because I'm wimpy like that, but I enjoyed watching everyone else).

We passed most of the day there. Then we took a hike to the fall below.  As we approached, I had to literally stop in my tracks because I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty and energy of the place.   I couldn't move for a few minutes and, when I did, I teared up.  I have never seen a place so amazing. The falls were powerful -- cascading from about 100 feet above, crashing onto a small rock shelf before cascaing again into a very shallow pool.  I stood under the falls to enjoy a lovely massage and then turned to face the rock.  I placed my hands on the rockface while the falls fell on my head and couldn't move for quite a while, thinking of the power of water and gravity.  I don't have a regular prayer practice beyond taking moments every day to express thanks for everything I have and am capable of doing in my life, but I was praying there -- most definitely.  As I write this, I have been trying to pull up words to describe what I was feeling there, but I don't think I can.  "Humbled" is one I can really connect with.  "Grateful" is another.

After a long time under the falls, I came out and swam in the other, deeper pool below a smaller fall to the side.  Saw some beer cans perched on a rock nearby, so I climbed up to get them and take them with us along with some other trash we found.  Soon it was almost sunset, so we climbed back up and headed home.
I was awestruck by the whole place.

That night, I went to Dudu's capoeira class where we trained a very beautiful combination.  The roda was lively and I played as much as I could in between watching his students play beautiful, powerful games. Afterwards, Cachino and I traded movements.  It always amazes me that even though I am still (for now!) unable to complete my kip de cabeca, I am able to teach others how to do it.  So, after a few tries, she was landing it almost perfectly. And I was still landing on my butt, though not as much as usual. I don't care, I still do it in the roda anyway.  And one day, I'm gonna get it......then I'll never stop!  We also practiced a very fun move that Dudu pulled on me during our first game together - a super playful pass under a kick that everyone will see when I get back to Brooklyn.

That's about it.  There's another street roda tonight -- gotta stretch!!

Back in Brasilia

I finally ended the solo part of my trip.  I felt a mixture of happiness and sadness for it all to end.  It was so interesting to be somewhat alone for a little more than two weeks.  Although, after about five days, I made a good friend and was hardly alone at all, except for during the days when my friend was working and I was walking the endless beach.  So, I felt a bit sad for that aspect to end.  So much of what I experienced in Bahia was like a dream or a movie -- so much was so wonderful.  In fact, everything was wonderful, and it is wonderful to have two weeks jam packed full of wonderful things. 

But returning to Brasilia means returning to other wonderful things and people and places, too.  Before I left New York for this trip, I said to a friend that it is so great to be leaving for a vacation and to not hate the place I am leaving, which means that when it is over, I won't be upset about having to come back to "real life" -- I love my real life. And I felt the same about reutrning to Brasilia....I enjoy every moment here, so I wasn't that upset about ending the solo beach adventure and re-joining Nagi and the gang here for more inland adventures. 

I spent one day in Salvador, just a few hours less than 24, because my flight was booked to leave from there.  I will definitely return to explore that city next year.  I didn't get to do much there because my ferry arrived at sunset so I went directly to my pousada, had dinner and stayed in.  The next morning I didn't have much time before my flight and it was overcast and a bit cold for the beach, so I went shopping for a dress for Jad's wedding.  No luck on the dress, but I hit a goldmine of tank tops and brazilian underwear.  Oh, and another bikini.  My bus ride to the airport went along the coast, so I got to see the amazing ocean smashing the shoreline.  Que bonita!!!

So, I am back in Brasilia and recovering from Jad's wedding, which was last night.  It was a blast. A wedding in Brazil is very much the same as a wedding in the U.S., but the music is all in Portuguese and rice is served with dinner. One difference is that there is a tradition here to have a necktie from the groom and a couple of the groomsmen circulate around the room with the tie and a pair of scissors. You get to cut a piece of the tie and keep it if you give money that will go to the lua de mel (honeymoon).  I had spent the day of the wedding and the day before with Jad helping him run errands and really got to see how happy and excited he was to get married. I'm not a big fan of weddings, and I defintely don't have big romantic notions for my own wedding, so I'm usually a bit jaded when it somes to these ceremonies (with the exception of my sister's wedding - I was thrilled for that one).  But it was so lovely to see him so happy and ready.  Parabens, Jad!!!

