Projeto Tamar!

 

Turtles!!  Projeto Tamar is an internationally known project that protects 5 species of turtles that are in extinction in Brazil. The project was created in 1980 with the name Tamar that comes from TAR (tartaruga) and MAR (marinha).  Projeto Tamar is one of the places we visit in Salvador and seriously didn't know turtles could be as big as the one I saw (first two pictures). However, I found out a turtle can be this big:

I can imagine a turtle this size..., but they exist :). After seeing a lot of turtles and learning a little about them, we went to the beach an relax for a few hour until.....

I found a man that makes beautiful paintings in like less than five minutes just with cotton and his finger, nothing else! It blew my mind I still look at the one I bought and I can't believe it. It is amazing! Brazil has so many talented people.

The cans Man!

Hahahahahahaha! Waiting for the bus Mitch, Matt and I found this man putting cans on the street for the cars to crush them. So funny! There was two police guys and instead of doing something they just said Hi and gave him two soda cans! hahaha. Then he saw the bus coming and got all excited and put the cans in front of the bus wheel. Finally, he took his bag of cans and left :P. People in Salvador are so chill and relax, they just make the best of their day. People say Salvador is dangerous, but I never felt scared or threatened at all. However, I never seen more people in my life trying to sell anything you could sell!.

That is a huge elevator you need to take to go downtown where you wanna go if you go to Salvador. Why you have to take it? downtown is where the port is and where they use to bring the slaves. The Portuguese wanted to have a better view of what was going on so they were mainly in the top watching those that were down :).

These are a few pictures from downtown isn't beautiful? I loved it it was by far my favorite day! All streets were little and you kind of felt in Europe, but with a strong African influence. There was a lot of churches to see and music everywhere :). Where you shop when you are in Salvador you go to the Mercado Modelo. The Mercado Modelo was the place they would put the slave until they were sold. When we went from the first floor to the last floor is a lot of little stores, but the basement is still like it was many years ago when slaves where there. However, it was closed, but in the basement the use to put the rebellious slaves to punish them.

Number one in my top list Salvador, Bahia!!

On our way I sat down next to a girl from Salvador and we talked about Salvador and the different aspects of their culture she said: "No matter where I go, nowhere is like my beautiful Salvador" :). Salvador was everything I expected Brazil to be is beautiful and African culture is really strong there. Salvador is the capital of Bahia and the first capital of Brazil. The city is because its great arquitecture, musique is the richiest in the Northeast of Brazil. Because of its strong African influence it can be consider the center of African-Brazilian culture.

Our first day walking in Salvador!! We walk at the beach and went to the Museu Nautico da Bahia. Cristina and I founded to typical personages from Salvador a Bahiana ( a woman from Bahia with a typical costume or clothes) and a Capoeira dancer. Capoeira is a dance invented by the African slaves in Brazil to practice fighting techniques. It was not allowed for a slave to learn how to fight so they truned in a "dance" that they would do for fun so their owners didn't know. Slavery ended just a little bit more than 100 years ago in Brazil and more than four millions slaves were transported to Brazil during the colonization area.

Açai!

 What is this?? Açai just one of the most delicious desserts I have ever tried! Is like a fruity smoothie/ice cream made of Açai and Guaraná two Brazilian fruits. You can eat it with different toppings, but mostly with granola, nuts, banana, condense milk or honey! It is a perfect combination and I have never tried nothing even similar to Açai, but is so good. I will miss a lot of things fro Brazil, but Açai is in my top list. Açai is everywhere! we have been traveling to different states and we have always found Açai. If you have been to a Latin country you know we love eating! so instead of tacos little restaurants open until late. Here you would find little restaurants that sell Açai, natural juices, fruit salads, sandwiches, pasteis, burgers etc. Also you can find rice, beans, meat...

Last Week in Recife!!

Recife was amazing and it was so sad to say good bye! I guess that is how life is we will meet wonderful people that would change our lives. It is sad to say goodbye, but it would be more sad if I hadn't met them at all. Silva has the biggest hart in the world! She only has one son Gabriel, but she could definitely have like 10 more :). Her actions always remembered me that it doesn't matter how terribleour trial is, we choose how to react about it and how our live would be after it. No matter how tired she was she always was there smiling for me and Tawnya :D and helping us to have the best experience!. Gabriel is the most intelligent boy I have ever met! When he laughs you have to laugh to it is inevitable. Gil (on my left in the second picture) is so funny! hardworking woman! if you want to develop you social skills move with her for a few weeks. I was not living with her, but two girls form the study abroad Sara and Berkeley were. They lived near us and Gil and Silvia are really good friends.  Have I liked my experience in Brazil so far??? NO! I have loved it! Recife and Brazil have so much to see and try just come and see it for yourself.

Casa da Cultura! My Indian friend!

