Independence day in Salvador is July 2nd. I woke up this morning having forgotten to wind up my alarm clock and couldn't find my watch. Thankfully, after a quick shower, found the watch - it was just 8:00 am or so. I was able to get dressed and go to breakfast before our 9:00 am drive to the Yacht Club about half an hour from our hotel to hear our presentation on life in Salvador and the state of Bahia. Claudio Cardoso was our speaker of the day, a native Bahian. He's a former engineer who later went back to school to do graduate work in communications. He is quite a communicator, a nice looking 51 year old who is very funny with a good life attitude and well read. He teaches at the Federal University of Salvador (I guess like our state universities). As interesting as it was to hear him speak, I get a tired after the first hour. But, we did have our lecture outside in a covered patio with the sound of the surf breaking and an attentive waiter who kept us all hydrated with constant water bottle replenishments. I dutifully took notes but the incentive to retype them onto my laptop is getting to be a lower priority.
We had a great lunch - I had two capirinhas (local drink specialty like a mojito but with cane sugar alcohol). It would be easy to get used to drinking these every day. I get happy after one and with two, well I get happier. After lunch, we finally got to go shopping. After warning us how crazy the Mercado Modelo (A place to buy local handcrafts and souvenirs) is in Salvador, I was expecting mayhem but it was pretty subdued and nothing compared to the Khan el Khalili in Cairo. I mean, really. I guess the vendors used to be in your face a lot but must have had incentive to stop. I got a hand carved wooden St. Anthony statue, very small but felt it was about time what with all the lost things he's helped me find. Except here, they punish St, Anthony and threaten him if he doesn't find the goods fast enough. They might put the statue in their freezer or bury him upside down in the garden. Just a little local color I guess. And to top off the shopping, some cheap but interesting earrings and a colorful wooden bead necklace.
The evening continued with an impromptu stop at the Benedictine church where, at 5:45 pm Mass starts with the Benedictine monks engaged in Gregorian chant. Claudio wanted us especially to hear it and it was well worth it. I took a short video and hopefully I can get it uploaded. Next on the agenda was the Maestro Bimba School of Capoeira, a martial arts school where we were entertained with around two hours of dance like self defense moves. And of course, they dragged us onto the circle so we could dance with the students. I allowed myself to join the crowd and was told by some fellow Fulbrighters that I was really getting down. Hopefully the photos they snapped don't look too bad. I didn't do too well bending back below a limbo stick - my vertebrae don't bend as well as the last time I did that sort of thing.
I'm back in my room, too tired to eat dinner and snacking on mini-bar peanuts. Breakfast here at the hotel is a huge buffet with omelettes and pancakes made to order so I can make up for it in the morning. We have our environmental lecture tomorrow and have been told to wear long pants, comfortable shoes and bring mosquito repellant. So DEET, here I come. We have to leave at 8:00 am. And another Fulbright lunch paid for. Until tomorrow!
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