Brazil’s Salvador Brings Out Words in Many

Some parts of the world lend themselves to lyrical and creative writing. One such place is Salvador, Bahia Brazil. We recently brought a new intern on board from UMass named Isadora Dunne. She wrote about learning to dance and practice martial arts during Carnaval, the wildest time of the year and giant outdoor party.

“One local couple we met helped our group get rid of some lurking men, and the woman was so sweet; she taught us some Brazilian dance moves and took pictures with us.  It got intensely packed at certain points, but we all held on to each other so we wouldn’t get swept away by the passing crowd, who were moving with the floats. 

Brazilian men are pretty forward about complimenting women, especially during Carnaval when kissing strangers is part of the tradition.  It is something that is to be expected, but I was able to fend off all advances; for the most part, you only get kissed if you want to.  There is a strong police presence at Carnaval, and as long you are vigilant and smart, the joy of the experience far outweighs the dangers.”