Bahia till ya' drop!

Salvad0r - Brazil's other party town is a riot of african tradition, old colonial buildings, music right around the clock, fireworks in the middle of the street, women wearing colourful, traditional hooped skirts and the smell of dende oil (palm oil used to cook pretty much everything).

Trawled the streets for a bed, but enough! Joined the party as best we could with a weird, funky, ablaze and noisy folkloric dance show. Who was that scarecrow and whose god is he? Capoeira was unbelievable, how many flips can you do in 3 seconds? Dancing / spinning with fire was impressive too and better enjoyed from a safe 4 rows back.




The trip to the Afro-Brazillian culture museum cleared up most of our questions on the Bahaian religion of Condomble, the slaves way of preserving their ancestral beliefs whilst appearing to be Catholic.

Dined on shrimps cooked in coconut milk and dende oil (was that dende oil or castor oil, our tummies beg to differ) while the drummers threaded through the streets making sure absolutely everyone was out partying.

The next day looked at some colourful art in the old market, were really impressed and ready to lay down our reals but after a little more research saw the same paintings one to many times... Below the market was the eerie catacombes where slaves shipped from Africa were kept before auction; sad, dark and under a foot of water.

With the Pelourinho high on a hill and the rest of the city below made for some interesting transport options between the two. Which do you fancy, the great glass elevator or the train on scary legs? Both quick and cheap, but check your travel insurance policy first.

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We´ll gloss over the exhausting half day hunt for bus tickets and getting up at 5am to catch it after the music finished at 3am....all part and parcel of La Vida Mochilistas....how much are we missing using our spanish!!!!

Kaz and Stu ;-)

Sight of the week: two drowned rats running into the nearest restaurant after a sudden downpour. Guess we´ll be eating here hey!