Wale pictures

Just some, to get the idea. Once I have a better internet connection, I
will upload the best 10 pix. Michaela

WALES!

Now it took us 3 months of travelling to finally see some Whels. We had
been promised Wales in Cabo Verde, then for the first 3 days towards
Brazil, then in Salvador. It should have been their time. But they
alsways found a way to avoid us.

Marcus had never seen a Whale live out at the ocean, close enough to see
it is a Whale. I had seen one in Hawaii. Yesterday Frank, who up til now
also had not been blessed with seeing one, found a Whale out there.
Marcus and I had seen some blows before (also Sven), but we had not seen
the body that belongs to the blow.

Today was different. We saw the blow and the body, even saw some jump.
At first we spotted two in the direction of the oil platfrom. about 20
min later we saw them in 3 directions, farther aways but close enough
that I was able to take some pix with my camera and 280mm lens. They
usually came up (and blew) 3 times and then they were gone for a couple
of minutes. That gave me the chance to spot them on the first blow and
then take a picture of the second one.

So they did show us their backs (with fin) and the blowing capabilities.
Thank god not too close, cause the smell of the blow is said to be not
perfumed, but a bit stinky. What is yet to come is Whales showing us
their tail. Something to look forward to.

We were actually heading down from Morro south to get to the next
island. A southern strong wind front was said to arrive at this heigt at
3pm local time. Winds expected at 25-30 knots. We learned from local
knowledge that a wind that strong will most likely not arrive up here,
it will die before. It never comes up. Except for the exception, if you
know what I mean. Well, what can I say. It hit us at 0943 local time
(we left at 0530 this morning to avoid the wind), just half way down
where we wanted to go. Gusts up to 44 knots, 2-3 m waves and the wind
from the direction we were heading to, making it impossbile to move
forward in the direction where we wanted to go convinced us to go back.
Back to Morro. Well, actually, to see something new, we passed Morro and
motored on along the canal behind Morro and thrwe our anchor down at
Cairú, the town on the island Cairú, south of the insland of Tinharé,
where Morro is situated. You can't find it? Try 13°28,9'S and
039°02,6'W. A quiet, peaceful town with two wonderful chruches. We'll go
on land tomorrow - time for the photo tour.

Itaparíca pictures and new guest Frank

I uploaded all the Itaparíca pictures yesterday.
Here is the link:
http://sailing.smichah.de/#19.0

Enjoy.

Our new guest Frank arrived onboard today. Marcus and I left Itaparíca at 8am in the morning and arrived just in time at 11am at the pier in Salvador. Frank came in at 11:30am. It took him the day today to come down from work - like everyone who comes from the stress back home. We understand he likes our beautiful Alita. After a quick unpacking we headed to see the lighthouse el Faro de Barra, the oldest lighthouse on the continent, the first one in Brazil, and was built in 1696 in the fort Santo Antonio da Barra (built 1583-1587). From there we walked to a good place to have Acaí, which was our lunch before the big grocey shopping act. The whole trunk of the taxi was full as we bought as much as possible already for the next 3 weeks. The only thing we have to buy during the trip is once in a while fruits, vegetables and fresh meat (of we don't catch fish). We have all the rest on board, we can't starve ;-).

Tomorrow we head for Morro de Sao Paulo and then continue south. We have 3 weeks to get to Rio, around 750nm. A trip with a mixtures of long sailing passages and some relaxing days in bays. I won't have internet the next couple of days, so don't worry if you don't read a report.

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. 

