I left Recife for Salvador on Thurs. Feb. 19th. The start of Carnaval. I had arranged this apartment with Daniel Blumnethal from www.bahia-online.net.

Okay...now I'm going to start bitchin' so if you just want to read about mongering in Salvador, you should stop here because I didn't do any.

First, my apartment sucked. It was located in Ondina off of Avenida Oceanica. The pics are accurate and the description was accurate. What the website doesn't mention is that it's infested with ants and it's very nasty. I mean, there was still stuff in the fridge!!!

The location of the place is directly over the Barra - Ondina path of the Carnaval parade but you are located near NOTHING else for mongering. Hope your ass likes walking. You have about a 10 - 15 minute walk to Brompeco (???) for food shopping. This is located next a mall. All avenues for the hobby are NOT close. Aeroclubbe and Casquinha Siri were out there. These were the only two places I attempted to try. I will be fair and say that the lack of activity was probably due to Carnaval. It's like the opposite of Rio in that aspect.

Aeroclubbe was jumping when I went but it seemed to be full of couples.

For those that don't know, Aeroclubbe is a mall with a bunch of clubs in it. I think these were all turned to camarotes for Carnaval. Being as I how I have no freakin'idea what a camarote is or how it works, I didn't mess with them.

Casquinha Siri is like Meia Petaca for Salvador. When I went there, it was dead. Carnaval again.

I heard a lot about Carnaval in Salvador but I was didn't enjoy myself at all. I was scheduled to be there for 6 days but I flew to Rio after 2. I couldn't take it.

Primary reasons that I didn't enjoy my self:
1) Lack of action at the few spots I knew about and was brave enough to look for.
2) I was alone. This could not be helped.
3) My apartment was very annoying. No TV, ants, and nearness to Carnaval (which means you get NO sleep unless you are hopped up on Ambien)
4) MASSIVE crowds of rowdy people. I had thought that the Rio crowds sucked. Hey, ever see Times Square for New Year's Eve? Put that in 85 degree weather. You have to literally bully your way through blocks of people to get where you're going. Oh, I have to mention the Great Communal Pee Walls. No shame here.

Okay...I'm sure that Salvador is different during a different time of year. There were an immeasureable amount of good-looking women there. With GREAT bodies. Much better average than Recife. Everywhere you looked. If I could do Salvador with a local and a much better apartment, I would give it another chance. There is a lot of history there. But alone, during Carnaval, hell no.

You should've seen me going to the airport to buy a ticket outta there.

I'd decided.

Next stop...Rio, a little place I like to call home.

Kick Stand

I thought Salvador carnival is the best. I was sorry I was in Rio. I actually read that they have more visitors and more income from carnaval tourism then Rio.

I like their music more then in Rio.

too bad I am not in Salvador to help you out

I have never been to carnival in the North East. I have been to off season carnival (see micareta.com ), which probably is much better (less confusion), also in smaller cities (Belem for example) but also in Recife.

You MUST be inside a carnival group, inside the safe rope area around the trio eletrico trucks. You need to pay your abadá, the dress that allows you to get inside. Expensive (hundreds of Reals for several days), but necessary. Outside the rope is Hell, danger, fights, the poor masses.

KS, what happened to your wingman UWphoto?

Didn't you get any play, or find some at Barra beach?

Like BS stated, you should of joined a abada or bloco.

Sf4dfish,

UW had an emergency that kept him from attending. I can't go into details because I don't feel right spreading his business. The timing just didn't work out.

Actually, I should have contacted you guys about how to go about this before I left the US but work REALLY kept me swamped until I left for the airport. Once I got in Recife and Salvador, it was damn near impossible for me to get to a internet-abled computer. My rental lady in Recife let me use hers briefly to check e-mail and the ONE place I found didn't have any available seats. After walking miles in the Salvador sun, my patience was at an end.

Like I said, I'd probably do it again if I was with someone who knew their way around. Varig usually runs specials from NYC which makes it easy for me to get there.

Kick Stand

Kick Stand -

Man, too bad this crap happened to you. I feel for you. Lesson learned though, huh?

I too initially thought that Carnival would be a great time to monger. But, if you think about it, the apple cart is over-turned and everything normally stable is in chaos. The stability that we normally seek to find what we are looking for is literally scattered like seeds in the wind. The working girls are in the streets partying with their friends and family, and they are literally embedded in the masses of people. Tell me...do you think a working girl will latch on to you if she is surrounded by family members?

If I take a bunch of friends to Carnival to party and get shitfaced, and my date for the week is secure...then Carnival is great. But, if you are all by yourself and you are seeking female companionship during Carnival...luck of the draw is all you will have.

Bad timing, that is all. Better luck next-time.

This is why I never monger during religious holidays, historical dates, or during Carnival.

AlecJamer

good to see you again in Rio. Lost you in Help. I will assume you made a major pull!!

Sandman

Sandman,

Actually, I didn't. I wasn't feeling too well. I tried to catch up with you to tell you I was heading back but it never happened. Sorry about that. Did you ever find the school girl uniforms we were looking for?

Info: In Help during Carnaval, the ladies would all wear costumes. For those of you who have never seen this, it's pretty cool to see how creative these ladies can get with so little fabric.

Kick Stand

KS:

Sorry tohear about the headaches. Bahia Carnaval is a lot of fun, but not alone. Likewise, Carnaval sux for monegering, I've written that 100 times on this site alone (well, maybe I exagerate). Remember, prostituiton for 99.99% of the girls is WORK, Carnaval for 99.99% of brazilians is VACATION. The two don't mix...

Abraco,

BS

Badseed,

Good point. When I booked this, I was thinking more about seeing Carnaval and hobbying next (if you can believe that). Lesson learned but it was still pretty impressive even if I was on the wrong end of it. Luckily, it was only two days that I didn't enjoy myself for this trip. The last minute trip to Rio saved me and Sao Paulo was pretty good up until I ran into some "Termas Soap Opera". So overall, a trip that I'm glad I took.

KS

KS:

All's well that ends well....

Carnaval is great, but in small doses (IMHO), and Salvador is definitely ground 0 for Carnaval Overload! And there's a good reason why 1/2 of Rio de Janeiro gets the hell out of town during the crazy week... One of the best Carnavais I ever had I spent on a friends' ranch in Rio grande do SUl, just me and a gf for 5 days, peace and quiet (and plenty of "rough riding").

As for "Termas Soap Opera", I know you're already an old Rio hand, but never forget you've got two things those girls want - $$$ and a "Big Stick" (as in, speak softly and carry a big stick). So if they give you any BS, tell them to fuck off and go snag the next pussy.

Abraco,

BS

See Kick Stand. It's not me that is bad luck for you. I think sometimes you are cursed. I've never met a guy that has more bad luck when traveling in South America. But then again you roll with the punches. You are one of the most easygoing guys I know. That's why I like hanging out with you so much. Prague in May should be interesting. Bring a good luck charm because we're gonna have a blast.