Itaparíca

Itaparíca is a beautiful tropical island in the Baia Todos de Todos os Santos, the bay which lies to the west and south of Salvador. The ocean surrounds it as well as rivers flowing into the Canal do Itaparíca. It is mostly inhabited by Palm Trees, trees, crabs, birds and some human beings.

Its life is a strange one between pure tranquility, almost dead and the party of rich people. Almost dead it is during the week. It becomes alive friday afternoon and slowly goes to a almost dead asleep on Sunday afternoon / evening. Why?

The only ones living here on the island are the people who own, run or work at the restaurants and Pousada, which however are usually only open on the weekends and holidays. 

(Look at the sign on the right building: Ousada for Sale. Room with a view an natural air conditiong inclusive...)

Some few people live here in their retirement, or people from Germany and France, who came here by boat and never left. Now they mostly belong to the first type of inhabitants, they have a restaurant.

The rest comes here on the weekends or during their holidays, mostly with their own boat. Rich people. This weekend we had the chance to experience the weekend life. Well, it’s still not as much as it can be. Understandable, we’re just at the end of winter / beginning of spring. So it’s completely off-season. Not that there is a real difference in the temperatures, but in the “temporada”. Honestly, who wants to be here in the winter? Only around 30° C during the day, hot sun, beautiful ocean…

Despite the lonliness here in terms of inhabitants these days cars with their trunks open drive around, giving mega loud sound of music and speaches of people for the upcoming elections. I dearly hope for the people here that the voting for new government comes soon....

 

We had seen most of the boats that arrived Friday afternoon or Saturday morning already in the Bahia Marina in Salvador. The motor boats either stay at the next town west of Itaparica at a beach, where its passengers stand next to the boats being served the drinks from their servant, who remains onboard and probably then has to drive the boat. He is the one that takes care of the boat during the week, carefully washing and polishing it every day. Problem with the people standing and drinking in the water: as they get more drunk they need to hold on to something. So they grab for the boat, which however, too bad, is moving. You can imagine I saw some funny scenes when I visited this beach yesterday. 

The sailing boats mostly stay at anchor. For one night, we were about twice as many sailors than before. Some of the boats already left yesterday evening, the rest left this morning. So a short but excessive drinking visit. The boaters from the marina all met up in the marina restaurant and had quite some drinks and fun together – you could hear it very far.

Although this is such a peaceful paradise here where the only disturbance seem the drinking rich people on the weekend it is obviously not as safe as it seems. I walked along the beautiful beach at low tide yesterday all the way from the marina to this next big bay where the motor boat freaks meet. On the way I took a long water bath in a private hot pool which were created in places of lower sand when the water pulled back. Very relaxing. 

At that touristy beach I layed down in the shade of a palm tree and rested. When I packed my stuff and started to head back along the beach I saw 3 people riding on horses. A guy in bathing pants (looked like a “tourist”), a black boy on a horse on this side and an older black guy following them but always approaching people, obviously asking them if they want to ride a horse on the beach for a while. So he also came up to me and asked me. I said “sure, tomorrow” (cause I had nothing but my bathing suite and my dress on me). He asked me for the Pousada and I just said “Marina Itaparica”. He looked at me and asked me to not walk back on the beach, it is too dangerous at this time of the day (it was 45 min before sunset). I should take the bus, which leave right at the beach where we were. He wanted me to get back safe. I thanked him and off I went. I still wanted to walk back along the beach but changed my mind since I know someone had followed me through the bushes on the way to that beach. Because I had taken a picture at land I walked farther up on the beach instead of down at the waterline. The white sand beach part there is only about 5m wide. Next to it all bushes, nothing behind it. Do you know the feeling that someone is there although you don’t see him? Well I had that, in addition I heard the cracking. Everytime I stopped, the cracking stopped. I hurried to the people ahead of me, just about 100m away. Then I saw him, walking duck down. I did not want to risk anything in the late afternoon walking back alone where no people are at the beach anymore. So my savior on the horse came back as he saw me sitting on my towel a bit down the beach, looking a bit puzzled checking out where the bus might leave. Well, the end of the story is that we rode back on the horses to the marina. I went on his spare horse which he used for the tourists. It was fun. Of course I had to pay him a bit, but it was worth it. A nice ride through the nature and the little towns here. He knew all the people on the street and sitting in front of all the little stores on the way. They all waved to him and smiled at me, a white girl on one of his horses on his way home (his boy was with us as well) in Bikini and a dress. Too bad Marcus did not see me arriving in the marina on the horse back. Another lovely experience with caring, friendly Brazilian people. Itaparíca, I like it. 

Enjoy the pictures. 

 Only church with roof terrace with swimming pool...

You will find more tomorrow in the photogallery. Was unable to upload now. 

Tomorrow we sail back to Salvador for one night to pick up Frank, then on tuesday to Morro do Sao Paulo.