The great All Saints Bay, Baia de Todos os Santos, which has an area of 1,100 square kilometers and contains 38 tropical islands, binds Salvador on the South… First, stop at Ilha dos Frades [Monks Island] about 90 minutes from Salvador…Next, travel to the island of Itaparica… (p. 89)
We headed out and arrived at Ilha dos Frades [Monks Island] around 11am. Our boat docked at the small pier and we walked to a small building that was an entrance to the island. The sky was overcast as we walked onto a strip of beach that was lined by a row of small bars and restaurants. In the distance across the water we could see rain clouds emptying above Itaparica Island. On the beach there were a bunch of local men/ boys playing soccer. In the water were small fishing boats. The island was pretty much empty except for us and some of its 150 inhabitants.
I decided to take advantage of the beach and went in the water for about a half hour. After I got out I then walked down the beach to explore a little cove where a bunch of people were finding glass that had been smoothed out by the ocean. As I walked back I saw a contingent of European tourists coming down the pier towards the beach. There were so many of them and they were loud, annoying, and took over everything (It gave me a better perspective on how were probably perceived in many places). More boatloads of tourists came and the men who had been playing soccer on the beach stopped that immediately to perform Capoeira to try and pick up some money. Vendors then came out of the woodworks selling different things. To get away from this I walked with Josh and Katrina up a small hill overlooking the beach to an abandoned church. There was not really all that much up there but there was a beautiful view.
At 12:30pm we left the island and headed on the 40 minute journey to Itaparica Island. When we arrived the sun had finally broken through and we made our way to a restaurant on the pier for lunch. Itaparica was more developed with more modern buildings and roads and cars. After lunch we walked down to an area that had a couple of building that had been built in the 1800’s and some had been used as slave quarters. We walked around this area for a while and noticed that the whole island was pretty much quiet and no one was around except for some shop owners. We then walked back to the pier and guide brought anyone who wanted to go to a fountain, Fonte da Bica. There were three spouts, the first representing health, the second money, and the last love. If you took the water from these spouts and rubbed it on your body then it was supposed to bring you these. On the way out I met an old lady who was selling watercolor paintings. She told me she was Uruguay and asked if I spoke Spanish. After I amazed her with my six years of Espanol (sarcasm) she seemed happy that I had made an attempt to communicate with her in her native tongue. I ended up buying a painting because I felt bad that no one was around.
I hurried back to the boat as it was getting ready to leave. The two hour trip back was pretty uneventful except that the water became a little rockier with the setting sun.
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