Gran Hotel Stella Maris Resort & Conventions Salvador

What an incredible place. I spent three days there, the latter two on a two-day trek to various waterfalls. It was perfect to recharge my batteries after the excesses of big cities. Highly, highly recommended.<br><br>Hint: The treks are a bit expensive. If you want to save some money, walk back to Lencois (if that's where you're based) instead of getting the 4x4

Hey<br><br>Arrived in Salvador and was quickly whisked to my hotel by Roberto - a smiley welcoming Bahian (a Brazilian from the state of Bahia). We talked about whisky and football - the usual conversation I have with a Brazilian when they hear I am from Scotland. The former is slightly easier for me to chat about than the latter!<br><br>The heat, the humidity, the smell and the Portuguese quickly gave me that holiday feeling. At the ...

Following a recommendation from people we met in Paraty, we decided to take a detour from our original itinerary. <br><br>We headed 600km west from Salvador to a town called Lencois, which is the base for exploring the Chapada Diamantina National Park. <br><br>We had an action packed 3 days in the most stunning landscapes (some parts reminded us ...

... systems with tens and tens of speakers were organised and great flamboyant bands playing Forró music took to the stage each night until the early hours of the morning. We danced about the crowds with random men grabbing us at every opportunity to dance with us and teach us to &#8216;Forro&#8217;. I&#8217;ve never sweated so much or danced so much in my life, it was a continuous workout but a lot more fun. That evening we also met lovely Ezekiel from Buenos Aires and a guy called Richard ...

... lost my flip-flops on several occasions in the carnage of the Bloco but miraculously found them. Carnival tip of the day, never wear flip-flops in a Bloco, trainers are a must! Tonight was probably the best night out in my life, completely amazing! It's really hard to put into words! The music, the people, the atmosphere. Over 2 million lined the streets of Barra, Salvador tonight, unbelievable!!! Day 48 - 23/01/09 An uneventful day and night at Carnival today. Stayed in the ...

... what was going on. It was a joyous lesson and I realised i~m free to move on and that I have every thing I need. The price of freedom is eternal vigillance! moving on past those things that hold you back, bring you down and stop you from growing. I asked Mestre King if I coudl return next year and train with him for 6 months and he said I could always return to train with him. (big smile here). Marlene has ...

As I am typing this entry my hands are shaking... I am completely happy and it is with energy that they shake, not without. They are shaking because I´m dancing 4 hours a day with Ujahma and he is working me hard. Plus its so hot here its too hot to eat so I get in one meal a day. I make an an enormous concoction of salad, meat and vinagrete for which I pay per kilogram - oh boy do I pay!... I just ate it after dancing for two hours and it was sublime. However, I accidentally put ...

... visitei a casa de alguns colegas de trabalho e fui muito bem recebido por suas famílias. Realmente, toca o coração ver tanta generosidade e simplicidade nas pessoas em tempos que só se noticia barbáries e ostentação de todas as espécies. <br><br>O trabalho é muito bom. Faço o mapeamento geológico de uma área promissora para um minério de zinco. Trabalho árduo que exige dedicação exclusiva por 20 dias seguidos, trabalhando dàs 7h até a hora de ...

... trail from the town, then bouldering up and across the river before finally reaching it some 3 hours later. Back down near the town, there is another great waterfall that I went sliding down. I spent a couple hours here! The area is a hiking mecca. There are many hikes, ranging from one day up to seven. I could only go on single hikes/tours as I had only 3 days there. One of the most popular hikes is 3 days into the city of Capao.

<br><br><br>Click the image to see a Youtube video I ...