Salvador, Bahia, Brazil Part I
We will have 5 days in Salvador, the third largest city in Brazil at about 3 million, and also the most African, with about 85% Afro-Brazilians. The predominant language is Portuguese, which luckily has some similarities to Spanish, but most of the time I have no idea what comes out of my mouth. I have no language acuity so it’s a big jumble. Why would I think “Merci” is going to work in a Portuguese country?
Of course, we are here for the entirety of Carnaval. That is good and bad. It’s good if Carnaval is your thing! Lots of students and staff have enjoyed various incarnations of the celebration (more on that later). The drawbacks are that many things are closed for most of the week, including some of the notable churches. Plus, we got some heavy-duty safety admonitions: walk in groups, preferably three; take off your watch; spread your money around in several pockets; put your credit cards in your shoes; don’t flash cameras or camcorders; don’t eat street food, no tap water; don’t go to many areas after dark; if you are robbed, give it up – your safety is worth more than your stuff.
Well!! Welcome to Brazil. As you may have gathered, street crime is a big issue, especially at this time. But I have not felt particularly unsafe, even as I violated one or two of the directives. That’s not to say that there haven’t been problems – some staff have had attempted pickpocketings, at least 2 incidents (confirmed) of students being robbed in various ways, and I feel I will hear more once everyone is back on ship. The commonality for that seems to be attendance at the later and more heavy-duty Carnaval events. And as you may imagine, that does not tend to describe me.
My first trip was a “Historical Walking Tour of Old Salvador.” That area is known as the Pelheurino (sp?) and is characterized by a couple of squares dominated by churches (4, in one case!) and linked by somewhat decrepit narrow cobblestone streets. There is probably a 4-block financial district next to the bay and the port which backs into a sheer 50-60 foot cliff. The old town is in the upper portion, accessed by an incline and an elevator complex. Oh, the masses of humanity going from one area to another!
The upper portion definitely has its charm, but a walking tour during Carnaval becomes a tour OF Carnaval. While we lost out on some of the “history” like the churches, we got a chance to see a more traditional Carnaval celebration on a neighborhood level. This was even more pronounced at night when I went back for dinner, and I’ll leave that for part II.
{A note on some tech challenges I face, other than my own: tonight I was unable to connect to the wireless network, which I have done before. So updating will be more of a process, and no pictures will be forthcoming as I was going to follow Gretchyn’s advice and load a program, etc. I’m hurrying to do a lot during port while computer use is down, otherwise the network slows to a crawl, literally making dialup look speedy. Plus I have a finite number of minutes to use, after which I must purchase them at something like a quarter a minute. So forgive some of the lag time and other drawbacks. If nothing else, I will do internet and physical photo albums when I return!} Good night!
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Folks were initially a bit blasé about PR, but everyone I heard ended up really enjoying it there; a couple of the students even cried leaving. I too enjoyed it and felt it may be worth a return visit someday (I may end up saying that a lot).
PR is a bilingual city, but unlike those on the mainland, it is skewed toward Spanish – Spanish first. Our politicians should spend some time there for a bit of perspective.
I did two trips, first to the rainforest then a coastal bike ride. Now, the rainforest – pretty, much cooler than the city, which was in the mid-90s, but where was the rain? At least the Washington rainforests have the good sense to be rainy. It was tropical, as opposed to whatever we have, and just different. The greens were lighter, overall not quite as dense. Our walk was punctuated by a nice waterfall.
The bike ride took us through a coastal forest which had a lot of groundcover. There were coconuts (this whole area has green coconuts, not the brown we usually think of) lining the path. When we got to the beach, students cracked into one and we had a coconut snack. The beaches were beautiful, the water warm. Warm ocean water – what a concept. We didn’t think there was a bug problem, but we were attacked by chigger-ish, delayed reaction bites which still plague me two weeks later. Trouble in paradise! And I did see evidence of huge problem, that of plastic in the ocean. Plastic does not degrade, and causes all sorts of problems. There was a large amount of plastic on the beach, very distressing.
