Bahia Othon Palace Hotel Salvador

... really owns these houses because you dont pay anything to live there, you kind of get voted in by the locals. anyway, i showed up there and talked to the guys and they let me set up camp in the backyard of the house. the place was incredible. it was built on top of a dune right on the beach, so the first thing i would see from my tent was palm trees, and a beautiful empty beach. in the house itself lived this couple from argentina, and this other family from ...

... In the evening, we went to a street party. My first night out in a while. We went to the town square and there was live music. In the smaller streets, there was a drum band playing. The crowd loved it. My roommate was pick-pocketed for about $40.00 bucks. We then went to an outside Samba bar and stood around and talked. I left at 12:30 am and went to bed. =)) More beach during the day and at night I cooked spaghetti for a few people and we stayed in. Next day, I cooked ...

... running around trying to find an internet cafe so I could check our contact info, we finally made inside. Dropped off our bags and proceded to party. Carnival is nuts I don´t really want to get into specifics cause it feels like I´ve been typing for an hour and I am melting in this cafe. Anyways we may trying to go skate today which would be good cause we have just been partying for the last 4 days or is that 5?

... heritage back to African slaves who were shipped to Brazil  in the 18/19th century. A lot of the music and dance is clearly African influenced , especially at the Campo Grande which we went to on the 3rd night of the carnival, here was a more local feel, less tourists than in the Barra circuit, less camarotes, less TV cameras, the dancing was so African , a lot of the performers were dressed in African costumers some for instance had dressed up as African kings and ...

... patience and sincere attempts to help me out. Also I[ve really desired to meet Mestre King and train with him (basically the teacher of all teachers here, pretty much) and have been given leads and people have called his sons for me to get his latest wearabouts. Its really cool. Yesterday my host (the receptionist at my hostel) invited me to come to an Axe lesson with the lead choreographer for Ivete Sangalo. It was super fun and Marcele was very kind to ...

Woke up to a lovely sunny day. Temperatures around here average about 30 degrees year round so you don´t need to bring any warm clothes! Olivia headed to the beach again and found a great spot. The golden sand with the blue water makes a spectacular vista. Ah bliss. Taj wandered off to catch up on some news via internet. We met up around lunchtime and visited Projeto Tamar as Olivia didn´t see it the day before. On the way to lunch, Taj could not resist trying an ...

... les musiciens battent le rythme sur leur tambour. Et l'assemblée d'accompagner leurs mouvements de mains. Le cercle s'ébranle autour du maître de cérémonie. Les femmes entament un mouvement lancinant. Pas sur le côté, bras battant l'air de chaque côté. Elles tournent en rythme autour du cercle. Leurs volumineux jupons blancs se balançent au rythme envoûtant des percussions et des chants. Emmenés par les battements de mains de l'assemblée, le cercle tourne ...

There is a saying in Portuguese. If you wash it, it is new.... Today, I announced to our housekeeper - I am laundry. Yes I mixed up the verbs I have and I am. Thank goodness I only told her that I temporarly was laundry. I wouldn´t like to be Laundry forever... :-) Getting used to Salvador. Starting to laugh more. Starting to realise that when I walk into a bar, all full of men - because I need water after class - I have to expect they will be all staring at ...

... turns out to be one of the most luxurious, of not the most on this route!!! was fantastic: had 2 open bars, a Prosecco stand, and waiters circulating with drinks, a ´food hall´ that had typical Brazlian food, Japonese, fast food, Haagen-Dazs icecream, a make-up and hair stand, a mini club, nad played good music between each bloco passing...all included. Occasionally went down to the street because the atmosphere there is so contagious, and to do some ...

Salvador de Bahia. This is so different. Salvador was the main slave trade town in South America and the african feeling is still strong here. The music is mainly african and reggae. Reggae is big time here and the number of rastas is unbelievable. ¨te gusta o reggae ? ¨ I keep being asked. ¨Sim, mi gusta moito¨. Then they ask ¨te gusta reggae normal o liberal ?? ¨ . OK -Normal is the music. Liberal is the ...