Today I will go to Max (aka Bahia) and Patricia's house to hang out with them and their pool.  (My tan from my beach trip is stellar and I must maintain!!)  I can't wait.  They are both such wonderful people and I'm really looking forward to hanging out with them and their family.

This week is full of good plans -- aqua mineral, flying kites in the park, early morning personal training sessions with Nagi, and lots of capoeira.

Envy is a Shit

I was shopping in Salvador and saw this printed on a black tank top in white letters: ENVY IS A SHIT.  I'm not exactly sure what it is supposed to mean, but I think it's really funny. 

But I didn't buy the tank top, though now I think I should have.

Morro, oh no no no

I thought it was important to provide an update.  And to pose a question.  First the question:  What in the hell does everyone like about Morro de Sao Paulo?  Is it the overcrowded beaches full of obnoxious tourists from all the world over?  Is it is smell of sewage wafting by with every gust of wind?  Is it the mediocre view from the beach?  Is it the leering men who live there and seem to act entitled to sleep with every moderately attractive female tourist that walks by? Is it the annoying guys at the dock who follow you, insisting that they'lll carry your bag for just 6 reals even though you only have a backpack and have explained three times that you don't need any help?  Is it the overpriced and not-so-great-tasting meals being hawked at every restaurant?  Seriously -- what is it?

I arrived there Friday afternoon with the intention of staying for five days and to finish off this solo part of my trip enjoying the wonders of Morro as described to me by practically everyeon who has ever been there.  Five minutes after I arrived, I knew I wanted to leave as soon as possible.  Granted, I was coming from paradise.  I had stayed in that paradise for five days longer than I had planned because I fell in love with it.  I developed an intense friendhsip with someone who I didn't want to leave.  And I made a bunch of other friends in the capoeira group there without ever even training once. So, the bar was set pretty high for any other place I'd visit on this trip. But based on what everyone had told me about Morro, I was sure I'd like it.  I think some places are best enjoyed alone and with little money (like my paradise) and other places are best enjoyed with a group friends and ample pocket change (Like Morro).

So, I decided I had two options: 1. Go on to Salvador  2.  Return to my paradise

Option 1. Before starting the solo part of my trip in Brazil, every person I spoke with about Salvador warned me about safety issues.  "Always keep an eye on your purse whe you are in a restaurant," "Don't go to the beach with anything if you plan to swim...someone will swipe your bag while you're in the water," "Don't trust the men there -- they are safados and will woo you and then try to take your stuff."   So, I was already wondering how I'd be relaxed in a place that sounded as or more dangerous than the Bronx in the 80s. I live in a city that requires me to constantly be on alert, paying attention to any possibility of trouble....I didn't want to go on vacation to experience the same level of looming stress.  And these warnings were not based on rumor or hearsay: Last year, someone tried the steal the camera out of my friend's hands!  This year, a capoeira mestres wallet was stolen off his person!  Add to this the fact that Salvador is, after all, a city full of tourists,  I decided that if I chose to go to Salvador, the last days of my solo vacation would require more energy and attention to my personal safety than I cared to give.

Option 2. Return to my paradise.  Return to deserted, breathtaking beaches.  Return to cheap, huge plates of shrimp and fish.  Return to the bakery that knows my breakfast order.  Return to the beachside Barraca where I get aqua de coco every day and chat with the cutie who runs it.  Return to nighttime walks on the beach and people to speak with and forro dancing and relaxation and sun and surf and waves and sand.


Now the update:  Can you guess which I chose? 