A bit of background. The core course of the voyage, Global Studies, is concentrating on both social justice and environmental issues for the countries we visit. So there is a lot of discussion of poverty, distribution of wealth, environmental racism, the economics and politics of both, policy, etc. So I too will notice and comment upon such things.
Back to touristy things. I walked to the Old Town of San Juan and looked at all the government buildings, shops, forts, etc. In the heart of the old city the streets are very narrow and cobbled, the buildings are right on the street, and painted very pretty pastel colors. I had a traditional mofongo which was a “bowl” of plantain, deep-fried and filled, in my case with pork. Yum. I was also able to hit a grocery, Pueblo, to stock up on snacks and a bit of chocolate. (The two visits to Ben and Jerry’s speak for themselves. I can find anything anywhere).
I love to see a grocery and also a mall wherever I go. So yes, I found a mall, an hour each way by freezing bus which stopped every block. I wanted some more cargo-type shorts; Old Navy to the rescue. It was very similar to a mainland mall, many of the same stores. After all, this is the United States! And Church’s Chicken – hadn’t had that in an age.
I think Puerto Rico was a good first stop. It got us used to rigorous Customs and Immigration, go figure. But it also let us ease into difference in a pretty supportive and safe environment. We were told to expect pretty much the opposite in Salvador, Brazil – and they were right.
BTW - who is PunkRawkMama? Am I dim and forgetful?
Folks were initially a bit blasé about PR, but everyone I heard ended up really enjoying it there; a couple of the students even cried leaving. I too enjoyed it and felt it may be worth a return visit someday (I may end up saying that a lot).
PR is a bilingual city, but unlike those on the mainland, it is skewed toward Spanish – Spanish first. Our politicians should spend some time there for a bit of perspective.
I did two trips, first to the rainforest then a coastal bike ride. Now, the rainforest – pretty, much cooler than the city, which was in the mid-90s, but where was the rain? At least the Washington rainforests have the good sense to be rainy. It was tropical, as opposed to whatever we have, and just different. The greens were lighter, overall not quite as dense. Our walk was punctuated by a nice waterfall.
The bike ride took us through a coastal forest which had a lot of groundcover. There were coconuts (this whole area has green coconuts, not the brown we usually think of) lining the path. When we got to the beach, students cracked into one and we had a coconut snack. The beaches were beautiful, the water warm. Warm ocean water – what a concept. We didn’t think there was a bug problem, but we were attacked by chigger-ish, delayed reaction bites which still plague me two weeks later. Trouble in paradise! And I did see evidence of huge problem, that of plastic in the ocean. Plastic does not degrade, and causes all sorts of problems. There was a large amount of plastic on the beach, very distressing.
A bit of background. The core course of the voyage, Global Studies, is concentrating on both social justice and environmental issues for the countries we visit. So there is a lot of discussion of poverty, distribution of wealth, environmental racism, the economics and politics of both, policy, etc. So I too will notice and comment upon such things.
Back to touristy things. I walked to the Old Town of San Juan and looked at all the government buildings, shops, forts, etc. In the heart of the old city the streets are very narrow and cobbled, the buildings are right on the street, and painted very pretty pastel colors. I had a traditional mofongo which was a “bowl” of plantain, deep-fried and filled, in my case with pork. Yum. I was also able to hit a grocery, Pueblo, to stock up on snacks and a bit of chocolate. (The two visits to Ben and Jerry’s speak for themselves. I can find anything anywhere).
I love to see a grocery and also a mall wherever I go. So yes, I found a mall, an hour each way by freezing bus which stopped every block. I wanted some more cargo-type shorts; Old Navy to the rescue. It was very similar to a mainland mall, many of the same stores. After all, this is the United States! And Church’s Chicken – hadn’t had that in an age.
I think Puerto Rico was a good first stop. It got us used to rigorous Customs and Immigration, go figure. But it also let us ease into difference in a pretty supportive and safe environment. We were told to expect pretty much the opposite in Salvador, Brazil – and they were right.
