Grand South America & Antarctica Voyage, Salvador Da Bahia, Brazil... Part 1 of 2

I was up and out on the forward deck for sail in pictures... Salvador Da Bahia has such a great skyline!!!  Ann, Cathy and I were met by our tour guide Dirk at the port and we started our Salvador adventure. Once Portugal’s colonial capital, today Salvador is the heart of the country’s Afro-Brazilian community. Our arrival in Salvador was in the heart of the colorful Afro Festival celebrations. Salvador is the fourth largest city in Brazil and is situated on a peninsula which shields the Bay of All Saints from the Atlantic Ocean. Leaving the port area, we drove through the lower town area passing the Lacerda Elevator that takes people to the upper town. We passed the Mercado Modela, a busy marketplace…this building was the original 1861 Customs House, where slaves were housed when they arrived in Salvador. Next, we made our way to the Farol da Barra Lighthouse about 3 miles from the city center, overlooking one of Salvador's best beaches. The lighthouse is a historic landmark. Being Saturday and hot day, the beach was crowded…this area is one of the favorite places for locals to visit. We stopped in the bohemian neighborhood of Rio Vermelho, a fishing area, a small fish market and across the street the bronze sculpture of famed Brazilian author Jorge Amado and his wife. Due to the Afro Festival being held in the upper town this afternoon, Dirk thought we should visit the area before the parade started at 2 pm. We made our way leaving the car below and climbing to the upper city, the historical center known as Pelourinho first to the Holy Rosary Church. This old town is still filled with 17th and 18th century colonial buildings that have earned it a UNESCO World Heritage designation. Walking on the winding steep cobbled stone streets of Salvador’s historic center is a real journey back in time. We visited the church of the Church and Convent of Saint Francis Salvador. Its ornate baroque interior is covered in gold, while the convent’s court is decorated with tiles brought directly from Portugal. Its big façade, along with a huge cross decorating the access square. The church borders one end of the Pelourinho Square in the heart of the old town...this part of the city is a bustling area that packs in historical sites, squares, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars and shops. Leaving upper town, we circled and stopped at the Dique Tororo Lagoon to see the Orixas sculptures (African religious statues). Our next stop was the lively Sao Joaquim market, this place is full of narrow alleys loaded with everything you could imagine...from live animals, fruits, meats, herbs, fish, tobacco, clothing, religious ritual items to the hot peppers we purchased for the crew (Hope they can handle a kilo of Carolina Reapers!).  We only visited a fraction of the market…we love markets like this…such great stop! Next, we drove along the harbor and the Port areas through a Favela otherwise known as lower income area known as Uruguay that once formed the biggest slum of Brazil. From here we continued along the beach known as Ribeira. We made a stop at Sacred Hill and visited the spectacular Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, the most famous church in Salvador...It has come to represent the co-existence of the two predominant religions in the area: Catholicism and Candomblé, which originated in West Africa. The church is also known as a pilgrimage church... thousands come here looking for miracles. A short distance from the church we visited the Itapagipe Penninsula to see the Monte Serrat Fort and Monte Serrat Church. This was our second visit to Salvador, and we thoroughly enjoyed the day and did see and experienced some new things. Another great day!!!