Sleep deprived, and two movies later, I landed in Sao Paolo, where Natty and Brian collected me before we made our way up North to here, Salvador (the city whose name I didn’t know yesterday).

But first, capybaras. I had heard of them, but couldn’t place them until I saw them.

When Natty excitedly mentioned they had seen them on their way to the airport, I imagined the weird little koala creatures that smile. Except, wrong continent.

Like that time Jilly and me saw ‘tigers’ in Sub-Saharan Africa. Nope. All the nopes, in fact.

This is a capybara –

They look like a beaver had sexy time with a ground hog, but their kid got their no-one-knows-whose really long face, they amble like a boar, and they are huge. If your car breaks down in Brazil, just find one and ride it home.

In Salvador, we are in the Pelourinho district, which is the historical core of this city.

As you can see by the image above, and against every order issued by everyone I spoke with, we went out after dark. And had a lovely and very safe time. There is a marked police presence, however, and while driving through a favela, I saw someone curled into the fetal position asleep (ya Rab) on the sidewalk, right by the highway. Too close to the highway. Feet from them, people were milling and having coffee and drinks as though this person was invisible.

Rich people here travel by helicopter, to avoid traffic…and humans? I vomited a little when I learned this.

I can tell that this is going to be a challenging country to experience, though a very easy one to love. I mean, just look at this smile –

Today, I am grateful for:
1. Nattyanese. She has her own form of English which Brian close captions as needed.
2. The lady next to me on our flight to Salvador. She was in her 50s and it was her first time flying. Thank you for the reminder that travel isn’t a given, but rather a luxury.
3. Fresh fish and bidets. THANK YOU, BRAZIL!

Salvador | Day 319 | October 15, 2019

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