Kika

Well, I was there for work, but my hotel was near the beach so I could take a walk there in the end of the afternoons.
The beach avenue is great, wonderful, with so many things to do. My favorite place there was the “50 Sabores” icecream store. There you can find so many different ice cream flavours (50, to be exact). You can ask to try as many as you want before you actually buy your own. I was always curious about the local fruits and the strange combinations (such as açai and tapioca – called “paraense”).
Another place in the beach avenue is a market. I bought there some gifts (nuts and candies) to my mother and my boss (he asked to me 2 kilos of cashuws nuts from there).
The best views I could see from there was of the docks with its many wind usines. Well, the wind there is incredible stronge and necessary (for the really hot weather).
Well, I can wait the company send me again there next month and I can go with more time to take a lot of walk, try some local foods and spend a little more time at the beach after the work time.

... until the end of this afternoon. It is my third trip for work in one month, but the first one to a city I’ve never been before. I arrived yesterday, 2 hours before my colleague, so I could use this time to do something else than work. I took a cab to the center of the city, walked though some streets, saw some sightseeings, bought a icecream and sat at the square and watched the local people talking about cocoas and the weather… Incredible how Jorge Amado’s references are present everywhere. And, sure, you must spend your money with the great chocolates they have here. There are Chocolate Caseiro de Ilhéus stores everywhere (including at airport).
Must be a great city to spend the weekend, but there’s nothing much to do but the beaches. The historical places can be visited in just a couple hours. There’s some restaurants near the airport and the famous Bar Vesúvio in the center.

my favorite place in the bahia’s north coast. a beautiful beach, with colored fishes touching your legs under the water. a funny village, with shops and restaurants. and, especially, the turtles of projeto tamar. don’t lose them!