I was actually really nervous about going back for several reasons.
One was when I have travelled here I have been with Monica who speaks fluent Portuguese, so I was slightly concerned about my shameful and appalling lack of Portuguese.
Also I was leaving my safe comfortable bubble of European Brazil and heading up north which is much poorer and therefore more crime and favellas. I would be travelling alone and with out the safety net theoretically of CCS like last time. (Obviously anyone there would be there to help me if I needed it) But it was me that had to get my self to and from the airport and over to see frutos.
The main reason for my anxiousness was last time I was in Salvador, it was amazing, incredible and a life changing experience. After 5 years I was concerned I was just seeing it through rose tinted glasses or that something would happen to make me hate the place, or that it was as amazing as I remembered.
Turns out I was wrong. On all counts.
I managed to get myself all the way from Joinville to Curitiba, to Curitiba airport, to Sao Paulo, to Salvador, from the airport to the hostel, all by myself, with my baaad Portuguese, without being mugged or getting lost. Good start!
I got to my hostel - Che Lagarto about 7.30, called Jonas, my Capoeira teacher from 5 years ago and we headed into Pelourinho. It hadn’t really changed and it was really strange to be back there after all these years.
On Monday I headed over to the CCS house to see the staff that had played such a huge part in my experience last time. They had moved to a different house that was roughly in the same neighbourhood. So armed with my google map I set off several hours earlier as I knew I would get lost. I actually ended up finding the old house – or at least where it used to be. It had been knocked down and huge apartments had been built there.
I got to the house and Vini was picking up the volunteers from Placement. Vivienne was there and Lolo the cleaner. I got the biggggggest hugs off Lulu and she gave me a tour of the massive house, that can take up to 45 volunteers. The volunteers came back and I caught up with Vini and had lunch with them. Also much to my surprise I knew 2 of the volunteers!! Judy and her husband! Judy used to work in the Canada office and all of us did the Guatemala program and I travelled with them up to Quezeltanango!!
On Tuesday I decided to head to Frutos, again I was pretty nervous about going. I would not be being chauffeured around by CCS and would have to get a bus into one of the favellas. I had spoken to the guys at the hostel and their reaction when I told them where I was needed to get off the bus didn’t fill me with confidence! I ended up getting the bus to Bonfim Church and then got a taxi to Frutos.
The neighbourhood Frutos is in
I completely recognised the place and was let in by the guard. He obviously knew I was a volunteer – some white girl turning up - and he showed me to the classrooms where the CCS volunteers were. I tried to explain that I was an old volunteer and wanted say hi to Sara – who I had been in contact with. I felt like a bit of a fraud and hoped they didn’t think I was just some random walking in off the street. He then showed me to the class room with the 1 and 3 year olds. I literally walked into the classroom and within 2 seconds had a child wrapped around each leg shouting ‘Tia, Tia’. And my heart completely melted. I spent the next few hours being smothered in hugs, kissing as many kids as I could, giving hundreds of cuddles and pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t a dream. The kids here are adorable and very very stark contrast to the kids I have been teaching in the south.
After playing with the kids, it was lunch time, so I was helping feed them. I had seen the teacher who was in my class years ago, she was the cook now but I hadn’t said hello. I really didn’t think she would remember me after 5 years and goodness knows how many volunteers, I hadn’t said anything. I was feeding the kids and she walked past me and said hello, then did a double take, squealed Jossee and gave me the biggest hug ever. I was so so surprised. She completely remembered me I honestly couldn’t believe it. I felt so proud that I must have made some small difference last time for her to have remembered me.
By this time Sara had arrived back and we sort of chatted in my baaaad Portuguese. I kept saying how surprised I was to be remembered and she kept telling me what a special volunteer I was and I would always be in her heart. (I bet she says that to all the volunteers but still!)
Frutos De Maes had recently closed because of admin problems. Tia Mira set up the place as a family business to help out people, and it grew and grew. When I was there 5 years ago here were about 300 kids. As amazing as the place is Tia Mira didn’t have the business skills – that’s what it is – a business. Donations stopped coming in and Tia Mira became ill. Fortunately an Italian priest has stepped in and is providing funding for the next 2 years. After this they should be sustainable, and with new administration it is back open. There are only about 85 children there now but hopefully it will flourish again.
I am working with them to create a website for them to help attract sponsors and funding. So quick plug here. It is coming up to Christmas, so how about spending a little less this year on gifts that we really don’t need and donate to Frutos De Maes instead. I will update more later. 
The AMAZING, wonderful, hard working staff at CCS Brazil.
I headed to the CCS house again as Grace was supposed to be over from Rio. Her and Vini had just left for lunch. I got some lunch and chatted with the volunteers until they arrived. It was so good to see Grace. We went for ice cream and had a fantastic talk about Brazil, how I felt the first time round, how I felt now, what I had done since Brazil, everything, the impact of the volunteers. Grace is an amazing woman and I feel honoured to have her a as a friend. I couldn’t believe that after 5 years I was sitting there with her. Her and Vini and the rest of the staff do such a fantastic job. It is too hard to describe, unless you have done a CCS program, you just don’t understand. This program literally changed my life. I know it sounds corny but, I feel as if the program in Brazil was the catalyst for how my life turned out.
The rest of my time I spent catching up with friends, I went to the São Joaquin open market. It is a public market abut 15 minutes outside the city where all the locals shop. I somehow managed to end up in the meat part. I was hoping to avoid it as last time it was not a great experience. After a lot of gagging, flies, livers, stomachs and intestines I made it out the other side and did some shopping. I love this market as it really feels like Brazil, the smells – some good some bad, the amazing array of fruit and the fact you don’t have people hassling you like in the tourist areas. I was also super proud of myself for finding it and getting the bus there by myself again! Have a look at some of the pictures of it here.
Porta da Farol at night
So once again an amazing trip to Salvador to catch up with some inspiring and wonderful people. Hopefully it won’t be so long next time.
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