Love in Salvador
March 12, 2016
Creamy skies of blue and golden sands inspired our flight to Salvador from Sao Paulo. The winter we yearned to leave behind in Canada was echoed through the murky, cloudy weather of Southern Brazil and we felt the energy of life, dance and sun coming from the north. The traveler’s path, is at its core, a path of immersion and movement, openness and curiosity. Lucky the airfare in Brazil is cheap.
A quick note on cheaper travelling. When we touched down at the airport we had the following options:
Cab ride: $20.00 split 3 ways (20-30 min)
Bus Ride: 75 cents, (1-130hr)
I mean, many would opt to take a cab or some sort of private transportation to get to their resting spot, but I think that deprives you of a great many things. Public transportation is not only cheaper, but it’s immersive and social. For example, when we were on the bus to Pelourinho a lady told me to put my camera away because people have been shanked for less, and towards the end of the bus ride a local welcomed us with opened arms and gave us a crash course of the area and customs. We popped off the bus and through Salvador’s stunning historic district to arrive at the dopest hostel I’ve stayed at to date: Acai Hostel. I’ll talk about Salvador some more later, because we came back - but this post is about love, so let’s get to it.
As the earth turned, and the sun began it’s evening show we happened upon a beautiful cliff where people gathered to watch the sunset. Maybe a hundred people were scattered around the cliff, and many were lovers. I waded through teenage couples leaning against walls, sneaking kisses to each other for the first time to find a nice spot. Looking around, I saw them all - young, old, chubby, skinny, man and woman - holding each other, substituting the lowering sun’s warmth with the warmth of their bodies and hearts.
Love is this force that really soaks through everything we are as people. Seldom a day goes by when our fundamental problems and successes in life aren’t tied to love in some capacity. So how do we love better? Love more honestly and openly? Love with passion and intensity? I picked up a tiny piece of this puzzle in Salvador.
Part of the puzzle is time. When we slow down and experience the immediacy of the moment - the immediacy of our shared experience - we can notice the nuance and subtle flavours and aromas that float by in otherwise frantic moments. The couple at the top of this post stood there holding each other, micrometers from each other’s faces - just looking into each other. The father walking around with his young son stopped and immersed themselves in their environment.
Time matures all things, and I find myself forgetting that too often. In a rush to post that photo, or schedule that story - to email this client or read that article, I miss the full experience of each moment. While this can fly for some things, other experiences require attention, intensity and focus.
The Atlantic Ocean rhythmically washed over the rocks at the cliff, while the blue sky turned indigo. We were all frozen for a moment, and we all experienced a slice of time together. My love affair with Salvador was just beginning.
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Peace and Love
Sandro