Salvador, Recife, FdeN Day 1

Day 1 – Monday, December 12, 2011 – Depart São Paulo, São Paulo, BR for Salvador, Bahia, BR

After a long evening of food and conversation with the family and a very short night, our alarm went off at 3:45. Tia had arranged for Nilson, her usual driver to take us to Guarulhos Airport. He arrived at 4:40 and we made excellent time on the roads.

There were a few cars and many produce trucks heading to the markets. The trip was uneventful – YEAH! Nilson took us directly to the TAM departure hall and we were directed to the Gold Mileage line.

Only one person was working at the check-in counter and the line was not moving at all. Many business men complained loudly enough for TAM to add two more agents which helped to speed things up.

Going through security was so easy; no worries about shoes, computers, or Gennie’s small bag of liquids. Our gate #3 was very close so we found four seats and took a few photos.

The flight began to board at 7:00 and we were the first to get on the plane. I guess it helps to be a loyal frequent flyer to one airline. The flight was full; every seat was taken, and there were more carry-on bags than the overhead bins could accommodate.

Our 7:30 flight was supposed to be 2.5 hours but we arrived early at 9:35. Our taxi driver Bartolomeu, was waiting for us and expected to pick up only two people. The four pieces of luggage barely fit into the trunk and we had to squeeze into the car with our carry-on bags.

On the 45 minute ride from the airport we discovered that Salvador is very warm, very humid, and very casual. The temperature was 84° and the humidity was 83% with overcast skies.

Our hotel is one block from the beach and we could see the waves from the Atlantic churning on the shore. There were several surfers catching the high tide coming in from the deep.

After we got settled in, we met Bob & Susan in the lobby and got information about tours in the area. We were supposed to have a city tour in the package that a Brazilian Travel Agent set up for us. So far we have had problems arranging the included services.

We took a long walk to get to the promenade along the beach and then to the Light House. We stopped at the Tchê Oceania Grill for a typical Bahian stew made of vegetables, Dorado, (a white fish similar to mahi-mahi), and shrimp.

This was served over rice and with side dishes of farofa, (ground manioc) and pirᾶo which is a corn meal paste. Bob and Susan had a cold beer (Chopp) and Bob and I had Caipirinhas. This is our favorite Brazilian drink made with cachasa, (alcohol made from sugar cane), with sugar and small cut up pieces of a whole lime.

At lunch we met a couple from the city who gave us hints on where to visit, where to shop, and the best foods to eat while we are here in the state of Bahia. After lunch we walked to the Light House where we strolled around the main building taking photos.

Continuing on our quest to find a grocery store, we walked another 1.1 miles to the BomPreço Super Market. We bought water as we cannot drink the water from the tap in our room. We also purchased bread, meat, and cheese for a light snack tonight. We have a little refrigerator to keep things cool for the four days we are in Salvador.

While Gennie, Bob, and I walked on several side streets to the hotel, Susan took all of our groceries back to the rooms in a taxi. When we arrived at 4:15 Bob and I scheduled a trip to the north shore for an all day excursion tomorrow.

We began to write the journal, to look at the GPS to track our travels, and sort our photos. There is only one internet cable connection in our room and no WiFi so we have to take turns getting in touch with the world.

After our home work was finished, we had a little sandwich and some apples for our dinner. We had had a late night packing and an early morning departure to get to the airport so we were ready for sleep.

Accommodations: Portobello Ondina Praia Hotel --- Meal: B

Good choice for such a beautiful destination...Many thanks for sharing with us !! Say hello to Vicky Jamal

I'm enjoying reading about all of your adventures!

Sounds like another fabulous trip!

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Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.

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