Day #14…Friday, February 13, 2015

Salvador, Brazil

Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian navigator, discovered Salvador’s Bahia de Todos on Santos (All Saint’s Day) in 1501.  A settlement was begun there in 1548 by Portuguese explorers and Salvador was named the first capital of colonial Brazil.

After a colony was established with sugar plantations being the impetus of prosperity, five (5) million slaves were transported from Africa to Brazil in the 1800’s to provide labor for the sugar cane plantations.  The Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage maintains a strong presence today with influences in music, food, religion and art. 

Salvador is now the capital of the Northeastern Brazilian state of Bahia.  With many lush beaches and 165 churches, it boasts the largest assortment of Baroque architecture in Latin America.  It provides a mix of the old world heritage and new world charm offering tourists a step back in time and a walk into the future.

Climate in Salvador is humid and warm with average temperatures between 72-

76° F all year round.  The official language is Portuguese and the official currency is the Brazilian Real (BRI).

We met a group of Princess passengers at the port terminal and boarded a private tour bus through Do Brazil Right, Inc. and Marcelo Zahar, Tour Coordinator.  Beginning with a panoramic tour of the city, we noticed police protection everywhere as Carnival had started yesterday.  Our tour guide, Arial, explained that the Carnival in Salvador holds the Guinness World Record for the largest carnival in the world.  Colorful stands and signs and semis loaded with musicians were a common site today. 

We traveled to the Church of Our Lord of Bonfim, an example of magnificent Baroque art and gold décor.  Catholicism is the main religion and the stunning church is famous for its multi-colored ribbons that are tied around the fenced area outside the church entrance.  The belief is that when the ribbon falls off, the wish will come true. 

Paintings, tiles, pottery, weaving, carvings and sculptures were excellent examples of the Afro-Brazilian influence and showcased cultures trends.  We stopped at a local tile painting art shop and viewed beautiful hand-painted works by area artists.   A local ice cream shop, Sorveteria Da Ribeira, which was established in 1931, was our next site to visit.  Sixty (60) varieties of ice cream were available with some flavors very different from those in the U.S.  Dennis ordered a cashew nut flavor ice cream and found it was delicious.

We stopped at a fort that was famous for holding off a Dutch invasion in early colonial times.  The area overlooked one of the lush beaches that were filled with locals and tourists enjoying the warm sunshine and cool water.

We also witnessed much poverty in Salvador and homeless individuals lined the streets along some of the poorer sections of the city.  The population of Salvador is three (3) million people and the area appears overly populated and many people live in slum-like conditions.

 

Homeless

Our next stop was the Mercado Modelo, filled with over 200 vendors selling souvenirs, arts, crafts, carvings, embroidery and lace.  The bustling area also featured kick boxers who were performing for the crowd near the café.  We found a small Brazilian wood carving souvenir that will hang on a wall in our home.

We opted not to visit Pelouinho, the historic center of Salvador, as the area required a significant uphill climb to reach the cobble streets lined with churches, museums, and houses.  The humidity and heat was very intense and a number of our tour group decided to walk to the terminal and end the tour at the Mercado Modelo.

In the evening, we dined with our tablemates and then were entertained by Glenn Hirsch, comedian in the Princess Theater.  We will have two (2) sea days before arriving in Santos, Brazil on February 16, 2015.

 

Tile House