first things first...

I need to buy my ticket for the camarote for Saturday night.  it's easy enough to buy the ticket, just a short walk to the local shopping centre.  the harder thing is to collect the abada.

the school has already provided the necessary t-shirt for the blocco on Friday so now the priority is Saturday.

we head to the big shopping mall out of town and join the longest queue I have seen in a long time.  it snakes around reminding me of a theme park, the only things missing are the "45 min waiting time from here" signs and a water flume...

we end up in what looks like a disused car park, all very well organised, where we can collect our abadas.  I pull my ticket from its safe place in my bra and when I collect the t-shirt, stash it straight into my bag.  we have been told that it is common for these t-shirts to be stolen from you as soon as you leave the mall.  even from your back on your way to the camarote.  and after spending $R200 there's no way that's going to happen.

we pile into the first cab we see, desperate to avoid any robbery, sadly though it is a Fiat uno.  the five of us squeeze in, not prepared to wait for the next and risk our yellow vests.  anything to protect our hidden treasure.  shame that the journey is twenty minutes, plus traffic going back into Salvador, probably half an hour, and that the uno doesn't have air con and that my leg is slowly going to sleep...

anyway, we've made it, and it seems like it will all be worth it.  we are set and ready for carnival.