Thursday, November 22, 2007
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Brazil
On the flight to Salvador, Brazil, we both crossed the Equator for the first time, and soon thereafter entered South America for the first time. At first glance, it appeared to be more familiar to us than our previous stops; it had the atmosphere of an island in the Caribbean, with European, particularly Colonial, influences; but at the same time it was entirely new. It turns out that Brazil has some of the greatest wealth disparity in the world. As an enormous city with lots of traffic, we had lots of time to observe how a very rich neighborhood would just end and become a very poor neighborhood, and then just as abruptly change back. We also learned that they have a mortality rate for children up to age six of ten percent.
Their beach culture was interesting, it seems that the beach is really the only place in Salvador where there is some room for the citizens to not feel on top of each other. Neal was just a little disappointed that he did not get an up close and personal view of the natural beauties of the country.
The tie in to our trip was that Salvador is the location where many slaves from Togo and Benin ended up. There is a great divide between the northern part of the country, where we were, and the southern part, where the German blue eyed blonde hair influence is prominent. A very high percentage of the population in Salvador are of African descent, and that influence could be seen in everything from the music and food, to cultural and religious practices.
On our second day, we split up (no, not that kind of split up), with Jane taking a boat trip, and Neal and his mother taking a trip into the country, which included an extensive trip through a market. We reunited for dinner at the hotel, which included entertainment of Brazilian music and dancers. Now fully healthy, Neal had to try and show that Jane is not the only one in the family who can dance. This "performance" (and boy was it a performance by Neal, as people could not believe that this was the same quiet man they had come to know) took place in our hotel, which had been converted from a convent. We somehow doubt that any of the nuns who once lived there could foresee what future activities would take place in their home.
Their beach culture was interesting, it seems that the beach is really the only place in Salvador where there is some room for the citizens to not feel on top of each other. Neal was just a little disappointed that he did not get an up close and personal view of the natural beauties of the country.
The tie in to our trip was that Salvador is the location where many slaves from Togo and Benin ended up. There is a great divide between the northern part of the country, where we were, and the southern part, where the German blue eyed blonde hair influence is prominent. A very high percentage of the population in Salvador are of African descent, and that influence could be seen in everything from the music and food, to cultural and religious practices.
On our second day, we split up (no, not that kind of split up), with Jane taking a boat trip, and Neal and his mother taking a trip into the country, which included an extensive trip through a market. We reunited for dinner at the hotel, which included entertainment of Brazilian music and dancers. Now fully healthy, Neal had to try and show that Jane is not the only one in the family who can dance. This "performance" (and boy was it a performance by Neal, as people could not believe that this was the same quiet man they had come to know) took place in our hotel, which had been converted from a convent. We somehow doubt that any of the nuns who once lived there could foresee what future activities would take place in their home.
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