Olinda: A Very Traditional Carnaval

On the final day of Carnival, we took the bus to Olinda for a very traditional Carnival experience. The Carnival in Olinda is famous for its 24/7 street party that lasts for a week and a half! I really don't know how the locals do it!

It is held in the Square known as Quarto Cantos or Four Corners. The streets are rough cobblestones which make it hard on the feet, especially when being pushed along by a crowd of humanity. There is a lot of music playing and throngs of people moving with it. This Carnival is noted for its huge colorful paper-mache' dummies that march though the streets.
One of the highlights of Carnaval in Olinda is the opening day, which starts with th bloco of As Virgens do Bairro Novo. Apparently, this is a very amusing drag queen parade. We were there on the last day so we missed it.

Even though this was daytime, there were more security issues than at the evening events. The crowd was huge and pressing. It was hard to walk as you were just pushed along in the crowd.



When the various parades came by, you could easily get crushed or pulled into the line. One woman in the parade told me to put my camera somewhere safe! I had been holding it to take photos. She did not know that I also had it attached to my body with two different straps. I took her words seriously.


Unfortunately, one of our group members had his camera taken right out of his hand as he was walking. I think he took a great risk in chasing after the young man who took it. He saw the thief change his shirt so he couldn't be easily identified. Fortunately, nothing happened to cause harm other than the loss of his camera.


Another one in our group had his iPhone grabbed out of his pocket. It was a new one, too. We had been warned not to take cell phones to the events. One other guy in the fleet had a few hundred dollars stolen out of his pocket. Again, we were warned. Dennis carried our cash in his shoe and only took what we didn't mind losing. That all took a little edge off the fun of Carnaval, although, it was not unexpected. It was just the reality that hit you!

I think our experiences were more interesting than going to Rio de Janerio and sitting in the stands watching the parades go by. Our son-in-law was once at the Rio Carnaval and decided he wanted to march in the parades so he bought an outrageous costume with a huge headdress so he could get in it! It probably cost him a small fortune, but at least he can say he did it!

 

In the heat of the day and with very tired feet from the cobblestones, we escaped from the crowd and found a beach a few block away! It was a perfect place to enjoy some shade and lunch. And the people watching was fun, too. All in all, it was a great day and we were all ready for the bus ride in the air conditioning!

Recife: A True Brazilian Carnaval!

Not having enjoyed the Pre-Carnival event in JoAo Pessoa, I was not enthused about the other upcoming trips to Carnival venues. Of course, I didn't want to miss any of the experiences, so onto the bus we went again! At least the air conditioning was worth the trip.

Actually, we had been told that the Carnivals in Recife and Olinda were two of the best and most traditional. That being said, I had a different set of expectations. And rightly so! The Recife outing started at 14:00 (2 PM) when we all piled onto the coach bus and started the drive to Recife. We would gather again at the bus at 01:00 or 1 AM so it was going to be a long evening.

Since it was a nighttime event, once again we were warned of safety precautions: no purses, no large camera, take only money you won't mind losing, keep your pockets free of valuables, stay in small groups, have a defined meeting place, etc. We were still in Brazil - and it was party time. That is a good opportunity for thieves to make their grabs especially from tourists.

I had my small inexpensive camera strapped to my body with two different tethers. I also kept it in a pocket out of sight most of the time. Dennis kept our money in several different places, including in his shoes. Fortunately, we had no problems that night.

Actually, the whole evening was very much a family affair. The locals were dressed in costumes and the children were cute. I loved the way they all participated in the fun with their creativity. It is obviously something to which they look forward each year. Somewhat like a week long Halloween when no one goes to work!

There were stages throughout the city with different kinds of music in each area. There were some big name Brazilian entertainers were headliners, but we did not know any of them and could not understand the lyrics. Between acts of the stages, groups in fabulous costumes paraded across the stages.


















Here are some of the costumes:

Dennis was happy to taste a variety of street food. I declare he will eat anything! Me - not so much! Fortunately, we were able to find places for all of us to sit and rest from time to time. Pushing along with the crowds on cobblestone streets is a bit challenging at times.

Bob isn't too sure about whatever this is!

Our good friends, Merc and Bob, from Chicago had joined us in Cabedelo to finish the final World ARC leg with us. We first met them in Panama when we were preparing to pass through the Panama Canal. Actually, Merc and I first met over a couple of rum punches that were way too strong for both of us! It still gives us a good laugh. Then we were rafted along side a catamaran, Vivo, when we went through the canal.

