The two posh backpackers arrived to the madness of carnival in Salvador da Bahia, traffic was mad and the party animals were rocking, when we arrived late into our alpha hostel. We were tired arriving into this mentalness, checked in and everyone were so far gone, so the two posh backpackers took off to explore into the electric site of Barra on their own. Stepped out of the hostel into the madness and bedlum of carnaval of Salvador. Streets were jampacked, the party was on fire, people everywhere and music pumping. The attraction was instant, the movements, the music, the dancing, the costumes, the SKOL (beer) was all that was needed. Wao wao wao!!!
Joined the parades, and instantly found new friends, a group of Argentineans, got into the swing of things instantly, the vibes seduced us and we were taken!!! … we partied into the wee hours. Fell into our sweatbox and snored our heads off. Woke up in a bath of sweat, ventured down to breakfast and were greeted by what was soon to be TEAM ALFA! Headed off to top up our tans at Barra beach, which was the public toilet the night before, so it stank of urine, but it didn’t face the posh backpackers, they were determined to get their morning swim. After more parades during the day, arrived back at the hostel where Team Alfa welcomed us as the new gals and we all, 5 taxi loads of us, headed to Peluorinho (the old town) for dinner. After we joined the street party, and Rick the Kiwi (travelling photographer, journalist and character) aka Ossy Osbourne lookalike, took us under his wings. And there’s where the fun and craic started. We samba’d the night away into the the third day of carnival.
beach'))
Luckily we’d consumed a lot of SKOL (beer) for sleeping purposes only, and we woke up in another bath of sweat. Headed down for breakfast where we made arrangements for the day, got a group together: James (NZ), Fadi (USA), Thijs (NL), Nick (NZ) and us, and got a bus to another beach, Jardim de Alah, to escape the smell of piss of Barra Beach. Recharged our batteries in the sun and sea while sipping on a few bevvies and got ready for the final fling of Carnival!!! Started the night at Alfa hostel with a few beers, and stories were rampant about robberies and pick-pocketing, so the posh backpackers were taking the piss saying ”we were robbed” laughing saying we were robbed of a beer and a ligher.
Team Alfa went off to the Lighthouse area in Barra, where we started on Caipirinias to get us in the mood for Samba and Carnival. Sure they were so tasty we had to have a few… Samba’d and sang, and then Wham Bam!!!
We started dropping like flies. James was the first to drop, off to noddyland he went, MT was the second escorted back by a limp English man who found it hard to walk on a wounded ankle, let alone helping a damsel in distress. Nick was next to drop, and Grace escorted by her bodyguard Ozzy Osbourne stayed on to party, and was pick-pocketed twice (by the same person!!!!!!!!!!) walking back to the hostel… But Platina’s no fool… she’d put her big money in her sweaty bra. So we were only down a fiver at that time, but there was a surprise waiting for us a couple of days later.
Having a wee little break from our Alfa family. We took time out to meet up with two Cahersiveen boys, Adam and Paul, we had a good catch up, and the laughter could be heard all over Peluorinho.
When scooba steve staying at our hostel annouced his credit card had been scammed, we were like ’ah what a shame’. We felt sorry for him, but it went over our alcohol infuced heads, until Inspector Gadget checked her emails to be greeted by a friendly email from her bank saying they were trying to contact her regarding her visa card…. T’was like a red signal and we both got on to our banks, only to find out BOTH our credit cards had been scammed, Platina was down 400euro and The Inspector Gadget was down 600euro. Our cards were blocked!! But luckily the Inspector travelled with an extra card, so we continued our journey and left our financial worries to our banks.
Team Alfa had some characters. One of them in particular kept coming out with the funniest comments, she didn't even realise it herself, so we nicknamed her Dollars based on her first comment... and here are some of her best ones...
1 Dollars: What is the currency in Australia?
Ozzie girl: Australian Dollar
Dollars: Why did they call it dollars?....
2
Dollars: Why is the Coca Cola label on your bottle so yellow? It should be white!
3 Dollars: I wonder why cant humans eat raw meat???
Everyone: THEY CAN!!!!!
4
James: Look, those are the turtle nests there (marked with white plastic poles).
Dollars: How do the turtles know how to go to the white plastic poles?
James: (looking like a questionmark) They don't!! They are put up there after...
Dollars: I wonder what a turtle egg omelet would taste like?
5
Dollars: Can anyone tell me some countries in South Africa?Everyone: South Africa IS a country!!
Dollars: WHAT?? South Africa is a country? But I hear about so many people travelling in South Africa...
6 Dollars: Doesn’t anyone remember reading Jilly Cooper books I loved them when I was 13 especially the food they ate and the clothes they wore, I remember a women that wore snake skin britches ….what are britches? Arent they those trouser things you where when riding? No theyre called jodphurs, oh yeah wonder what britches are then.
7
Dollars: Thanks I already feel ugly, but I know Ive got a great personality!
Priceless!!
The following day we bussed it to a beautiful beach town called Imbassai, 1 hour north of Salvador, for a bit of detox and beach life after carnival. Team Alfa couln’t let us go, so 10 of them followed our tracks, we all got a bus together and found our tropical hostel in Imbassai, where the monkeys were part of the hostel charm. Had one day of detox, spent the day at the beach and the nights down at the beach turtle hunting. The second night we met two chileans while cooking soggy pasta in their kitchen. They came turtle hunting with us that night, one being a marine biologist, so we we thought we’d definitely see the turtles that night… But we had our own plans to get them out, we thought we’d sing them out of their nests in our softest voices ”Teenage mutant ninja turtles…teenage mutant ninja turtles….tinage mutant ninja turtles….heroes in a half shell – TURTLEPOWER!!” After a few hours of looking for turtles, we came across a dead little turtle. Finished off the night with a funeral for the ninja turtle.
Spent another day on the beach chilling, the detox was over, we managed one whole day of it, so enjoyed a few skols on the beach, and decided to have a cocktail night with cachasa and fresh fruits up at the hostel, us, Team Alfa and the chilenos. Had a sing song and finished off the night at a samba club where we danced the legs off us.
Woke up the next morning covered in mosquito bites, counted 128 of them on MT’s legs. Had a few hours at the beach before we bussed it back to Pelourinho (Salvador) with James, met up with the Cahersiveen boys for a few hours, we said our farewells and told the boys to be good, and headed to the airport at midnight. Sat down to have a coffee and to write the blog. ”MT let’s have a laugh now writing the blog”, but within a couple of seconds Platina was headbanging in Noddyland. She fell asleep drinking her coffee, queueing for check-in, sitting on the trolley, on the flight and on the bus when we finally arrived in Rio. She was fantastic company. Zzzzzzzzzzz…………
Stay tuned for our last days in Rio!!!
