Balsas and such

Well, we dragged ourselves away from the bright lights and nice surf of Itacaré to maroon ourselves on this gorgeous little island they call "flat snake" or Boipeba. So named because it is shaped like a turtle, of course. Yesterday we did somthing really incredible, after we recovered from the three bus rides and one really hilarious balsa (ferry) ride it took to get here, in which our colorful old wooden vessel stranded itself on multiple river mudflats surrounded by mangroves, much to our delight. We are such suckers for anything nautical. Anyway, the highlight of yesterday was we went snorkeling! On a reef that must have a major beef with the world for causing global warming and ocean pollution because it was all brown with algae. There were some pretty fish I recognized from my Maui days (Fish Tour anyone?) but mainly I loved the experience because it just felt so incredibly good to cruise around in four feet of warm water with not a single place we had to be. My To Do list was empty. Glorious. I think we´re finally getting the hang of this.

As required when traveling, we both ate something funny and are now feeling less than spectacular. But that´s what books and hammocks are for, right? Hopefully, we´ll both be feeling on top of our game by this afternoon, when another balsa carries us North to Salvador. I´m so excited to see what this legendary city is all about! I want to dancedancedance.

Last night we met someone from Indonesia who lives on this island and teaches Thai boxing while also running a restaurant. (Not at the same time.) He had heard of the World Social Forum and had lots of things to share about the Brazilian government and coporate influence (which is strong, boo) and support for the arts (which is also relatively strong, halleluiah). We lent him our only copy of YES! magazine- the Democracy in Latin America issue- for the night. This morning while I was eating watermelon and a mysterious pastry (I know, I know) he returned the issue, having read it and thoroughly enjoyed it. He said he´d check out the website and hopefully subscribe. It was one of my favorite interactions thus far. The other was fulfilling a request to edit an article about Israel´s current response to the Hamas, writen by a fellow traveler who was Israeli. That sparked some great conversations as well.

Okay! I´m back on the travel train. It rocks.

Thanks for reading and commenting, it makes my day!

Ate laogo,
K.M.W.

ps Cities here are planning big goodbye parties for Bush. Is that happening in the US also?