Heading North for Carnivals

Carnival is a major holiday in Brazil and they go all out for it. In fact, they have pre-Carnival events several weeks before Carnival! Every city has its version; some bigger and better than others. In the smaller towns, it is more of a community event with lots of music and dancing, some parading in costume, others in street clothes.

Our first encounter of pre-Carnival was in Salvador with music and body painting. We didn’t really participate as we had been warned about the cautions one must take at Carnival. We chose to sail north to Cabadelo, where we would stay for a couple of weeks. From there we could go to four different Carnivals.

Our sail up the east coast of Brazil was lovely. It was just the two of us for a change. In fact, it was the first time we had been without crew since last August when we left Mackay, Australia. I love crew for long passage, but enjoy the quieter time when it is just two of us. Of course, we don’t see much of each other as one is usually sleeping when the other is on watch. It works for me for 4-5 day passages. Longer than that is too tiring. 

The Marina Jacare lies up the Rio Paraiba (river) between Cabedelo on the north and JoAo Pessoa to the south. We had to arrive at the river’s mouth at the beginning of a rising tide to avoid the 3 knot current against us. The marina is owned by two French guys and fortunately, Nicholas speaks English. They have a nice restaurant and gathering place for the fleet to relax and use the Internet. The marina arranged for  the bus trips to the Carnivals in Recife and Olinda for the WARC plus to the local ones. 

Dennis waiting for cold drinks and food.

The first Carnival – actually, pre-Carnival – experience was in JoAo Pessoa, a twenty-minute bus ride from the marina. We went at night and tried to figure out what gringos do at Carnival. First, we walked the length of the street, passing huge entertainment trucks. It was like Pine Knob on wheels! I have never seen such large moving stages or heard such sound systems. I could feel the music vibrations in my chest!

People paraded in costume and carried banners.

There were all kinds of foods and beverages available on the street. Vendors were selling everything: cold water, plastic cups, head decorations, candy, beer and soft drinks, cotton candy, etc. We found a place to buy drinks and sit for a while. The parade did not start until 9 PM and we were at the lower end of it so it would take a while for it to reach us.

One of the many large sound stages on a semi truck

The one thing that was very noticeable was security: municipal police and military police. They were perched on high platforms every few yards and they continuously marched single file through the crowd. They made it clear that they would not tolerate any trouble. We saw them body frisk a number of young boys looking for drugs. The kids seemed to be used to it and were very compliant.

I can’t say we were impressed with the event. The music was too loud and we were not into street dancing. Maybe it is a sign of aging! The young people were so wound up and excited. It was like 10 New Year’s Eve parties in one.

The Historical Sites of Salvador

Due to light winds and part of the fleet lingering in St. Helena, the World ARC schedule became somewhat convoluted. Yachts straggled into Bahia Marina one by one. The Yellow Shirts had a scheduled flight and tried to accommodate as many as possible with schedule changes moving the prize-giving event to the last possible night.

They also adjusted the city tour so most people could make it. Salvador is not a city where you explore on your own so the combined bus and walking tour was appreciated. We all loved being in the air-conditioned bus as the temperature was unbearably warm. As we sail north, it is going to become more and more uncomfortable.

Our first stop on the bus tour was at the Barra Lighthouse. It is the black and white striped one that greets yachts at the tip of the peninsula. The Barra Lighthouse marks the entrance to the “Baia de Todos os Santos” or All Saint’s Bay, which is about 300 km long. On the navigational charts, the bay looked small and rather narrow, but in real life it is huge! And is filled with many anchored cargo ships.

The lighthouse is adjacent to one of the most popular beaches in the area. In fact, the beach runs continuously east from the lighthouse up the eastern side of the peninsula. The Brazilians love their beaches and spend a lot of time cooling off in the water. We walked around the base of the lighthouse and could easily see why we had to round the peninsula so far offshore: rocks and reefs!

As we continued our tour, we saw how the city is divided into two different areas. There is the “Cidada Baixa” (Town) down by the water. The city is built on the side of a mountain and the roads are steep. In fact, there is a 70-meter tall pedestrian elevator (the “Elevator Lacerda”) or the vertical tram (“Plano Inclinado”) to take one from the lower city to the upper one. The “Cidada Alta” is the Upper Town and hosts most of the historical sites. Taxis were our mode of elevation!

Here you can see the upper and lower cities from the bay.

The bus took us through the Corredor da Vitoria, Campo Grand and Piedade before arriving at the Upper City. We passed the sculptures of the Candomble deities at the Dique do Tororo and saw their famous football stadium across the lake.

