The main house

The main house is not large, only two bedrooms and two shower rooms with a simple kitchen and lounge. However, it is the surrounding verandas which give the house the tropical feel. Eating "al fresco", is of course expected, so a large marble table is on one veranda, whilst the other side accommodates such necessities as hammocks and wicker furniture. A third veranda houses the barbecue, which is ideal as it leads up to the swimming pool.

If it's sophisticated living you're after, you won't find it locally. Although only 10 minutes by car away from the nearest town, or half hour if you fancy enduring the pot-holed roads to a larger town, don't expect posh coffee shops or European restaurants. The nearest you will get is a small cup of very strong, very sweet coffee, and good wholesome, cheap Brazilian food. Best to eat at lunch time as "Comida a Peso" (food by the weight) is a bargain, large selection of freshly cooked, local meats, fish, potatoes, rice, salad and vegetables which you pile onto your plate and have weighed in for the price. Designer style akin to a school canteen, but excellent food and value for money. However, what you've exchanged for sophistication is a culture quite unlike any other, horse and cart are still regularly used, as is the means of transport by horseback.

For a real "local" or "cowboy" experience a trip to Feira de Santana is a must on a Monday when the cattle market is held. Although I have not been there myself yet, I am told it is a real festoon of leather and cowboys.

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