Although the food, music, and beaches in Bahia are great, the people are the best resource. They are so isolated from the real world that they seem to live in this “don’t worry, be happy” environment. It’s a very multiracial society, and for the most part, they all get along. From the sugarcane cutters and the street performers to the engineers, everyone gave off this positive energy and high-fived each other along. That’s something you don’t see in too many parts of the world anymore.

When I was at Carnival in Bahia last year, one of my cameras was stolen right off my shoulder. My initial reaction was to get angry with these two macho bodyguards who were supposed to watch out for me. But then both of them started crying. I felt so terrible for yelling at them that I apologized right after.

One year after my camera was stolen, I returned to the same area where it happened and became friends with the kingpin of the neighborhood. After his buddies saw me snapping photos with my little Leica, they asked me if I always worked with the same camera because they found one just like it. I said, “Yes, that’s nice because I happened to lose one just like it.” Before long my camera and I were reunited.