Rio de Janeiro was a great introduction to the country, and very 'Brazilian' with it's sand, sun, soccer, and sexiness, but it wasn't until we arrived in the northeast state of Bahia that we found everything that we had imagined Brazil to be.

Bahia welcomed us with strong African and Indian influences which we immediately saw in the traditional white baiana dresses and colorful head scarves of the black women selling spicy palm oil fried seafood snacks at the airport. Instead of taking the 24-hour bus ride, we opted to fly to Salvador, the oldest city in Brazil and Bahia's largest. Though most tourists stay in the historical center of town, our priority was being near the beach, and when we got to the relaxed beach area of Porto do Barra, we knew we had made the right choice. Porto do Barra is a laid-back area with local restaurants, cafes and affordable accommodation, and we stayed right across from the beach in a 125 year-old house that had been beautifully converted into Village Novo guesthouse. Bordered on either side by two old Portuguese forts, the small beach was a hive of local activity. Muscular black men with afros or shaved heads practiced the spin kicks, back flips and rhythmic moves of capoeira, while others sat in the sand playing drums and singing reggae tunes. We swam all day in the warm, calm water, and at dusk, we would walk around the point to drink capirinha cocktails at the beach huts near the lighthouse. Luckily for us, we arrived on a Tuesday, which meant that we got to attend the huge weekly street party in the historical (and now touristy) district of Pelourinho. And what a party it was! The cobblestone streets were packed with partying locals, dancing to the bands playing Brazilian music on makeshift stages, and eating and drinking from the stalls set up in the colonial square. We danced to the beats of a roaming drum band and watched the Brazilians do professional couples dancing at a dance hall.

The next tropical stop was an island that we'd heard a lot about from other travelers, and after two boat rides and a scenic bus ride, we were at Morro de Sao Paulo on the rural island of Tinhare. There are no roads or transport on the island, only wheelbarrows serving as 'taxis' for your luggage. We walked everywhere barefoot, as it's mostly all sand, and made our way around the four connected beaches of Morro de Sao Paulo. We watched surfers from first beach, took a long morning walk on huge fourth beach, stayed at two awesome places on third beach, and swam, sunned and partied on second beach. Every night, the drink stands would be set up with alcohol, a blender and piles of tropical fruits to make our cocktails, and it was easy to get to know the locals in such a small town. They BBQ'd for us one night and the Brazilian guys were eager to show us foreign girls how to dance forro style. The accommodation in Morro was incredibly affordable and nice, as we found out at Coqueiro do Caita pousada (guesthouse) and Morro Praia Hotel, where we laid in hammocks hanging in front of our rooms. We got addicted to the meat, seafood and cheese filled pastries called pastels, the bowls of puree purple acai fruit topped with granola, and the Bahian staple of black beans and rice. Unfortunately, it rained a bit much while we were there, but they were warm tropical rains, so we still walked around in it in our swimsuits, even taking a long barefoot wander through the mossy jungle up to the lighthouse. In the end, it was hard to leave Bahia, but the storms helped nudge us back to Rio one last time.

Our last two days in Brazil, we spent back in Rio, this time in the suburb of Urca, where we had a perfect view of the Christ overlooking the harbour. We ran errands downtown, which was a lively and exciting part of the city, and laid on Copacabana and Ipanema beaches as much as possible. Ipanema Beach, famous from the song 'Girl from Ipanema', is backed by a much ritzier area, but on the sand, it was Rio beach life as usual. Though that day there was even a bit more action than usual, as the waves were pounding and the crew from 'Jackass' were filming their silly antics.

In three short weeks, we didn't get to know Brazil as much as we would like to, but we surely got enough of a taste of it to know that we love the country. With thousands more beaches to explore and the largest rainforest in the world, we'll surely have to go back to Brazil for more.

Traveler Tips:
**Flights in Brazil can be bought cheap on the internet with GOL. For example, a two-hour flight between Rio and Salvador only costs about $25 more than the 24-hour long bus. Definitely worth it!

** Want to know when the surf is going to be like the photo of Copacabana on the right? Visit www.clicksurf.com.br for surf reports and more. (only in Portuguese: Visit the page translation website found on the TRAVEL TIPS page.

**The seas between Salvador and Itaparica island (on the way to Morro de Sao Paulo, Tinhare) are extremely rough and puke bags are even provided for all passengers. So if you don't think you can handle the tumultuous ride, look into flying over to Tinhare instead.

**Salvador (between Barra and the airport) and Morro de Sao Paulo (first beach) do have surf, but rental facilities are not so widespread, so bring your board if you're looking to catch waves.

**If you need to receive mail or a package while traveling, have it sent POSTE RESTANTE to the central post office in a major city that you'll be traveling through. The post office will hold it for you until you arrive with your passport to collect the mail free of charge.

**In Rio, look for Nomad Guide booklet or online for great information about the whole city. Includes invaluable taxi and bus charts with routes and prices.