A Foreigner in Brazil (23): JUL 2006 (II). Bus Travel to Salvador (BA)

A Foreigner in Brazil (23)

JUL 2006 (II): Bus Travel to Salvador

(Click here for the complete overview of ‘A Foreigner in Brazil 2006’)
.

Experiences of a Dutchman living in Belo Horizonte, since December 2004, from month to month.
July 2006, part two: Invitation for a bus travel to Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia and former Brazilian capital.

For two times 24 hours, this bus was our
riding home.

Invitation

Less than a week after my participation in the Brazilian winter parties, I was invited for another warming event that month. And again, it was Washington, who invited me. This invitation was not for another party, but for an adventurous bus travel. A bus travel to Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia and former capital of Brazil. Students were about to have their annual national student meeting there. Students, studying library science, from all parts of Brazil would arrive there. They would participate in discussions, attend presentations of fellow students, make contacts with other students, make friendships with them, and visit the touristic highlights of Salvador and beyond. For me it was my second travel to the northeast of Brazil. In February 2005, I joined a friend to Recife and Olinda. My friend talked to me in English. During this travel, I was forced to communicate with the fellow travelers in Portuguese, even with my poor Portuguese. That was far from easy, but luckily there was no real barrier to make new friendships with them. A great part of these friendships still are intact, even years later. I and my fellow travelers had to adjust to each other. ‘Who is that gringo?’ ‘Who are my Brazilian fellow travelers?’ We quickly became familiar with each other. I had my bus seat next to a Brazilian girl, Carol, and immediately we were friends. Real good friends even, the fellow travelers quickly had their opinions about us, and started to make smart jokes. But it did not grow into a romance, it was maintained as a close friendship. We traveled together, to the beaches, and to the center of Salvador. The bus travel from Belo Horizonte to Salvador, which took 24 hours, was not boring at all! There was a relaxed atmosphere of spontaneous travelers who were partying all the time.

A promising beer stock in the cargo compartment