The airport in Salvador is quite lovely this time of year

Last night, Camilo from the hostel, called the airport about 6 times looking for someone who knew something about the whereabouts of my luggage. He would get one person on the phone, they would call someone else, get six more numbers... someone somewhere said that my luggage was at Salvador airport, but it was too late to go.

I went to the airport 10 am (only an hour bus trip this time!) to find that, as predicted, my luggage was NOT there. I waited a bit, and was told that my luggage was still in Sao Paulo and would be arriving at 4 pm. I decided to take a bus back to the center of town and do a little window shopping in case I needed to replace the contents of my bag...

I went to a "kilo restaurant" somewhere in the middle of town. It's a buffet that charges per 100 grams (today, about $.70). I don't really know what I was eating... some chicken, some fish, some unidentified mash of starch, dried shrimp and dende oil... about $3. Delicious, easy, and fast. Run by Chinese people.

I get back to the airport (another hour trip) and the 4:00 flight arrival becomes a 5:00 arrival (even though a woman told me that it was delayed an hour, but it wasn't.) Waiting, waiting, waiting. And some more waiting.

Israel beckons me to come inside. There is my bag! I hug him, and tell him I love him. He gets giddy and hugs me some more. Then he asks me out. All in portuguese! "Nao posso," I say, and go on my way.

I got back to the hostel about 7:00 pm... just happy to be wearing a new set of clothes in this gorgeous city.

I'm now at the hostel, sitting on a floor cushion with an American and two Englishmen talking about travel and food. Yum.