Praia do Forte in Bahia, Brazil, July 2021

We decided to get out of the big city during the kid‘s school vacation and take a flight from Rio to Salvador de Bahia. It is the twin‘s first flight ever! Their father Vitor, Guggi and me are actually more excited about it then themselves.

Already on arrival, we experience the very slow-motion rythmn of life in Bahia, the north-eastern part of Brazil, causing problems and delays. Everything takes ages or it does not actually happen at all. Nothing works by itself unless you ask for it several times in all kinds of variations. And you never know what way works out. Luckily, we decide to be totally relaxed about it in our holiday mood. We drive up north late at night to a small village close to the beach with our rental car, escaping Salvador, which is one of the most dangerous cities in Brazil.

The raining season is supposed to be over but we are able to get wet almost every day. At night, in the morning or in the afternoon at the beach. Neither is this bothering us too much, despite the chilly wind accompaning the rainfall. Beaches are empty, so wild and beautiful to run around at low tide with the kids. We build sand castles with them, search for little fish between the uncovered rocky shore bits and drink freshly served coconut water by the few little set up huts built out of palm leaves.

One day, Vitor and Guggi decide to rent surf boards to catch some waves, although conditions are not the best due to heavy onshore winds. Their adventure does not last very long as they clash together after their first wave and cause an accident on Vitor‘s mouth. His outer lip has been opened heavily with three cuts by Guggi‘s fins. They quickly drive off to the hospital and get him sewed up with twenty stitches, meanwhile I stay with the kids by the beach, not letting them see or hear what happened. After a couple of hours and some rainfall, they come back. Sun comes out, we get rid of our shirts and go on running around the beach up and down with the kids, as if nothing had happened. Vitor is a strong and very self controlled person who does not make a big fuzz about it.

As we all had started our vacation leaving behind some very busy weeks of work and delicate duties to be resolved, there was nothing to keep us away from having a wonderful harmonious and very relaxed week of family time together. In the contrary, we realized how nothing could bother us or spoil the good mood. We notice how kids enjoy our wonderful time together and seem so happy and easy.

Pure Happiness.