The wheels on the bus...
Okay so after spending 4 days relaxing in Recife while being spoiled by my friend Will and his wonderful mother, I was ready to get back to life on the road and was feeling quite ambitious. So ambitious in fact that I ignored all the warning signs and decided to forge onward to the point that I almost got in over my head.
Here was the situation:
-7 days remaining in Brazil
-Currently in Recife
-Must be in Salvador by the end of the week
-13 hours by bus from Recife to Salvador
-I thought I would break up the bus ride by spending some time in a city or two in between the two cities
-My guidebook has very little information or mention of anything between Recife and Salvador
-I have been repeatedly warned to be cautious as Brazil can be a dangerous country
So what do I do? I took a bus 4 hours south to a city called Maceio and from there thought it would be fun to spend time in a colonial town rather than in one of the large cities along the beach that are starting to seem interchangable in my mind. My book said Penedo was only 160 km south of Maceio so I figured it would be neat to see and also help me continue making progress towards Salvador. Somehow this 160 km trip took 6 hours!!! I expected to arrive with the afternoon to explore but instead arrived after dark as all the stores were closing up! I went to a couple hostels and although they were cheap, I didn't feel like I would survive till morning. There were lots of creepy people hanging out on the streets and I just wanted a place to sleep where me and my belongings would be safe. I ended up at a hotel for $30/night.
This morning I awoke at 5am and caught the bus to Salvador which was supposed to ONLY be 8 hours. Somehow that turned into a 10 hour trip! My butt has officially molded into the shape of a bus seat. I am relieved to finally be in Salvador and need a few bus-less days before I even consider venturing out of the city for a day trip.
Moral of the story: don't get too cute. If you're traveling alone in a "dangerous" country where you don't speak the language - stick to the main routes even if an alternative one sounds interesting.
Here was the situation:
-7 days remaining in Brazil
-Currently in Recife
-Must be in Salvador by the end of the week
-13 hours by bus from Recife to Salvador
-I thought I would break up the bus ride by spending some time in a city or two in between the two cities
-My guidebook has very little information or mention of anything between Recife and Salvador
-I have been repeatedly warned to be cautious as Brazil can be a dangerous country
So what do I do? I took a bus 4 hours south to a city called Maceio and from there thought it would be fun to spend time in a colonial town rather than in one of the large cities along the beach that are starting to seem interchangable in my mind. My book said Penedo was only 160 km south of Maceio so I figured it would be neat to see and also help me continue making progress towards Salvador. Somehow this 160 km trip took 6 hours!!! I expected to arrive with the afternoon to explore but instead arrived after dark as all the stores were closing up! I went to a couple hostels and although they were cheap, I didn't feel like I would survive till morning. There were lots of creepy people hanging out on the streets and I just wanted a place to sleep where me and my belongings would be safe. I ended up at a hotel for $30/night.
This morning I awoke at 5am and caught the bus to Salvador which was supposed to ONLY be 8 hours. Somehow that turned into a 10 hour trip! My butt has officially molded into the shape of a bus seat. I am relieved to finally be in Salvador and need a few bus-less days before I even consider venturing out of the city for a day trip.
Moral of the story: don't get too cute. If you're traveling alone in a "dangerous" country where you don't speak the language - stick to the main routes even if an alternative one sounds interesting.
posted by Jason at
4:08 PM
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