Salvador and Deep Thoughts

I definitely agree with Jen that Salvador is the most beautiful place we`ve seen yet, at least the small historic district. (The modern areas are vast and unimpressive) The buildings have aged in a graceful, regal way. These dilapidated facades are interspersed with newly renovated colorful ones, creating an effortlessly vital streetscape.

Also, despite the many warnings about how sketchy the place is, I haven`t felt particularly unsafe.

Big Thoughts on Brazil

I just finished this great book that looks at Brazilian history, politics, and culture using football as a lens. Alex Bellos` Futebol>A Brazilian Way of Life. I highly recommend it, even if you don`t care about any of those topics. Great sense of humor, incredible stories. The author's main premise is that Brazil houses the world's most talented footballers, but the corruption and lack of professionalism stunts the full evolution of ths sport locally.

I could sense a similar frustration from Rodrigo, a Brazilian we met in Arequipas. He urged us to visit the south of Brazil, where he's from, because it's so modern and well developed. He proudly described the roads as being like Swiss highways, and actually expressed some disdain for Salvador and Rio because of the disoder there. ''Sure, it's beautiful, but you're constantly afraid of being robbed.''

The common notion is that Brazil has enormous potential and wealth in its natural resources, sheer size, vibrant diverse culture, etc. Still, the country continues to flounder economically and socially, due to corruption and the wealth gap (which corroption seeks to further) acting as an anchor. I guess the same story could be told of many developing countries, including the Philippines.

Mental Health

I have to admit that I`ve also begun to long for simple, familiar food. Brazilian food is better than Peruvian fare, but is pretty oily and, frankly, not that great (with Marly`s home cooking as an exception). Even the novelty of street food has worn off somewhat, which is amazing to me. Right now, I want some good rice, not this non-sticky stuff here, that's often covered in oil.

Mostly, though, I tire of the constant decision-making. Where, when, how much to spend. This goes for food and every other facet of life - housing, tours, clothing, Internet, travel, how to spend the day, etc. Today, for example, I spent a couple of hours looking for a reaonably priced cotton t-shirt. A process that might take 30 mins. at home was a retail death march from one crowded shop to the next (ok, it wasn`t that bad). Each one had a series of pushy clerks trying to get me to try something on. I think to maintain sanity in the long term I occasionally have to spend a little more money to ease the process.

Honestly, though, whenever I start to get worn down, I think `I'm in Brazil!' and everything suddenly appears better.