Saturday, I went to la Casa da Cultura to buy some souvenirs. Last time i went I bought a few necklaces in a store owned by an Indian from Mato Grosso do Sul. I decided to past by the store and he told me u are so black jajaja! and then ask me what church are u part of again? I said I am a mormon he said he met a girl that was mormon and gave him a magazine. Also a seventy visit his store and he felt so happy. He told me he is reading the magazine and he feel so happy when people remember him. He wanted to take a picture and gave a necklace for free. He was born in an Indian village and he speaks the dialect of his ancestors. Brazil is so rich in culture! He invited to go to his village I would have loved to go to an Indian village in Brazil. If you ever go to Brazil talk to people they love talking and they love when someone wants to know about them. The smallest action can cause the biggest reaction.

Porto de Galinhas!!

Another reason I will travel to Brazil any day is Porto de Galinhas! It is a beautiful beach with natural pools. To see the natural pools you must go in the morning because he tide rises and it covers the natural pools.

 

So basically there is this huge rifts with whole sin it that make natural pools full of this little fishes. you have to take a little boat that takes you there or you can swim if you are a great swimmer.  Yo can't swim in all of them, but you can in some of them with the fishes so cool :D. This beach was originally called Porto Rico, but when slavery started it became the main point of illegal slaves trade. Mostly they would come hidden under chickens, so when they arrived it was announced by there is new chickens at the port! So it became known as Porto de galinhas ( Chickens Port).

Sinagoga Kahal Zur Israel

Why a picture with a colorful umbrella, well.... a woman with this umbrella and other umbrellas like it came to us and told us to take picture with them and even showed us pictures :). The umbrella looks big, but it was actually not too big it would barely cover my head, but we did have fun taking pictures with the umbrellas!

This week we visited the first Jewish synagogue in Latin America called Synagogue Kahal Zur Israel. It started in Pernambuco in the period of the Dutch invasion in Brazil from 1630-1657. During this period millions of Jewish emigrated to Brazil because they wanted to have the freedom to practice their religion. However, Judaism was prohibited is Brazil and Jewish had to became Christians, but they would still practice their religion at their houses. the third picture shows a ceiling inspired by the most famous Jewish synagogue in New York. Something interesting is that the first Jewish that made to New York came from Recife, Pernambuco :). While listening to the guide I couldn't stop thinking how hard life must have been for Jewish people. they left their houses and family to be free and thay couldn't, just running must of the time.

Fortaleza Dos Reis Magos!

The next day we went to visit this fortress, La Fortaleza dos Reis Magos! name like that because the date the construction started was the day of the Wise Men January 6 of 1598, stated by the catholic church calendar.
The Northeast of Brazil was being threatened by the Frenchmen that there were trafficking 
pau-brasil (plant), so the Portuguese decided to protect more that part of the land and decided to build a fortress. 
Something interesting is the Portuguese were mainly of short stature so the door entrance were like 5 feet  some of them as defense. As a defense because the Frenchmen were tall so when they bent to fit through the door it was a good opportunity for the Portuguese to attack them.

Las Dunas! @ NaTAL

So what we did on Monday ? We just had the best day in our study abroad. If you are coming to Brazil you must go to Las Dunas in Natal and go on a buggie ride. A buggie is the red car I am standing next to. Natal is amazing and it is known as "The City of the Sun or The City of the Dunes"The dunes are beautiful and is like being in a natural roller coaster! it is like an hour ride, but worth it every penny.

In our ride at the dunes we found water in the middle of the dunes! in the picture it just get as deep till your knees, but the buggie driver says it gets deeper. Clear fresh water coming from sand....

So this is one of our stops at the dunes! the dunes have a huge river and a lot of trees, but it is mostly just sand like a desert :). Our final stop was a place were they had I don't know how is called, but basically is snowboarding on the sand and camel rides!

João Pessoa :)!

Saturday and Sunday we were at João Pessoa and  I ended up sleeping with Sarah and Michele. We are so loud together! and so different, but we had so much fun!. On Saturday we went to the beach :D and to dinner. Dinner was interesting we went to this touristic place with restaurants and stores near a river where a saxophonist musician come in a boat playing. Then he stops at one of the restaurants and play a few songs.  We watching him play at the river and then at the restaurant andddd we had an amazing dinner with live music. 

Drawings made by the indians 2,000 years ago!

If you know me you know I am not a person that likes hiking or hikes at all. Do you see my feet that was after a not very easy hike to see the drawings you can see in my picture made more than 2,000 years ago. Yes it was hard hiking with flip flops and a purse, but I did it and guess what i loved it. So I have decided to go on hikes more often :D. It was incredible seeing the drawings in basically a whole in the middle of a mountain and you cannot even imagine how beautiful the view was. To go there we were guided by a humble man who was nervous and excited to see so many tourists interested in seeing these drawings. It seems not to many people know about them, but they are literally in the middle of nowhere, but it is worth it. 

Water was the greatest thing I have ever tasted after the hike and taking a shower an amazing blessing. So you can see hikes even make you appreciate simple things :).

Oh and I carried a baby sheep!