From Salvador to Olinda

Brazil 2006 -from Salvador to Olinda- Departure on 18 November and return on 4 December 2006

…after various ups and downs (see the Varig bankruptcy) the day of departure for this distant and immense country has arrived!!!! This time there are only two of us, me, Giancarla, and Marinella.

18/11/06 - departure on an Iberia flight from Venice at 08.00, arrival in Madrid at 10.30 and then a connection to Rio at 12.05, where we will arrive at 19.40 (local time), and then take the TAM flight to Salvador, where we will find the taxi that takes us to the hotel booked online. The Hotel Solar dos Romanos is on Rua Alfredo Brito – Pelourinho – that is, the heart of Salvador. We are very tired and after a very quick shower it's off to sleep… Brazil is waiting for us.

19/11/06 - first day discovering Brazil, or at least part of it… Salvador Bahia, that is, the African soul of Brazil; in fact in this region we have a large percentage of black inhabitants descended from the African slaves brought over by the Portuguese colonisers. Our hotel is on Rua Alfredo Brito, in the heart of the Pelourinho, so after a good breakfast we set off armed with cameras and a great desire to explore; we reach the Terreiro de Jesus, where in the centre there is a fountain and on the two sides the Catedral Basilica and the Igreja Sao Pedro dos Cérigos, with brightly coloured buildings all around; we carry on towards the Cruzeiro de Sao Francisco, named after the cross in the centre of the square, where we visit the Igreja and the Convento de Sao Francisco, in Baroque style.

In Salvador too, as in other countries colonised by the Portuguese or Spanish, the number of churches is astounding… they say Salvador has 365 churches: one for every day of the year!!! It is really hot and there is also a lot of humidity, so we decide to cool down for a moment and stop at a bar in the Terreiro de Jesus to drink a good coffee and a fruit juice… ok, now we can set off again. We continue towards Praca di Sé with its L shape and many women dressed as "bahiane" who, of course, ask for money to be photographed (as much as 5 euros!!!!). We carry on and reach the famous Elevador Lacerda, which links the Cidade Alta with the Cidade Baixa, and we enjoy a lovely view over the bay.

When there are things to see, time flies; we go back to the Terreiro de Jesus and stop at the Cantina da Lua, where we taste the acarajè, that is, fritters made with black beans and dried prawns fried in dendê oil… not bad but a bit heavy…. oh well.. a good cerveja and off again! While wandering around, of course, we don't forget to visit the myriad of little souvenir shops, already thinking about what to buy…. We go into a travel agency (C & C turismo - Embratur) and see what the options are for visiting the places around Salvador. We decide to go for the excursions to the Baia de Todos os Santos, Praia do Forte, Cachoeira-Santo Amaro and Sao Felix, all for R$ 250 (about 94). Good, we're set for the next three days.

Now it really is time to go back to the hotel, and after a nice shower (it's really hot!!!) we get ready for our first Brazilian dinner; after wandering a bit we stop at the Encontros dos Artistas and taste the famous fish "moqueca"… I'd say really good! It has a rather particular flavour which, I'll understand over the following days, comes from the manioc flour that Brazilians use just about everywhere. I must say that as a first day it was quite full; we decide to go to bed even though in Salvador in the evening there is always some party, religious or pagan: any excuse is good for having fun with music!

20/11/06 Today an excursion to the Baia de Todos os Santos: departure at 8.30 from the hotel and transfer to the maritime terminal for boarding. It's really beautiful to see Salvador from the sea… The crossing is enlivened by the music and cheerfulness of three boys, and a bit of singing, a bit of dancing, a bit of admiring the view, we arrive at the Ilha do Frade.. a truly beautiful sight. On arrival you have to pay 7 R$ (???); after a short walk you reach the beach, and I highly recommend a little climb up to a half-ruined chapel from which there is a truly splendid view.

We go down eager to dive into this beautiful and very warm sea… wonderful!! We settle on the sun loungers, which are free of charge, and enjoy this sun and this sea; of course, after a while the souvenir sellers arrive, along with a group that, to the sound of the berimbau, starts performing capoeira, which — even if it's put on for the tourists — is truly beautiful to watch, and these very young lads are extremely good, with surprising agility. Unfortunately time is a tyrant and after only two hours of relaxation we have to set off again to visit the island of Itaparica, the largest in the bay. After a while we arrive, and whoever wants can have lunch at a charming self-service. A coach tour of the island reveals its small colourful houses in an almost unreal silence.

We stop at the Fonte de Bica, a mineral water spring with three taps: youth - health - love… best to drink from all three…. you never know…. Here too there is a group practising capoeira… but every time someone stops to watch them they are ready to ask for something… It's time to head back; this trip is over too, and we return to Salvador enjoying a beautiful sunset from the sea. Once we disembark we find the agency's taxi waiting to take us back to the hotel; before going back we stop at another agency to see the options for going to Morro de Sao Paulo. Since, from the accounts read online, from what the locals themselves say and from people who have already been there, the catamaran crossing to the Morro is not among the best, because the sea at that point is always a bit… angry, since different currents collide and can therefore make the crossing.. let's say.. unpleasant.

Unfortunately, even though I love the sea, I can't handle it very well, so we opt for the flight option, more expensive but certainly calmer and faster. We book the flight with Aerostar, round trip R$ 360 each, that is, about 135 euros, for 23/11. Every now and then you have to treat yourself well too…. While we're at it we also book the pousada, and why not, since we leave at 12.30, beforehand, with the same taxi driver who will take us to the airport, we arrange to go and visit the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Bonfim. Good, we've done everything, now we can go back to the hotel and think about where to have dinner. Ah, I forgot, tomorrow we change hotel; we're going to the Quilombo do Pelò, it seems nicer than the one we're in and above all it's cheaper. Tonight dinner at Mamabaia with a good meat dish… here the meat really is exquisite, it resembles Argentine meat.

Tonight in Salvador there is a great commotion; various groups play their drums and other instruments in the streets; you just stand at the restaurant door and watch these very colourful groups parade by… I think in Salvador it's truly always Carnival!! 21/11/06 – 7.45 departure for Praia do Forte. Along the way the guide describes the coast of Salvador and its beaches, where we see various people doing exercise on the beach or simply a bit of jogging. We travel along the Costa dos Coqueiros and reach the Abaetè lagoon, a really lovely spot with very white sand and dark green water; a short stop for a few photos and off towards Praia do Forte, an extremely touristy place, where we go to visit the Tamar project for the protection of sea turtles, where we see some turtle species and newly hatched baby turtles.