“So, turns out that arriving in Salvador on a Sunday evening may not be that easy. I checked on Google Maps, and most supermarkets and restaurants close early, even the mall closes at 8 p.m.”
“Ah, I see. Just… just rough it?”
“I’m backpacking alone in Brazil, I’m currently fighting cockroaches in Aaracaju and I’m taking the bus to Salvador tomorrow. What level of ‘roughing’ are we talking about, exactly?”
Feng laughed and so did it. Yeah, that’s life on the road, constantly adapting and coming up with plans A, B, C—hell, sometimes even a plan Z is required.
I clearly remember booking the Salvador Airbnb in our questionable Copacabana Airbnb. “Should be okay to travel to Salvador on a Sunday?” I asked Feng before clicking on “payment.”
“Salvador? Oh yeah.”
Not that I blame him. Salvador is a big city, I thought supermarkets would close around 10 p.m., even on Sunday.
Well, apparently not.
My bus is at 11:50 a.m. and it’s supposed to arrive at 4:50 p.m.—“supposed to” because it’s coming from Maceió and traffic isn’t an exact science. Assuming I’m arriving at 5 p.m., it might take another… half-an hour maybe from the bus terminal to the Airbnb.
Okay, I need to find a supermarket still open at 7 p.m.
Or something, whatever.
Shit, it’s going to be a long evening again.
Arriving in a new place is probably the most exhausting part of travelling alone. There’s no one to share the chores with, no one to help out. No matter how tired I am, I have to unpack, take a shower, find or cook something to eat, figure out check-in details and appliances, and find my way around an unfamiliar city and neighbourhood.
But I’m not going to just say “oh, fuck it” and start a new life in Aracaju.
I’m going to Salvador.
In fact, this is going to be the last bus ride and the last city for this trip, but I’m planning to stay there for a few weeks. I never really had the chance to explore Salvador properly and the last time I was there, the city was on mute—remember the pandemic?
I can do it.
Can I?
As usual, I’m scared, packing takes forever, it seems that the laundry will never be dry and will I find a taxi or a ride in the morning?
I did find a 99 ride easily.
The bus was on time.
The ride was less comfortable than I thought it would be, but that’s mostly because the bus was full, and I was sitting next to a three-meter-tall guy, so I had no room. Whatever, I slept anyway.
I arrived in Salvador at 5 p.m., opened the door of the Airbnb apartment at 5:45 p.m., rushed to the mall to get some comida por kilo then stopped by the supermarket next door to buy Coke Zero, water, and other essentials.
Yes, it was tiring.
But I made it.
Travelling is a mix of luck, late-night freakout, and planning!
