Our Final Port: Brazil!

My time in Brazil was enjoyable, educational, albeit a bit too short. I do know that I would like to return in the future, because I really only spent about 2 ½ days out and about, due to a stomach illness! I know the amount of times I’ve been sick on this voyage seems ridiculous…but I have been very careful overall, I promise!

The first day my friends Ashley, Caitlin, and Dana and I headed for the Pelourinho, or the historic district in the upper city. In order to reach the top safely (Salvador is a fairly dangerous city), individuals need to take an elevator up for about 5 US cents. While we made our way to the elevator, we stopped at a market where we saw my name on a billboard (correct spelling and all!). I also learned that many individuals in Brazil speak Spanish, which made me happy because I was able to practice a bit, which I wasn’t expecting. We reached the Pelourinho and began exploring. Pelourinho is a beautiful area, namely due to the historic architecture, cobblestone streets, and brightly painted buildings. During an unexpected rain shower, we found our way to one shop that had paintings on the back wall. We asked the owner about the paintings, and she told us to go up the stairs. Little did we know that this shop would have four stories of beautiful paintings! Most were of Pelourinho and were full of multiple colors, while others were of other aspects of Brazil, such as capoeria. After spending quite a while looking at all of the art, all of us bought at least one piece to take home with us. We wanted to go somewhere a bit less touristy, so we grabbed a cab and took it to the Barra neighborhood, which is a beach community. Barra was right on the beach, with a lighthouse on one end and different cantinas and restaurants lining the sidewalk. We found one restaurant which was packed with locals, so we waited for a table on the covered patio and watched the rain shower. Our lunch consisted of some delicious Brazilian beverages and food. We tried the national soda, called Guarana Antarctica. It is omnipresent; everyone drinks it. It tastes a bit like ginger ale mixed with cherry/berry flavor. We also had feijoada (beans), and pastiés, which is similar to a cheese-filled empanada. Our lunch definitely reflected the Brazilian life: enjoying good company, good food, and good laughs! We were at the restaurant for almost three hours-- which was fine; we really had a fantastic time. We also visited the lighthouse and watched some individuals play soccer on the beach! We ended our night with some gelato and a stroll to find a cab back to the ship.

One thing that I have realized about American culture is that generally, we rarely take the time to simply enjoy life and enjoy good company. I know I personally am a very scheduled person; I usually am very goal-oriented in planning my days and must keep busy. But in many countries I’ve visited, my friends and I have loved spending time just seeing what comes, not really having a plan, and spending time with one another around a table and people-watching, sharing stories of our travels, and laughing. I think I have to thank my mom for teaching me the joy of “lingering” over meals. But this trip has really helped me see that one thing I’d love to bring back from some other countries, and one thing I think (and hope) I’ve learned, is the ability to simply enjoy being.

One goal I’ve had in multiple ports is to visit schools to observe how school systems work around the world. The second day I attended a field program called Brazilian Education, which took us to three separate institutions regarding education for the poor in Salvador. We first went to a primary school in the favela (slum neighborhood) of Calabar. This primary school was built and run my mothers of the community in order to ensure that their children, and children of friends, would receive a decent education. The school’s budget is primarily met through an annual $6,000 donation from an organization in Switzerland. After meeting with the children, a few performed capoeira (dance-fighting) for us! The kids were pretty fantastic--I was really impressed! We then headed to a high school for 13-18 year olds. Although I was expecting a rough situation, I had no idea how wild the students at this school would be. Apparently, teachers have no incentive to keep students in class--the school is basically there to keep students off the streets and from getting involved in drugs or in gang violence. We visited a few classrooms, and my heart went out to the students who are at school to learn, and who really want to learn, but who are distracted by the chaos around them. One difficulty is that the classrooms don’t have doors or windows, so even if the class itself is being quiet, there is no way to drone out the noise from the halls or from outside. The school is successful, however, in keeping kids off the streets. That is a laudable feat. Our final stop was the Steve Biko foundation, which is an organization that helps poor students prepare for the mandatory government exam. In order to apply for the free public universities, students must take a government exam. Unfortunately, students who have the means to afford private tutoring or schooling will prepare for the exams, and usually outplace students from poor backgrounds for these free universities. This is not too different from the situation with the SATs in the United States. The Steve Biko foundation provides free tutoring for black students from disadvantaged backgrounds. It is also a cultural institute, in that its other goal is to increase self-esteem of Brazilians from African descent. The foundation has made huge strides for students from these backgrounds, and it has even sent a few students to Morehouse College in the United States. This final day spent at different educational institutions allowed me to see the comparisons between private and public education across countries: the United States (Hawaii), Japan, India, Ghana, and Brazil.

That afternoon Ashley and I enjoyed another afternoon in the Pelourinho, and after a few fun encounters (watching some artists paint, making a Brazilian friend) and some not-so-fun encounters (getting derogatory comments from many males, having difficulty finding a trust-worthy cab driver), we returned to the ship. Unfortunately, I woke up around 1 am with very intense stomach pain. This stomach pain didn’t cease, and I actually spent the entire next two days on the ship, learning later that I and two of my friends had gotten food poisoning from the gelato we had eaten. Today was our final day, and I went out for about three hours for one last time. I had a good time out, but my body was telling me to stop, so we returned to the ship early. I talked to my parents the other day on the phone, and I told them “I think my body had enough after Vietnam.” I have been very lucky this voyage to not experience anything incredibly serious; many students were mugged in Salvador, and I feel blessed to not have been. In the grand scheme of things, sea sickness and food poisoning is not a big deal, though I think my body will be happy to be back in the United States and free from globe-trotting for awhile!!

It is hard for me to comprehend the fact that the program that follows our ship’s path on our TV in our cabin now says “Salvador to Ft. Lauderdale.” It seems unreal that I’ll be in the United States in 9 short days. At that point, it will be difficult to write a summation of my experiences, as well as what I’ve learned and how I wish to incorporate it into my life in a meaningful way. But I do promise that I will write you again after I’ve had time to reflect upon and realize what I’ve just spent 3 ½ months of my life doing. That will probably come in Dallas. Until then, thank you for following my blog, thank you for your well wishes and your prayers, and thank you for being part of my journey around the world.