Some thoughts

The happiness and friendliness of the Brazilian people

Wherever we go, the people here are happy, laughing, love their music and are VERY helpful and watch out for each other.
Last example: we were entering a bay to anchor over night, looking for the best way to enter it as most of the bay is very shallow. The book gives two waypoints, the map does not give enough information. So we follow the instructions from the book and drive slowly, closely watching the Sonar. A fisherboat came up to us while rolling in their net. We weren’t sure why they were heading towards us. It turns out they came to give us signs to follow them on the way in. We were on the wrong course. They smiled and were happy – and friendly. That was so sweet and so unusual in the world I come from. That is the second or third time this happened to us on this trip here in Brazil already.
A second example: here in Salvador Alita is fixed with the lines quite far from the pier. So every time I want to go onto the pier I have to jump and wait for the right moment and/or pull one line as close as possible to minimize the chance that I go swimming in the harbour right next to the boat. When I am standing there on the boat or on the pier waiting for my moment to come usually the closest guy who sees the situation comes running to the boat and pulls the line. Happened today and constantly happened last time we were here – on the other pier. The guy jumped off his boat 4 boats away, came running and helped me. A couple of times. That was so amazingly sweet. For me this is something very special. For them it’s normal.
The only ones not so friendly usually are waiters or waitresses. They are rarely amused that a guest is coming whom they have to serve. The work just keeps them from hanging out, talking,…They are not really unfriendly, just very often not happy to work. So they don’t smile at you or help you with questions. You feel really bad that you disturbed them in whatever they were doing. That puzzles me a bit because it does not fit into the picture of the friendliness. But maybe I have to look at it from the working point of view. Some Brazilians themselves told me they are not really the working people. Of course in the big cities that is not so true anymore. Very many have great education and work hard like everywhere else. But the average seams still different. Everything takes its time, no hurry, don’t work if you don’t have to, no long hours. On the other side that has charme, if you come from a stress world. Why stress out if you don’t have to. Better for your heart. Jaimy had told us that the social system here gives everyone who needs it (who is not working) 250 reáis a month. That’s enough to live on outside the cities in the country. So why work. It drives the working people nuts. That welfare money is paid forever, as long as you need it. That explains why there are always that many people out on the street and on the beaches, hanging out. And why still the majority of homes does not look really nice. Maybe you saw some of the “luxury” apartments in my blog pix, old, rotton homes without windows and doors. But a TV running.  
Brazilian seem very open, welcoming people. No matter who they are or where they come from, they welcome everyone, no matter who he is or where he comes from. They love to party and invite the new ones. They love loud music, dancing and drinks. Now still like 30 yrs ago, when Horst arrived to Morro de Sao Paulo. Fun people, a wild mixture of origins. Black and white, from many countries in the worls. All proud to be Brazilians. And all speak Portuguese. That’s the way it should be.

Traveller’s and sailor’s stories

When you travel, you meet other travelers. When you sail, you meet other sailors. You meet them “on the road” (or on the water) or stranded. They all have stories. Stories of experiences they made and the story of their life. The last stranded sailor whom we met was Horst, the german guy in Morro. He came to that place 30 years ago, fleeing from the regular and (in Germany) organized life at home. He found a paradise, at that time with no electricity and no flowing water. But he found happy and friendly people who loved to party and took him with open arms. He stayed. And invested smart. This lonely place with its beautiful, deserted beaches became a famous tourist attraction. Of course he loved the wild nature before, but he went with the development. So he opened his pousada and later the yacht club. He might have thought to get away from work at home. Now he works hard again. But in a natural paradise and he is happy – like all Brazilians. Wonderful to see.
His story is an example for all the stranded people we’ve met. Like e.g. the English who took over the bar in Maio. It seems commonly known that people who get away from their country without a plan and get stranded in a place either end up working hard but in a fun, new business or end at the bar. The latter ones usually being the ones with more money. At least I heard that quit often and Marcus has already met sailors where this is true. The reasons why people of all ages leave their home are different, but they all come to enjoy life and nature. We heard from some younger ones they left because of a missing perspective in their country. Some because they already inherited so much money they don’t need to work. The older ones are often retired and start their second life. Some few ones do it as a job – dream combination, like we do.
I love meeting these people and listening to their stories. Most interesting if the people have been alone for a long time. Stories get longer and longer and more dramatic over time J. It’s a fun way of exchanging information though between equally travelling people. Just don’t believe everything you here and make your own picture. Just because someone say a place is not beautiful does not mean it is not beautiful. It’s just of no interest for him. But it might be for me....

So I am very much looking forward to the next places where we meet new faces. Anything interesting will be posted here….