Paradise found

The mosquitos are abundant.  There is nothng to do.  The town closes from about 11:30 to about 2:30 for lunch. Yet, this, to me, is paradise.   I don't think any of you would like it here, so don't come! I'm keeping my location a secret because I don't want anyone else to know about it. If I could, I'd live here half of the year and live in NY for the other half.  (Actually, I could.....)

I'm paying for internet use here and am pinching pennies because I decided to extned my stay here by a week, which cuts into my free housing options in Salvador, so this will be short.  But here are the highlights of my daily plans:

1.  Wake up early and go to the paneria for cafe damanha (an egg sandwich with cafe com leite)
2. Put on a bikini and sunblock and go to the beach.
3. Walk for hours and hours, jumping in the ocean whenever it gets too hot.
4. Come back to town while the sun is strongest and fill up on a delicious lunch of fish or shrimp, rice, beans and salad.
5.  Lay in the hammock at my pousada after lunch and read while waiting for my belly to go back to normal size.
6.  Go back to the beach to have aqua de coco and walk in the other direction.
7.  Take the cute local capoeirista up on his offer to accompany me on my walk.
8.  Watch the sunset, play capoeira on the beach and lay in the sand.
9.  Go to the town center while the local capoeira group trains and watch through the open window and sing along with the roda.
10.  Eat a small dinner of aracaje or bread and cheese and peach juice.
11.  Learn how to dance forro Bahia-style and walk out to the end of the peir to watch the stars coat the sky after dark, then sit on the rocks that line the shore and talk with my new friends.
12. Discover that a mosquito net over a bed works perfectly.  
 13. Wonder how I'1ll ever leave.

Ahhhhh.

"Well the rain came..."

"...and said, hey buddy, now buddy the street is strange place.  I'll be lost, out there walking, nobody stopping to bother me..."


This Jane's Addiction song was in my head all day, well at least when I wasn't working on learning some new capoeira songs. After breakfast, the rain came.  I used the time to skype chat with my mom, which is always great.  When the rain stopped, I headed out to walk along the beach in the morning sunlight.  I met a baiana dancing on the shore of Praia Concha and we talked for a while about the rain and the sun and acai and friends.  I promised I'd come back later in the day and set off for the other beaches I like so much while the rain was on hold.  The respite was too brief, however, so I walked through the rain to the bus station to figure out my route for tomorrow's departure. I'm still shopping for a dress to wear to Jad's wedding when I return to Brasilia, so I also stopped into every little store I could find.  Lots of pretty beach dresses, but nothing in the "chique" style I'll need for the wedding. I did, however, get two more bikinis for just $10 Reals.  I gotta get em while I can!

The rain was off and on all day.  So when it was on, I shopped, strolled and ate lunch (can't get enough of those beans and rice!).  When it was off, I hit Praia Tiririca.  But almost as soon as I got there, the rain came again.  I found some shelter in a little cabana and learned a capoeira song (Malandragem).  It's nice to understand a whole song without having to use my dictionary.  The rain stopped again and I headed to Praia Resende by climbing the rock path that lines the shore. Resende was deserted, so I stopped there for a while and did some yoga to warm up. When I watch one of my yoga videos of Rodney Yee on the beach in Hawaii, I always wonder how he stays so sand-free.  It must be some special effect, because after just one sun salutation, I was coated.  Oh well -- it's  natural exfoliant, right?  After the yoga, I worked on a couple of new capoeira moves I've learned here.  It's so hard to know what anything looks like, so I took video of myself practicing and was surprised by how good the movements look! (The backdrop of the roaring Atlantic helped a lot, I'm sure.)  Whenever I got hot and sweaty, I walked into the rough surf and swam and washed the sand off my legs. After about an hour and half, I was dead tired so I headed back with just a couple of hours of sunlight left.  I walked back to Praia Conchas, hoping to encounter my baiana friend, but I couldn't even remember where I had seen her this morning.  Didn't matter much anyway because the rain came again, so I took it as a sign that I should head back to the street where my pousada is, take a nice shower, put on dry clothes and find a good place to get acai. The road along the other beaches is hilly and cobblestone, making for a bit of a hike to and from the beaches.  The road along the Concha beach is unpaved and after a day full of rain is a slippery mud slide.   I was surprised that I didn't bust ass, even though I could envision my whole backside covered in red mud afterwards.  Leave it to me to slip on a simple wooden stage in front of 300 people and yet be able to walk for three hours on a slick muddy road in flip flops without problems :)

