Brazil in a blur...

Life has been a colorful blur since we arrived to Brazil.......

4 days in Salvador, the center of Bahia and afro-brazilian culture was a highlight and our side trip to a beautiful beach north was memorable (monkeys and sea turtles!) Then we took off for the mountains, Lençois, to do some hiking and exploring. We took a cave tour and snorkeled in a blue abyss that emptied into a dark cave. It is hard to explain the feeling of swimming in complete darkness (with a flashlight) inside a cave, rich with minerals.

I will post pics soon, as we are in the middle of carnival things are a bit crazy.

Carnival in Olinda has been amazing. It is a small village in the north, tucked to the side of a large city. It is green and historic, with cobblestone streets and old churches. It is the very first place the portugese `discovered´ in Brazil. We arrived 2 days before carnival and found a great apartment overlooking the city and a lush garden (with a pool and hammocks) We are lucky to have a place to hide when we get tired of the sweaty crowds and noise.

Carnival is a crazy, insane mess of everything you can imagine. Costumes, music, singing, parades, dancing......and it never stops! One of the best nights was full of drums, new friends and dancing in the rain.

Large beers for 50 cents and tropical drinks for 1 dollar always lead to a good time! Needless to say, Greg passed a wonderful birthday here in Olinda.

Life is good, we are happy, tan and well fed. We leave tomorrow for Fernando de Norohna, a smal island off the coast of Recife that contains 5 of the best beaches in Brazil (there are 8 best beaches total). We are looking forward to the quiet, lonely beaches.