BTW - who is PunkRawkMama? Am I dim and forgetful?
Monday, February 12, 2007
Where the hell are the pictures?
I dutifully loaded them but I have no idea where they are. If anyone can help me with that.........
The Ship
So let me tell you a little about the ship. It is beautiful! It very much rivals the one we were on for our Alaska cruise, though much smaller. The public areas are very nice, as are the classrooms and other academic spaces. The faculty and staff get a dedicated lounge on one of the top decks in the front with an expansive view. There are many photos on the SAS website, which I’m sure you have all dutifully bookmarked.
We boarded last Wednesday and immediately went into extensive training. You remember when you took your last new position, learning the ropes, figuring you’d be up to speed in a few months, or perhaps weeks….We had to be up to speed to receive students in 3.5 days, in quite a complex and compressed environment. Frankly I was a bit apprehensive, since I hadn’t been stretched for quite a while. I think I’m up to it, though.
So students boarded Sunday the 4th in a very long day, followed by another very long day of orientation, etc. You can imagine how much heaven I am in with students from 250 different schools, me and my nerdy habit of guessing where schools are located (most recently “DePauw? Greencastle, Indiana”). We have a WWU, an NAU, a couple of Miami's, some UTs, even some UNCs apart from the three of us on staff.
Classes begin tomorrow, which will allow us to get into a normal rhythm. The day after we will dock in Puerto Rico. I will be trip leader for our rain forest hike, one of many excursions available (you can look at the website to see all that was available). Another day I will do a bike ride around the island (around ON the island, not around the ENTIRE island. Again, have you met me?) That should be fun and somewhat active. On a related note, running on a treadmill when the ship is rocking and rolling is quite an experience.
OK, one last thing. We had our lifeboat drill and I was in charge of reading names, making sure everyone was present. I can project, so imagine me at the top of my lungs shouting out “ARCHBISHOP TUTU!!” Good enough, then imaging him chiming in, in a sing-song falsetto, “HEEEEEERRRRRRRE!!!!” OK, that’s one for the grandcats. I also took pride in being complimented on my drill by one of the Vice Chancellors from the University of Virginia. Appreciation on the job is a long-forgotten experience (but I’m not bitter :-) ).
Luckily I have not been stricken with the seasickness that is hitting some on ship, although I get a twinge now and then. Must be all the practice on the ferries. I love Seattle. Two more meetings after dinner so I’m off for now. Thanks for the comments, how exciting. Thanks, Aunt Gloria, you were always my biggest supporter. BYE!
Here’s a picture of the beach in the Bahamas, then me as we sailed and also looking back at Nassau at departure. If this works, I'll also add an image of the first evidence of my interaction with the Archbishop (Arch to his friends).
We boarded last Wednesday and immediately went into extensive training. You remember when you took your last new position, learning the ropes, figuring you’d be up to speed in a few months, or perhaps weeks….We had to be up to speed to receive students in 3.5 days, in quite a complex and compressed environment. Frankly I was a bit apprehensive, since I hadn’t been stretched for quite a while. I think I’m up to it, though.
So students boarded Sunday the 4th in a very long day, followed by another very long day of orientation, etc. You can imagine how much heaven I am in with students from 250 different schools, me and my nerdy habit of guessing where schools are located (most recently “DePauw? Greencastle, Indiana”). We have a WWU, an NAU, a couple of Miami's, some UTs, even some UNCs apart from the three of us on staff.
Classes begin tomorrow, which will allow us to get into a normal rhythm. The day after we will dock in Puerto Rico. I will be trip leader for our rain forest hike, one of many excursions available (you can look at the website to see all that was available). Another day I will do a bike ride around the island (around ON the island, not around the ENTIRE island. Again, have you met me?) That should be fun and somewhat active. On a related note, running on a treadmill when the ship is rocking and rolling is quite an experience.
