Salvador

Salvador da Bahia is a city of about 2 million people right on the coast of Brazil. Although a big city in many ways Salvador feels very small. I live in a neighborhood called Barra (prounounced “Baha”) which is right on the ocean with lots of stuff to do and people who consider a bathing suit with shorts, or a sunga with a tank top acceptable clothing for the grocery store.

My new host family is an older couple, Ieda and Fernando. Ieda is a biologist and Fernando has a printing business. They're in their late fifties with older children studying in Europe. Ieda is such a mom, she's constantly making me juices and cutting up the papaya on my plate.Warning me about drunk people out late at night.Wishing me a Happy Carnaval. She says it genuinely makes her happy to do things for other people, so I try not to protest too much, even if it feels ridiculous sometimes.
We live in a small apartment but can see the ocean from every window.
My room has a great big comfy bed and a wonderful closet. I have a great view of the ocean from my desk (which is actually a table).

What I've been up to.
Not a lot to be frank. School doesn't start until March 3 which means that I've been at the beach more or less everyday and out dancing at night.
By the way, Black people do get sunburned.
I've been hit twice and have ridiculous tanlines as well. The sun is no joke, so I bought sunscreen today--SPF 30. For some reason on the bottle it's written as "FSP" 30.I don't know.
Oh and Carnaval.

Carnaval.
I'm not even sure how or what to write about it. In some ways it has been exactly what I expected and in a lot of ways not. I've been out from 7 pm until 3 am every night for the past 4 days including the two days I was sick. (Take some medicine and keep it moving.)

The first day of Carnaval we went out in masks that we purchased at a artsy used book store/cafe near my house. Mine was red, purple and green with yellow feathers sticking out of the top. Soon it started raining and my mask fell to pieces but it didn't matter because everyone was soaking wet, and dancing and more or less happy. There's so much more I could write about but It's probably better saved for a Skype or real life conversation. And perhaps some day I'll also give my critique of Carnaval(because I definitely have one).

For now, I'm happy and getting a lot of rest, eating a lot of good food, feeling frustrated at times but getting over it and getting used to the idea of being here for 4 more months.
Tchau.

Bimbola