The rain was actually lovely to walk through, and since I had to take my time to make sure each step was secure, I had no choice but to savor every moment. I was wet and dirty and anyone who knows me knows I hate walking in wet clothes, so I couldn't wait to get back to my room.  But then something happened -- I heard capoeira music.  I was passing a place I had passed earlier in the morning called Casa da Bonecas,  which is an African arts place with a stage and a bunch of programs about African arts and quilombos here in Brazil.  I walked past and looked in, hearing the music blasting without seeing anyone inside. So I kept walking, but then I turned back. This time I saw two angoleiros on the back part of the stage, playing.  I stood by the entrance and then waked in a bit and sat on the stairs.  One of them saw me and waved me over to come sit on the stage.  I did and found a bench and watched for quite some time.  The guy who waved me over, Ze, was giving a class to the other one, Andre, who was pretty skilled, though probably as much of a newbie as I am.  It was so interesting to watch the differences in their angola style of playing and training, but some things remained the same:  Andre was playing with a chair, kicking over it, gingaing around it, giving it tesoura and taking it down; Ze was telling him to ginga low and to cover his face.  After some time, Ze went out back and Andre kept training.  He asked me if I play capoeira and I replied yes, but mostly regional, not angola.  He asked me where I was from and then went back to training.  I was glad -- I didn't want to interrupt, so I was happy that they went on without paying me much mind. Ze came back after a while and also asked if I play.  He asked if I wanted to train.  I said maybe.  After a while he invited me to play with Andre.  Just ginga and move.   Then Ze bought the game and wow, that guy can move.  He can squat down on one leg, stick the other one out in front of him and stand back up again as easily as I sit on my couch at home. He told me I could kick and that he wasn't going to hurt me.  I believed him. Once I started really playing, he went wild -- telling Andre how linda (pretty) my game is. Andre bought the game and I faked a queda and Ze went wild again, screaming for me to take him down!  Game after game went on like this.  I was exhausted, wet, and now sweaty, too, but loved every second. Another student came to train after a while and he gave the two of them something to work on and told me he wanted to play regional with me.  Rapido!  So, we did and it was so fun. When I got tired I went and stood in the rain to cool off and went back to playing.  Ze wanted me to practicing multiple mei lua de compassos, which usually makes me dizzy, but I was able to do three in a row without a problem.  After about an hour of non-stop playing, I had to stop.  He took me through their compound and showed me where they make instruments: atabaques, berimbaus and caxixis.  The berimbaus were beautiful -- in addition to running this arts center, Ze carves wooden signs for people in town and the berimbaus all has amazing carvings in them.  I would have bought one from him were it not for the fact that I'd have to carry it with me for the next two weeks of traveling. He was sad to hear that I'm leaving Itacare tomorrow and told me that the door is always open for me whenever I come back. 

The rain stopped, so I took advantage of the moment and headed out after saying good bye and thanks.  After I got back to my room and showered, I went back to give him a gift -- I've been making kite tails made of paper butterflies, so I gave him one to hang in the room where he makes the instruments. 

Before coming here, I had decided that I wouldn't play any capoeira here.  It is weird to travel alone and I think hearing the music and seeing people play made me feel a bit less alone. Even better, playing made me feel at home and among friends.  I doubt I will do so anywhere else unless a similar situation arises.  I feel confident in my ability to judge the style and tenor of players and could tell, after watching Ze and Andre for 40 minutes, that they'd be fun and safe to play with. And they were.

