Brasil 2014- Running in Barra & Itapua Beach

The Sunday I spent in Salvador started off going to church. What I love about going to church internationally is that it is pretty much exactly the same. 1.) You have kids running around (although the girl in the middle in purple couldn't stop staring at my mom and I, I couldn't help but wonder if it is because we were the only white women there). 2.) You have missionaries from all over the world. Dad send this picture in an email to all of the Elder's mothers. 3.) The lesson in Relief Society was on being better visiting teachers, guess the Brasilian Mormons have a hard time getting 100% visiting teaching too. I now know the Relief Society theme in Portuguse- A Caridade Nunca Falha, Charity Never Faileth. 4.) I'm just as single there as I am here, they insisted I attend the singles Sunday School class. Okay, so it wasn't so bad. 

In all seriousness, I felt the Spirit just as strongly and in the same manner there as I do here in the United States. 

and like true tourists, we put our swimsuits on after church and went to Itapoa Beach.

 What is so special about this beach? Well it does have a song named after it. AND we have a running family joke about how contrary to popular belief, it is not located in Rio, it is indeed a beach in Salvador, Bahia.

"É bom... passar uma tarde em Itapoã
ao sol que arde em Itapoã
ouvindo o mar de Itapoã
falar de amor em Itapoã."

And dad and I got to passar uma tarde em Itapoa junto, spend the afternoon in Itapoa together.

Another beautiful thing about the beach is the roasted cheese.

The guy roasts it right in front of you and then it is PURE HEAVEN! 

 

I also tried some acaraje.

Not my favorite, but to it's credit, I didn't have it the traditional way.

 Then of course you have to do a little yoga on the beach.

Mom stayed in the shade and took a selfie.

As if we didn't seen enough nakedness at the beach (ok, so not total naked, but those bikinis sure are skimpy!) I had to take a picture of these statues.  They are to show that Bahiana women are beautiful.

 Random shot, not taken for my mom here (although she is cute)...this is to show the forearm crutch that I saw all over Brasil. I rarely saw a single point cane. Guess I am a therapist at heart! 

 And every morning I ran. How could I not with these views? 

 And a little more reading in the hammock...