Happy New Year everyone!  I hope 2013 brings great things and much joy in the outdoors for everyone.  I have just landed in Rio De Janeiro, a city so beautiful it will make your head spin.  Already there are many adventures in the making here.  But first — over the holidays I finally had a chance to sort through some of my pictures and videos from Salvador, so I am going to post these first while I work on getting my feet on the ground here in Rio.

In Salvador, I stayed with an amazing host family – set up by my incredibly generous Californian-gone-Brazilian friend, Colin.  My little balcony overlooked a busy little square full of children playing and adults chatting at all hours of the day.  Nearly every night at the kitchen table, I played music with Colin on violin, my host brother Zinho on guitar, and me on pandeiro/raps/singing.  Perfecto!

Here I am with my host family overlooking Salvador’s beautifully restored art museum right on the water. From left to right, our friend Adriana, Colin, Mainha, Zinho, and me!

The Modern Art Museum of Salvador, with its spectacularly sculpted entry gate.