I finally got that bowl of acai I had been craving all day.  Finally got that shower and dry clothes. And soon, I'll go to sleep.  Tomorrow I head to Barra Grande. The search for paradise continues, but Itacare came pretty close.

Almost Paradise

Here I am, in Itacare, thinking about how close to perfect this place is.  Were it not for the hordes of mosquitos feasting on my sweet flesh as I write (and read and sleep and walk and lay on the beach), I'd think I had found the best place on earth. Thankfully I have lots of natural repellent, but I do fear that it will run out at the rate I'm using it.  I mean, I woke up at 1am to re-apply after feeling about seven bites happen at once!

But really, it is great here.  I arrived yesterday after a two-part flight and a long bus ride from Ilheus to here and found a cozy pousada with internet and a very comfy bed.  I immediately bought a bikini (hey -- it was on sale for just $20 reals!) and looked at the map to plan today's day on the beach.  There are five beaches here.  One is a fairly long stretch of beach buffered by a big sand dune/island called Praia de Conchas even though there aren't many conchas (shells) there.  The other four are on the other side and are each very small and separated by stretches of rocky cliff/jetties.  The surf is better at these beaches, which means there are more surfers on these beaches, which means you can probably guess where I spent the day.  I walked through all of the beach accesses on the cobblestone road that goes up and down the hilly coastline to scope things out first and chose Praia Costa in honor of my three favorite Costas: Foca, Ana and Julia.  This was a good choice.  I found a flat rock to sun on and did my best lagartixa (lizard) impersonation all morning. When I wanted a break from reading, I watched the surfers.  And when I wanted a break from the surfers I walked a few feet up to the big empty pool-turned-skate park to watch the guys do their thing there. Needless to say, there were beautiful views every which way I turned. 

At about 1:30, when I felt my skin cooking and my stomach calling for lunch, I walked back along the rocks.  I encountered some guys who had built a fire within the rocks and were cooking fish.  One of them came to talk to me and told me that they stay there to protect the sea turtles that come in at night from turtle hunters.  There are no turtles now because they only come when the moon is at a certain stage (when it is waxing, and close to full I think. Right now it is waning.).  He invited me out for beers tonight, which I politely declined because I'm not sure what the deal is with going out here at night alone (or with some turtle protector I just met).  And anyway, my plan is all beach, all day.  I'm not that interested in going out drinking and stumbling home just to be hung over and icky feeling on these lovely beaches. 

I ate some delicious acai for lunch and just had a huge plate of fish and rice and beans and salad for dinner ($8 reals, thank you very much!).  This morning I went to the bank to withdraw money because I forgot to do so before leaving Brasilia and don't have enough for these two weeks of traveling. I was mortified when I saw that. for no apparent reason, both my debit and credit cards weren't working in the ATM. I found another ATM and tried again, but it wouldn't accept my debit PIN number (it's been so long since I used it, I lost confidence that I was remembering it correctly) and it couldn't read my credit card. I started trying to figure out how I'd pay for lodging and food for the next two weeks on just $250 reals, and planned for lots of fruit meals in super shoddy pousadas.  I tried the credit card one last time and lo and behold it worked. Phew.

I haven't taken any pictures yet, and I'm pretty sure I left my cord to upload in Brasilia, so it'll be a while before I can share the beauty of this place. But wow.  I'll be here til Friday and then head to Barra Grande, for more beach explorations. I'm working on a bunch of new capoeira songs to pass the time and am spending the night time watching American movies dubbed in Portuguese.  Last night was Men in Black 2 (Homems do Preto, Parte Dois).  All of this immersion is so fun.  I remember last year that when  asked for directions in Rio I couldn't understand a single thing that was said to me.  Not so this year -- I understand everything!!!