this is only part one and is 8min53sec. i’ll share what happened after we arrived on the island.
for the full 21min ad-free version, visit faafo.cc.
what if some of the most memorable travel experiences are the ones you never planned? recently, i took a day trip with leo, (i often hire him as my personal assistant — on this i hired him as my travel buddy — since he speaks portuguese — and i don’t — and still don’t — yes, after almost 2 years!).
leo also helps expats navigate their visas. leo was born in bahia but attended morehouse college in atlanta. our destination was a quilombo in salvador.
this is part one of a story about what i call non-curated experiences. the kind of experiences that aren’t packaged, scripted, or designed around a tourist itinerary. there’s also some practical magic involved, but you’ll have to listen. and this conversation isn’t exclusively about traveling. toward the end, i also touch on retainers and other subjects that may interest people exploring different ways to work and live.
a little history: what are quilombos?
quilombos have roots in communities formed by Africans resisting enslavement in brazil. today, quilombo communities preserve distinct histories, cultural traditions, and ancestral relationships with their land. for americans, the closest comparison i can offer is indigenous reservations. similarities: cultural preservation, collective identity, ancestral land rights, and ongoing struggles over territory. differences: quilombo communities have an afro-brazilian history and a different legal framework. federally recognized indigenous tribes in the united states have sovereign governmental status.
dandara does palmares
there’s also a history worth exploring through dandara dos palmares, remembered as a warrior who resisted enslavement, although parts of her story remain historically disputed.
aqualtune (is another important name associated with palmares).
“…a Kongo princess who was the daughter of an unidentified Manikongo. According to the tradition, she was the mother of Ganga Zumba and the maternal grandmother of Zumbi.[1]
In 1665, Aqualtune led a force of ten thousand Kongo men and women in the Battle of Mbwila, where King Antonio I was killed and she was captured in defeat.[1][2] She was then transported to the Port of Recife, a warehouse and sugar mill. She was purchased as a breeding slave, and was later sold to a mill in Porto Calvo, already pregnant.[3] She then escaped her enslavement, reaching the Palmares quilombo. She then became the leader of the Subupuira quilombo, which was northeast of the capital of the Palmares. She had two sons, Ganga Zumba and Gana Zona, who both took on leadership roles in the Palmares. Zumbi was the child of her daughter Sabina. Her fate and later life is unknown, dying a mysterious death in 1675.” via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aqualtune
and we can’t ignore mãe bernadete pacífico, a quilombola leader murdered in bahia in august 2023 while defending her community’s rights.
2026 update: “Mother Bernadete: Jury sentences fourth defendant to 23 years in prison.”
i’ll also come back another day and share something from my childhood. when i lived in arizona, my mother was attending college and took me to the four corners region. it was my first experience visiting what i considered a real indigenous reservation, including seeing the cliff dwellings. what i experienced was nothing like the reservations we knew around metropolitan phoenix. that experience changed my life forever. my family has always traveled, taking road trips through national parks and places far beyond the usual tourist routes. those experiences helped shape how i see the world today. it’s also why i find it interesting when people insist you must leave the united states to discover something extraordinary. many americans know surprisingly little about their own country. i’ve written about some of my broader views in i don’t believe in borders.
you can also find this video preview on my social channels and listen to brasil: behind closed doors through my podcast page.
and if you’re looking for experiences off the popular tourist path, whether in the united states or abroad, i have plenty more stories and ideas to share. i made my first international trip alone, moved to brazil, and nearly two years later, i’m thriving. if you’re wondering how to travel safely alone, rethink your options, or find reliable referrals, you can ask me here. consultations and personalized referrals are paid services. you can learn more at get free! get free!
courtney crosslin • sisi in brasil