Salvador, Brazil

I participated on Harry and Aggy’s Salvador City Tour w/Leo Coutinho ~ A Professional Tour Guide.  I, myself would highly recommend him.  His email for future reference is: www.travelingwithleo.com &  telephone is:  (71) 8105-7494.

We had a wonderful time exploring Salvador. 

We started by driving exactly where Mickeylive told us not to go . . . to see” Igreja do Nosso Bonfir.”   It is a small church located in a neighborhood to the north, and is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in all Brazil.  The colorful votive ribbons or fitas of Bonfim are an easy recognizable item throughout Brazil and even beyond.  Children outside the church will (for a small fee) tie them three times on your wrist and tell you to make a wish for each one.  If the ribbon wears off naturally, the wish will come true; if you cut it off before then, it won’t.  * See picture

We then went to a fort where we could see the Carnival Splendor and the MSC Orchestra across the bay from where we stood.

Afterwards we all climbed back in the van and headed for the Mercado Modelo.  It is the city’s main market located in the lower town and is a good place for crafts and other souvenirs.  In the adjacent square you can often see young men performing capoeira, the famous martial art dance which originates from the area. See Picture.  We spent about 1/2 hr shopping here.

We drove to the opposite end of the city and saw a very popular beach (see picture) and many expensive homes.

Once we finished there we drove to the old part of town,  See the the top most picture, on the left side above is at the center of Cidade Alta where there are two squares which are connected at the corner by the cathedral.  The latter is probably the liveliest part of town, with food carts and stalls through the day and revelers in the evening hours.  Most people take the elevator up from the lower area to the upper city.  *See picture above top right side.

We did a fair amount of walking in the old upper city as well as stopping and having lunch.

And the last thing we did was go to see Abaete’ Park across from the new stadium that is now being built. It is a protected state park around a lake by the same name.  The lake is famous because of the stark contrast between dark water and very white sand dunes.  The dancing ladies are here and there is an entertainment area with many restaurants and live music in the vicinity of the park.

All in all a very good day was had by all.