Itacaré Town

18 October 2009

As I have mentioned before, Itacaré is a really nice town. The people were so hospitable to us, and we actually made a lot of friends. Some artists selling their work on the street, some surfers knew us all but all of them knew my surfer friend Lana*, the lady at the breakfast place because we went by there again to get some sandwiches to go and whenever one of us was missing they'd ask "hey where is your other friend?" They were all really nice, the hostel people too, we hung out with some Israelis and talked for a while. Also some British travelers and we found out that we actually had the same bus home. So when we'd see each other outside the hostel we'd say hi and make small talk. And the workers at the hostel would be joking around with us and we'd converse.
Just everyone was so so nice; we felt like we became part of the community, temporarily anyway but that still counts. Lots of people said they were sad that we were leaving so soon. today is the day we left.

But since we came back around 4 and our bus was leaving at 8PM, we had some time to relax and be in the town a little before leaving.
I went out to take some pictures.
Lana* and Diane* went to surf, and A* went out by herself too, a little at the beach but other things too. Oh and we showered. of course.


Here is one of the main roads. where most of the food and stuff was. And the way to get to the beach too.

This place is called "Favela" But it's a barzinho and people do capeoira at like 7PM every night.

This is the acai place that was always closed! We heard good reviews from the locals, and it's Açaii, becuase it's supposed to be Açaí but Hawaiian style and they have other things too I think. Like sandwiches etc.


This is another side of the town. It's also a fishers town.
People out for a stroll.
A dog and a boy.
Here is Maria's breakfast place, where we had bought several sandwiches and we were back for more for the 8 hr ride back to Salvador.
And we got some more gelato, this time I tried the chocolate one. And it was really really great. I'm so glad I don't get lactose intolerant symptoms here. Or at least not yet..
Then some boys who go around the town holding pieces of palm leaf asking if you want to see some thing cool, came up to us, and this time we're like okay show us. And they make a lot of things out of them. Lana and I got fish, and A* got a rose.
Then we ran back to the hostel to get our bags, which we had put in a closet by the way because you usually are supposed to check out at noon but we had paid for an extra half day to shower but till 8 we weould have to pay 3 nights. So they let us put our bags in the closet with the other British people. So we were making good time according to my watch which you can see in this picture.

We got to the hostel and the British people had apparently already left, but then we ran over to the station with our stuff, and it was like 7:45 when we got there but, the station was empty. And the British people weren't there so we thought that was weird. But the bus wasn't supposed to leave until 8PM. So... we just sat there waiting, and talking about how great this trip was.
Then a taxi driver comes up to us asking if we needed a ride into town, and we're like "no we're waiting for the bus thanks"
"The last bus left like 15 minutes ago"
"No, it's supposed to get here at 8pm"
"yeah, it's 8:10"
us "What!?"
And then we check our phone and we realize oh shiza, my watch is OFF! like 20 minutes.
and that's all we needed to be late, so we were trying to figure out how to do this, this was the last bus leaving Itacare for the day and we missed it. So we'd have to buy tickets again for like 90 reais and pay for the hostel another night, and food for another day, and miss our portuguese exam if we stayed there another night. The taxi guy is like I can get someone to take you to try to catch up with the bus at least in Ilheus. So we were just imagining how much we'd have to pay for a taxi drive all the way to Ilheus. It's like 2 hours away!
But we knew that we had to make a quick decision so we told him "call your guy"
And we were suprisingly keeping our cool very well. But it's also like well what are we gonna do?

So it took a while for the taxi to come actually but he was saying "no we will make it" And I sat in the front, which I was later regretting because this guy was stepping on it mesmo! We were going like 80mph on such a curvy road that was so close to the ocean, I kept thinking we were going to fall of the cliff and die. But it was interesting that I was thinking, 'if I die here, I will die happy'.
But anyway I was talking to the driver and he was also really nice.
He also had lived in Bahia, but he was originally from Rio de Janeiro.

The taxi driver and the jukeboxes
We talked about music and we have a lot in common. He and I both like practically everything except for violent misogynist music. And I don't really enjoy country very much, but then he's like "eu gost de Jack Johnson" and I got sooo excited because I love Jack Johnson too, but I now wonder if he still does because after he said that we all broke out singing.
"Can't you see that it's just raining, there ain't no need to go outside...."which we sang in all its entirety followed by "you win, it's your show now so what's it gonna be...where'd all the good people go, I've been changin' channels I don't see them on the TV show"
And yes we went on "oooohh. ooohhh, do you think that you're not a lone, you really think that you're immune to..it's gonna get the best of you"
I'm like "is that it?" to the taxi driver
him "yeah"
And he was just smiling.
Then we started telling stories, about how one of my friend's on another trip to some rocks and a river or something had told someone to sit on a rock right behind her before she jumped off into the water, and then she got nervous right before jumping in and farted in her face. But she just played it as if it was on purpose because otherwise it would have been more embarassing.
Then she told us some girl scout stories.
I was still so nervous whenever I looked back to the front. and my friend said "close your eyes"
And we broke out into Bealtes again! :
"close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you, remember I'll always be true, and then while I'm away I'll write home every day and I'll send all my lovin' to you"
Then we came to a hilly and curvy area and when we went over the hill and we all went "weeee" with our arms raised and everything!
Then I told him
"yeah sorry, we don't get out much" and he laughed. So remember that trip that had taken us 2 hours last time...well we got there in 1 hour!
And I was really hopeful that it was still there but who knows if it may have been faster this time. so we had agreed that I would just run out of the taxi without anything but the bus ticket and ask for our bus and then go back and tell them. And i did that. I almost went with my little palm fish and everything.
I got there and there was a bus that said "Salvador" and I'm like "YES!"
And I went up to the guy letting people in and I told him our situation and he looked at the ticket and he's like "Oh, but your bus just left this is another one...but if it doesn't get filled up right now, we'll let you on"
I said thanks a bajillion times, and just crossed my fingers that it wouldn't fill up, because then we were stuck in Ilheus.
But there was room for us in the end.

See this is why it is great to know the langauge before going! I really encourage you to know at least the basics, and how to explain your situation otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get the taxi to come or the bus guy to understand the severity of our situation etc.
But we finally got on the night bus and we were good to go! we slept better this time. I was prepared with my shirt and kanga and blanket and more clothes.

Quotes from two of my friends who went with me:

"Yay!!! uh happy times in one of the best places on earth. but being there with you ladies was the best part of the trip. and prainha!! uh i love that place :)"

"mine was just being with a group of people who were patient and ready for adventure! I also liked canoeing, pretending we were pocahantos (can't spell) and that chocolate place. Everyone was sooo nice!"

The END
MUA!