Candomble... the ceremony that ends with a big fucking donut.

I went to a candomble ritual today with Sinead and a bunch of others from the hostel. Candomble is an african-based polytheistic religion where the gods are called orixas. Practitioners often are dressed all in white. This particular group was from the yoruba nation, originally from Nigeria. We had a guide who picked us up, drove us there and back, and gave us whatever explanation we needed, for $20.

There was lots of drumming, a lot of old women dressed in big white lace dresses, further wrapped in colorful cloth. The cloth is wrapped tight to hold in the spirits. They walked in and out of the house backwards. They danced with their eyes closed. There was random screaming. Singing. Hugging. The drumming was less energetic than it was trans-like... repetitive beats, accompanied by singing in yoruba. This went on for about an hour and a half, and then they passed out plates of food if you wanted to eat (I had a rather bad meat pastry already outside the house of worship.) Then there was a clothes change, followed by more of the same. Except they were danced dressed as certain orixas that they have "received." The initiated members have all "received" a particular deity, and dress in that fashion. That's about all I picked up from this journey... there was so much going on that I didn't understand, but it was very interesting. Odd. Good. But long, and I had to stand which I hate.

They had some fine looking Brazilian desserts, which are only sold in gargantuan proportions. I ask the lady for a Sonho (donut) filled with Doce de Leite (Dulce de leche). This donut was, no exaggeration, 2 pounds. Dense and doughy, rolled in cinnamon sugar. $1.

The candomble was fine, but it was a glorious donut.