The wonderfully vibrant city of Salvador

After dropping Sheri off at the airport in Rio, I started the long trek to Salvador. On the way, I spent a couple nights at truck stops before arriving at the seaside town of Itacari. Next day I drove to the Marau Peninsula, but it was raining hard and I could not find a decent campsite, so I headed back to the nice camping spot that I found near Itacari. Next day I drove the final stretch to Salvador, including the ferry across the Bay of All Saints.

I found a nice campground on the outskirts of Salvador in the neighborhood of Itapua called Overlander Park. It was owned and run by Marcus, a very friendly and helpful guy. While there I also met a nice family from Argentina. They invited me to dinner. Afterwards the younger couple and I went to a neighborhood pub and listened to some great music.

Salvador is one of the oldest cities in the Americas. It was first visited by the Portugese in 1501, and became the capital of the Portugese colony in 1549. It was the major economic center of Brazil, serving as a major port for the slave trade and sugar industry. In 1763, as Brazil modernized and coffee became more important, the capital shifted west to Rio de Janeiro. It is estimated that a third of all African slaves to the western hemisphere passed through Salvador. It is said that whereas all roads led to Rome, for African slaves, all ships led to Salvador. In 1835 the largest slave revolt in Brazil took place in Bahia, leading to the idea of the abolition of slavery which finally occurred in 1888. Today Salvador is a fascinating mix of African, European and Indigenous traditions. To me, Salvador is the closest thing to Africa that I have experienced in the western hemisphere (culturally as well as distance-wise). Driving through some small towns in Bahia with their large Afro-Brazilian populations and higher levels of poverty, it felt like driving in Africa.

On the first day in Salvador I hired a guide who was recommended by Marcus. It was full day tour of the major historical and cultural sites of central Salvador. Our first stop on the tour was the Casa de Yemanjá, which was a nice introduction to Afro-Brazilian culture. Yemanjá is the major water spirit of the Yoruba religion, and is worshipped by those of the Candomblé religion in Brazil. Candomblé is a mix of West African and Roman Catholic religions that arose in Brazil. It is a major part of the culture in Salvador.

The next stop was the São Diogo Fort overlooking the Porto da Barra Beach at the lighthouse at the entrance to the Bay of All Saints. The Porto da Barra Beach is known as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world (voted third best in the world by the Guardian) and a popular place to watch the sunset. We then headed to the historical city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its colonial architecture and many monuments dating to the 17th to early 20th centuries. The city center developed in two parts, a lower section next to the bay which was where the docks and markets were, and an upper section which was the commercial and wealthier residential area. In 1873, the Lacerda Elevator was built to connect the two sections. It was modernized in 1930 into a beautiful Art Deco style. At the base of the elevator is the Mercado Modelo, a nice market with lots of stalls with art and souvenirs.

One of the best known sites in the historic center is the triangular-shaped plaza, the Pelourinho. Pelourinho is Portugese for pillory, and the plaza is where slaves were whipped in public for whatever transgressions they might have committed. After a major preservation effort, it is now a tourist site with music, museums, shops, and churches (but the name remains to remember its brutal past). There are some beautiful churches in the center including the Cathedral of Salvador and the Church and Convent of San Francisco. We had a nice lunch break where I had the traditional fish stew called moqueca. After lunch, we headed to a neighborhood north of the city center to visit a beautiful church, the Basilica do Senhor do Bonfirm.

The next day I returned and wandered around the historic center, relaxing, revisiting some of the sights, going to the Museum of Afro-Brazilian Culture, and doing a little shopping for some souvenirs. At the Mercado Modelo I bought a charm bracelet known as a penca de balanganda. The bracelet was worn by enslaved and freed Afro-Brazilian women, and represented protection, wealth, and cultural identity. I also bought a painting by Carlos Kahan at an art gallery. His work could be seen in murals around the historic city center. Salvador had many nice murals scattered around the city.

One of my objectives of visiting Brazil was to experience live music. I certainly got my wish. Before visiting Salvador, Sheri and I went to the Blues and Jazz fest in Paraty. We got to experience some great jazz and samba at the neighborhood pub in Rio. In Salvador, I enjoyed an evening of incredible singing and bossa nova at another neighborhood pub, and got to experience a different, more energetic type of samba at a small club in the city center.