Sunny days in Salvador

These gray rainy days where the sun plays hide and seek with the clouds make me dream of those sunny days in Salvador. Before arriving there,I’d heard a lot about Salvador being the jewel in the crown of Bahia but my first impression of the city didn’t bear this out. We arrived at night and unfortunately our cab got lost. Which isn’t so bad (when hasn’t this happened?) but he got lost in what seemed to be the seediest areas imaginable. We passed through little narrow streets filled with cracked dilapidated buildings and where there seemed to be an endless number of drunk people hanging out. There was an aura of menace around the whole place and this, I was certain was no UNESCO World Heritage site. Fortunately, our cab managed to find our hotel (a wonderful charming one located smack dab in the middle of the historic center) and a good night’s sleep restored much of our equilibrium.

The next day dawned bright and clear, the sun shining fiercely. Our walk outside finally showed us the Salvador that is the crown of Bahia. The Pelourinho or the Historic Centre consists of beautifully restored pastel colored houses that display magnificent 17th and 18th century architecture and numerous colonial churches. Most of the buildings now house museums that showcase the city’s African legacy. Salvador was once at the epicenter of the slave trade. From 1330 to 1850, at least 3.6 million African slaves were brought to work the sugar cane and coffee fields of Brazil. It is little wonder then that they managed to maintain most of their culture. It seems hard to believe now with the pretty façade and its relaxed atmosphere that the city was once the site of such widespread human misery.


One of the city’s must sees is easily the most impressively gold laden church in all of Brazil is the Igreja e Convento de Sao Francisco. As with most colonial churches, it has a most unassuming façade. But a step inside its cool courtyard immediately reveals what makes it so special. The walls all along the yard are beautiful hand painted with azulejos or Portuguese tiles dating back from the 18th century. And once inside the church itself, your eyes will be dazzled by the ostentatious display of wealth before you. Imagine if you will, an 80 kg silver chandelier that dangles over ornate wood carvings and gold plastered everywhere, over each and every arabesque form of the altar, nave and side chapels. Experts argue whether there is as much as 1 ton of gold in the church. Whatever the exact number, there is an awful lot of it. The African slaves who worked on the church and yet were forbidden to practice their own religion, revealed their misery through their work. Much of the carved cherubs lining the walls have distorted misery filled faces. Its disquieting to say the least.

Because a good part of Salvador is still under reconstruction, tourists are advised to stay within the historic centre. And it is advice well worth taking. I think much of Salvador’s charm lies in just soaking up its particular atmosphere and nowhere is this more evident than in the centre. Strolling around the narrow cobblestoned streets of Pelourinho and maybe taking a drink at any of the numerous cafes permits one to enjoy the carefree spirit of the people and to watch the always interesting parade of people going by. Music is ever present thanks to the musicians that can be found everywhere. And one can always watch the capoeira dancers in the Praca.


Some photos...

The Elevador Lacerda that divides the Cidade Baxia from the Cidade Alta