Since the streets are so narrow, we had to leave the bus and head off for a guided walking tour of the city area known as Pelourinho and a museum and church. Pelourinho is considered to be the most important architectural complex dating to the 17^th and 18^th centuries.

Unfortunately, little English was spoken and all the literature was in Portuguese so it was difficult to read anything about what we were seeing. The language was frustrating even with the help of Google Translator.

They have no real need to learn English since the whole country speaks the same language. However, like many of the countries trying to expand tourism, they need to consider the frustration of visitors and how the lack of translated information decreases the enjoyment of their country.

Our tour guide spoke good English with a somewhat challenging accent, but we were able to understand most of what he had to say in the Museu da Misericordia and the Church of Saint Francis, which is located at the far end of Pelourinho Plaza. The museum had been a hospital and a government house and has a lovely chapel on the main floor.

These plain doors hide the most amazing

church interiors in the world.

Note the horns on Moses!

The hand cut marble inlay throughout was amazing. We admired the open-air plan of the architecture as it provided both shade and light while allowing the breeze to flow freely though the rooms. Obviously, in the hotter climates, these things are important when designing spaces. The furnishings were very old and the watchful staff reminded people not to touch!

The Church of Saint Francis was breathtaking! From the outside, it looked plain. Once you entered the Porch and Cloister, it began to reveal something very special. The Porch was built between 1749 and 1755. The painting on the ceiling is famous for its perspective of the glorified Virgin Mary. The Cloister was completed between 1729 and 1794 with hand-painted tiles that came from Portugal between 1743 and 1746.

The 37 tiled mosaics on the ground floor were all inspired by the paintings of the Flemish artist, Oto Van Veen. The Latin epigraphs on each painting were inspired by Horatio. The tiles in the upper cloister depict scenes of fishing, hunting, country life, symbols of the five senses, the months and the continents. We were told why the paintings of Moses show him with horns on his head. Apparently, there was a mistranslation of the word and someone thought it meant “horn” and so they were painted on the tile! Oh, the challenges of communication!

The most prized carvings within the church are made from Jacaranda wood. This includes the choir loft and the sacristy. They were completed in the early part of the 18^th century. The style of most of the church is Baroque and it is gleaming with gold leaf. You can easily see why people complain that the city forefathers spent money on the churches and governmental building instead of housing for the people.

We were told that at one time all of the gold had been covered over with plaster. Perhaps this was to protect it from invaders. It wasn’t until a workman found something underneath the plaster that this treasure was revealed again. I think the guide said there 8,000 sheets of gold leaf used in the decoration. The ceiling of the sacristy is divided into 48 magnificent paintings with the emblem of the Franciscan Order in the center. It was sensory overload time again.

Fortunately, John and Colt were able to see this church before they left. They had taken a morning city walking tour and then we all took the ferry across the All Saints Bay to Itaparica Island. It was a two hour ferry trip that is frequently taken by the locals for get-away weekends on the island beaches. We were there on a Monday so it was very quiet, but the crossing was pleasant and gave a great opportunity to watch the locals enjoy themselves.




Finding a cab or bus on a Monday to take us to the beach area on the end of the island was somewhat challenging. We finally found one and the driver was willing to wait several hours while we explored and had a bite to eat be fore returning to the ferry at dark. The little village was interesting and I can see why it is overrun on the weekends.

                                  

The night ride back on the ferry.

                                                                                                                                            

My favorite: shrimp stew, Brazilian style.

The final evening in Salvador was the Prize Giving Party. We were thrilled to have been the monohull winners of this long crossing. I would say we did alright in the World ARC events as we scored a first, second and a third. Not bad for such novice sailors! Of course, a lot of credit goes to crew, too.

We were sad that John and Colt were not there with

us to accept the first place prize. Thanks, crew!

Not only were we first across the Finish Line, but we did it with zero engine hours! At first no one would believe that we never used the motor for propulsion. We may not sail the fastest, but without the motoring penalty, we achieved our goal. Thank you John and Colt for your expertise and the fun times we had on the crossing - even without fresh water and a working freezer!

So long, Salvador. We have places to go and things to see!

It was time to say "goodbye" to Mannel, a Yellow Shirt who spoke Brazilian Portuguese. His services were most helpful to the fleet as no one could communicate with the locals. He and Victor were heading north to Cabedelo to prepare for the arrival of the fleet so we were all left on our own to finish up work, provisioning, etc. before setting sail to meet them.

Our next big social events will be one pre-Carnaval night, a trip to Olinda and one to Recife for a couple of traditional carnaval experiences. One will be an evening outing with great caution and the other will be an all day event. Let the good times roll ...