Ever in search of a new paradise, we left for a week at the Costa do Sauipe Renaissance Hotel, located north of Salvador, Brazil in the northeast of Brazil, slightly south of the equator.
We got the best connection through Chicago from Laguardia. The Laguardia to Chicago flight went fine. Then there was a computer malfunction on our Brazil flight that made the flight almost two hours late. To add to the excitement, the onboard computer that displays the map had the wrong time, showing us arriving an hour later than we actually were going to arrive, had us absolutely worried about making our connection in Sao Paulo, and thus arriving so we would have to find our hotel after dark in our rental car. As we landed the pilot gave the correct time and we breathed a sigh of relief -- we had 90 minutes to connect!
It was a two hour flight to Salvador with a reasonable lunch served. We picked up our rental car and took off. We encountered the usual missing or misleading signs, but we did get through the city traffic and onto the northbound highway. However it was challenging enough that we decided not to explore Salvador by driving back to it during the week. The countryside quickly became unpopulated and beautiful, with white sand dunes going far inland with lots of small lazy rivers flowing into the sea.
The resort is in a complex that reminded us of Hilton Head in the early days: a few houses, a tennis center, a golf center, a half dozen hotels, a shopping and entertainment plaza and a common beach with a lagoon buffer. Very nice tennis courts that we used.
We checked in without problems or language issues and were give a room with a great view of the sea and pool.
As we walked around it hit us that most of the guests were vacationing Brazilians, and the help also Brazilian and not speaking English. Lots of kids and a very successful kids program that kept them all day and occasionally had them marching around the resort chanting or singing like marines. There were numerous baby sitters wearing T-shirts saying 'baby siter' on the back, they were mostly pushing baby carriages. Every woman wore a bikini, including many pregnant women.
Meals were delicious and distinctively Brazilian. Lots of seafood, tropical fruits, meats with great seasoning. Fried coconut balls, bananas and tapiocas porridge and tapioca coconut coffee cake were some of the features for breakfast. Also terrific toppings for waffles such as dulce de leche and caramel.
There was a group population that kept coming through from the US and Brazil at different times. Each got a beautifully decorated out door banquet and a big show.
The staff was very friendly and wanted to talk about the US and Brazil and the election. The music and activity at the pool was beautiful and energetic.
The beach had relatively restrained vendors selling local crafts ranging from clothing to jewelry to hammocks. We were enthused enough to request a hammock for our balcony, which was really relaxing!
We did go exploring one afternoon with our car and noted that there are relatively isolated towns or villages nearby Mostly brick buildings, always electricity, sometimes streets not paved. Simple beauty and seemingly lots of people without work. Usually a town square where people hang out.
It was also a great place to watch the election, being two hours later than NY. So we watched CNN until 12:30 (10:30 NY) with no conclusion. So we went to sleep and got up at 7:30 (5:30 NY) to hear the bottom line on Ohio, Iowa and New Mexico before CNN closed down the all night special.
The trip home was fine. Another time fakeout. Sao Paulo had changed to summer time but Salvador had not, so Salvador to the East was earlier than Sao Paulo.
Arrived home with no problem.
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