Expert: Sandra - 11/10/2011

Question
Hi Sandra:

I'd like to move to Salvador(Bahia) for an extended period of time (~1 yr). Any advice/feedback you have would be greatly appreciated:

(1) What is the best way to go about finding a place to live? What is the average price I can expect to pay for 1 person living in a safe area?

(2)What advice do you have for someone traveling alone?

(3)What advice do you have in terms of getting adjusted and making the most of my experience in Bahia (and Brazil--any "must see" travel destination recommendations would be greatly appreciated)

(4) What paperwork (aside from a Visa) should I obtain prior to travel?

(5) Did you study capoeira or gracie jujitsu while there? How open do you think the local teachers would be to having a foreign understudy? (Any recommendations?)

(6) How reliable and safe is public transportation?

(7) Any specific areas to be wary of or proverbial rules of thumb to keep in mind while living there? Conversely, any specific areas you'd highly recommend?

(8) What are key aspects of preparation (to include things to bring) that most people overlook?

(9) How easy would it be to obtain a job teaching English once I'm settled?

Thanks again for all of your help.

Answer
Lots of info...Post again if you need anything else.

I'd like to move to Salvador(Bahia) for an extended period of time (~1 yr). Any advice/feedback you have would be greatly appreciated:
Well, you can’t stay there legally on a tourist visa for a year. A visa for a U.S. passport holder is likely to be for 90 days with a possible extension of another 90 days at the Policia Federal. That’s 6 months. Then you’d be illegal and subject to a daily fine (up to a max).
Brazil is very expensive these days, so bring enough money to get you through.

(1) What is the best way to go about finding a place to live? What is the average price I can expect to pay for 1 person living in a safe area?
You can look at the local newspaper A Tarde. There is an online version. You can also contact one of the 2 real estate agents listed on www.bahia-online.net or those at www.pp-bahia.com who have an office in Barra. The tourist neighborhoods of Pelourinho and Barra have the most infrastructure, the most furnished short term (normal lease is 30 months) apartments for rent. Price should be about R$1200/month except at Carnaval (when the price goes waaaaay up). Once you get acclimated, you might be able to find a room to rent that’s cheaper )R$500-600), but since most students live at home, there isn’t as much house/apt. sharing as in a U.S. city. To start, you might consider one of the dozens of hostels.

(2)What advice do you have for someone traveling alone?
Don’t wander places you shouldn’t be.
Sometimes places that look OK aren’t, and places that look rundown are perfectly OK.
Use the opportunity of being solo to meet locals (and don’t hang with gringos out of loneliness).

(3)What advice do you have in terms of getting adjusted and making the most of my experience in Bahia (and Brazil--any "must see" travel destination recommendations would be greatly appreciated)
The best and most important advice is to learn Portuguese before you arrive. Not speaking relatively fluent Portuguese is going to make everything more difficult and keep you separated from the locals.
I’d go inland to Cachoeira/Sao Felix and Santo Amaro, up the coast to Mangue Seco, to the beach at Guarajuba and at Jacuipe, over to Itaparica island (try Ponta de Areaia, a little rural beach) or one of the other islands, to Morro do Sao Paulo by the slower ferry/bus/slow boat route with time to explore Valenca for a couple of hours, to Rio Vermelho at night, to Itapua, at night and to the farol beach there, to the beach at Porto da Barra (see my friend Paulista at the bottom of the double stairs, the guy with the graying dreads and the huge smile, to rent your chair—he’ll take great care of you and become a friend).
Once you get a bit more comfortable, start exploring some of the music venues where locals go. Plan to stay on the side of the road until dawn when the buses start to run again if you need to. There are always food/drink stands set up. The blood of Salvador is the music.

(4) What paperwork (aside from a Visa) should I obtain prior to travel?
Maybe an international drivers license, if you ever plan to travel by rented car.
Maybe some ESL textbooks, if you want to teach. Most schools have their own material though.

(5) Did you study capoeira or gracie jujitsu while there? How open do you think the local teachers would be to having a foreign understudy? (Any recommendations?)
I live in Salvador.
The local teachers are always flooded with gringo students. Nothing new for them. For capoeira, decide whether you want to study Angola or Regional style. Bimba in Pelourinho is popular with gringos. Joao Pequeno in the forte in Santo Antonio is popular for Angola. But there are dozens of teachers/schools. (My bjj friend is in Rio. Don’t know the community here in Salvador.)

(6) How reliable and safe is public transportation?
The buses are good. Some stop at 11 pm though, and then you’ have to use taxis. And few people can tell you which bus to take to get anywhere off the beaten path —oh, they’ll tell you, trying to be helpful,  but they’ll be wrong. Learn to bargain for flat rates with taxi drivers.

(7) Any specific areas to be wary of or proverbial rules of thumb to keep in mind while living there? Conversely, any specific areas you'd highly recommend?
You’ll have to learn which neighborhoods, or parts of neighborhoods, are dangerous. Don’t walk anywhere deserted, even if you think it looks OK. But get out and explore the neighborhoods. Each has its own character.
Don't take anything you can't afford to lose, and don't walk around with anything of value,even tucked away.

(8) What are key aspects of preparation (to include things to bring) that most people overlook?
Learn Portuguese before arriving.
Again, if you plan to teach, and don’t have considerable background, take a course.
Bring enough money to survive on for the whole time you plan to be there.

(9) How easy would it be to obtain a job teaching English once I'm settled?
You can’t work legally on a tourist visa, or even volunteer. That said, some school would probably employ you under the table. Just don’t expect them to pay more than your beer money. Private students are where the better money is, but that takes time, for them to find you. And just because you speak English as a first language, don’t assume you know how to teach it. There really is some skill to it. If you’re serious, take a course. At least that’ll give you a notion.