OK, one last thing. We had our lifeboat drill and I was in charge of reading names, making sure everyone was present. I can project, so imagine me at the top of my lungs shouting out “ARCHBISHOP TUTU!!” Good enough, then imaging him chiming in, in a sing-song falsetto, “HEEEEEERRRRRRRE!!!!” OK, that’s one for the grandcats. I also took pride in being complimented on my drill by one of the Vice Chancellors from the University of Virginia. Appreciation on the job is a long-forgotten experience (but I’m not bitter :-) ).
Luckily I have not been stricken with the seasickness that is hitting some on ship, although I get a twinge now and then. Must be all the practice on the ferries. I love Seattle. Two more meetings after dinner so I’m off for now. Thanks for the comments, how exciting. Thanks, Aunt Gloria, you were always my biggest supporter. BYE!
Here’s a picture of the beach in the Bahamas, then me as we sailed and also looking back at Nassau at departure. If this works, I'll also add an image of the first evidence of my interaction with the Archbishop (Arch to his friends).
Saturday, February 3, 2007
BAHAMAS
I arrived at the Bahamas last Sunday – almost a week ago! I was at a hotel on the beach; though I’m not a typical beach person, I did take advantage by swimming, walking up and down along the sand, and hanging out. I used one day to go into downtown Nassau. Really, the attractions of this place are a bit lost on me. As I mentioned, I’m not much of a sun worshipper. The other pastime appears to be shopping. If you are in the market for a watch, jewelry, clothes, or liquor, you are in the right place. However, if you have ever met me, you know how attractive all those things are to me.
The second day I had on shore I went over to the small zoo. The main attractions were the marching flamingos and feeding the Lory Parrots. The parrots in particular were quite cool. The staff gave us apple wedges to feed them, and the parrots landed on our hands or arms to feed. I went back twice! I had up to 3 on me at once, and at one point one became very enamored of my head, chewing off the gel I suppose. I took some pictures with my film camera, so after I get back and get those developed I will do an addendum to the blog.
I also took the opportunity to tour the Bahamas Humane Society. While I saw many dogs and cats out and about, the BHS is really trying to make a difference. Yeah for animal lovers anywhere! They had two puppies for adoption, Chinese Crested mixes, one blind, so ugly they were cute.
My former UNC colleague Merna came in that evening. We dined and had a chance to catch up after only 7 years. I was able to eat some local specialties, conch (say “konk”) in fritters, chowder, even blackened. There was a dessert called a “duff”, kind of cakey with filling, then drenched in sweet cream. It’s made with guava and also coconut, the one I tried. Very sweet and tasty, filling.
We boarded the ship Wednesday. When I got to the pier and saw this giant ship with “Semester At Sea” on the smokestack, I about fell over as it all became very real at that point. I will continue this soon with some ship stories – stay tuned!
The second day I had on shore I went over to the small zoo. The main attractions were the marching flamingos and feeding the Lory Parrots. The parrots in particular were quite cool. The staff gave us apple wedges to feed them, and the parrots landed on our hands or arms to feed. I went back twice! I had up to 3 on me at once, and at one point one became very enamored of my head, chewing off the gel I suppose. I took some pictures with my film camera, so after I get back and get those developed I will do an addendum to the blog.
I also took the opportunity to tour the Bahamas Humane Society. While I saw many dogs and cats out and about, the BHS is really trying to make a difference. Yeah for animal lovers anywhere! They had two puppies for adoption, Chinese Crested mixes, one blind, so ugly they were cute.
My former UNC colleague Merna came in that evening. We dined and had a chance to catch up after only 7 years. I was able to eat some local specialties, conch (say “konk”) in fritters, chowder, even blackened. There was a dessert called a “duff”, kind of cakey with filling, then drenched in sweet cream. It’s made with guava and also coconut, the one I tried. Very sweet and tasty, filling.
We boarded the ship Wednesday. When I got to the pier and saw this giant ship with “Semester At Sea” on the smokestack, I about fell over as it all became very real at that point. I will continue this soon with some ship stories – stay tuned!
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