A Weekend in Morro, Part 2

The second day in Morro, we settled into the island vibe and learned it was much better to go barefoot when the only way to get around was by walking on the beach or sandy paths. One of my roommates and I were up relatively early (for an island where people go to bed at sunrise) and decided to walk back up to the First Beach. We skipped breakfast at the pousada and went to Oh La La Creperia, a restaurant recommended by some prior volunteers. Once again, we were early for a meal- we showed up a little before 10am. The sign said they opened at 10 but they told us to go away and come back in half an hour. The crepes were delicious. After we ate, we kept walking through town and explored the side streets. It gave us an interesting glimpse at how the locals lived. The island had kind of a Maui-ish vibe to it-- touristy, but not too touristy with a slow and relaxed lifestyle.

After some window shopping, we headed back to the second beach and lounged on chairs under the umbrellas and read books. Just like many beaches in Brazil, as soon as you sit down, you will be approached by vendors selling all different types of things: sunscreen, sarongs, henna tattoos, hairbraiding, hot cheese, sodas, jewelery, cocktails, etc. Even with several trips to Mexico and Ghana, I still had a major aversion to vendors. It was in Brazil that I finally succumbed to them. I bought a necklace made with Amazonian beads and ordered a really good sandwich and a coconut with a straw. We took the requisite pictures that you take when you drink coconut water on a tropical island. It was so relaxing and to relax more, my roommate headed off to do a yoga class that was being offered at place next to our hotel. She said it was the best yoga class she'd ever taken.

That night we went for dinner much later at an Italian restaurant on the first beach. After dinner and before the Second Beach party, I hung out on the First Beach. There was jam session on the side of the main sandy path. A group of people were singing, playing guitars, congas and other instruments. There was a woman selling snacks and when she wasn't helping a customer, she picked up a shaker and joined in the jam session. A crowd gathered around to watch and dance. It was really a beautiful moment. Everyone was so friendly and I met people from around the world. There were Brazilians from all over the country, a New Zealander, and some Europeans. All of a sudden, it started pouring. Everyone sought shelter underneath the roof of an open air restaurant nearby. After the rain cleared, I made my way back to the second beach and met up with some other volunteers at a club called 87. They played mostly techno with a few Top 40 hits here and there. Not my favorite, but it was a lot of fun. We stayed up all night Morro style and watched the sun rise. We had breakfast on the beach and I was surprised to see the number of people of all ages doing the same thing. I have no idea what time it was when we finally went to bed.

After a brief sleep, we woke up to the sound of rain. We decided that we might as well head back to Salvador and get on an earlier ferry. Once again, we were some of the last people on the catamaran. There were a bunch of seats available in front and very few in the middle rows. We sat in the front because we wanted to be able to spread out. An employee looked at us with wide eyes and told us we shouldn't sit there because it was going to be really bumpy. I had felt fine on the way over and had never been sea sick in my life so I told her I'd be okay. She gave us a look that said "suit yourself" and walked away. From the beginning, the ride was a lot more bumpy than on the way over. It was fine for awhile. Then huge waves started splashing into the front of the cabin. We weren't even on the deck but were getting completely soaked. After about 20 minutes or so it became really nauseating. That's when I fully understood the purpose of the plastic bags tied to each seat. Thankfully, because we were on an earlier ride, it wasn't too crowded and we were able to lay across the seats to decrease the nausea. Plenty of people used the barf bags and the employee who warned us kept coming around to pass out more. I kept trying to sit up because it's really uncomfortable to lay across plastic seats, but everytime I did I felt even worse. It was a terrible two hours and when we finally arrived back in Salvador, everyone clapped and cheered when they stepped back on land. We all turned back to take pictures and get one last look at the "ferry of death". I'd love to go back to Morro, and if I do, I am definitely bringing dramamine!