Clare Elsewhere

In a country where beer is cheaper and more accessible than water, they've learned a thing or two about throwing parties. How to host Carnaval, the largest party on the planet, may just have been one of them. Carnaval is a Pre-Lenten celebration, an expansion of Mardi Gras if "expansion" really encompasses the transformation from a walk in the park into a marathon.  Before I can actually get into my experiences from Carnaval, I'll touch on some terminology and context, because it really is a whole new ballgame.  Salvador plays host to a six-day specialty with about four million party-goers in which you can celebrate in one of three ways: pipoca, bloco, or camarote. Pipoca literally means popcorn. If you do pipoca during Carnaval, it means that you're just dancing on the street- one of the millions of little pieces that make up the batch, popping up and down with the music and the movements of those around you. Buying a bloco is similar to pipoca in

A week of island life had me wandering down white beaches, strolling through a coconut farm, exploring cobblestone streets, and on one particularly memorable occasion, hiking for hours uphill in hot sand. These paths took me to beautiful places and amazing experiences, but they also introduced me to many interesting people taking the road less traveled- the road of travel. We have met an incredible amount of people whose lives, or at least current fascination, is solely traveling. Spending a year passing through South America, 5 months backpacking in Brazil, their lives exploring the world. Amazing experiences and opportunities that are so far from the mainstream American culture that they escaped my concept of plausibility. How would you pay for that? How would that help you get a job? To succeed in life? How is it productive? It's a hippie mentality, but I can understand how the traveling itself is productive, that in doing and seeing things so completely different you ca

“Every truth has two sides; it is as well to look at both, before we commit ourselves to either”- Aesop So far I've highlighted Salvador's more attractive side, the beautiful blue ocean and beaches in every direction, the gorgeous architecture, vibrant music and culture... and I haven't even begun to do those aspects justice. But justice, or the lack thereof, is what I really need to address. Brazil is one country, but two different worlds. You may have heard of the favelas, or even seen pictures of them juxtaposed against the wealthiest areas, as shown here in Sao Paulo. They're one of the most visible separations between the economic and social classes here, which is a growing problem. It's actually being called the Social Apartheid. Experiences in Salvador have taught me more about this than any statistics could have. In Corredor Victoria, one of the wealthiest areas in Salvador, you can witness a Ferrari pull out of a gated mansion while a homeless child