Mixed feeling in Salvador de Bahia

I arrived in Salvador on monday afternoon, May 13th 2019 from Brasilia.

My hotel was on the other hill of the historical center, around the residential area. It was a very old colonial street with stones, so I was quite excited to walk around and to take some pictures. And that was I did, taking pictures of the colorful colonials houses, churches, etc. I also went down with the elevator and to the harbor to take picture of the bay. I was quite surprised, almost in every corner I went, a person came to me to tell me not to use my Nikon camera.

Apparently, I was lucky that nothing happened. The Nikon camera, my bella beat, etc. So I was a bit sad and down as in my last days, I would feel so restricted and unsafe. Having the fact that I would fly home in 3 days, it has been a very nice trip so far, everything went smoothly, I love it. At the other side, I would be happy too to be back home, sleep on my own bed, take a shower in my own bathroom and prepare my own food. I miss Baco and fish also. It would be nice also to be able to talk with friends again... really mixed feelings, especially when I wrote this behind the bar of my hotel in Salvador.

The breakfast in the hotel was on the top floor of the hotel with a view to the harbour, the sun was shinning and I love the fruits that they served: mango, papaya, guava. I went down and thought to take my big camera to take some pictures and I saw Moises, the guide was there already.

We went first to the bay, to see one of the fort, Sao Diogo and Farol da Barra. Farol da Barra is one of the landmark of Salvador. So Basically Salvador was the one of the first port where the Portuguese came to Brazil for the first time. It is one of the biggest bay in the world and therefore there are many forts around the islands, in order to protect the other people to come, like the Dutch, British, French and Spanish. The city has upper and lower landscape too, like in Lisbon, full of colorful colonial buildings. There are some elevators around the city to connect the upper and lower part of the city. The highest city elevator in the world is also here with 76 m height, elevator Lacerda.

However, when the slavery ended in Brazil, this city becomes the city where they stayed. But then the culture is really mixed with African culture. It is also the city where Capoiera first started. Many churches in the city, more than 365, as the guide told me if you want to visit one church per day, you would need more than 1 year. We went to the famous upper town, Pelourinho, to admire the colonial architecture of the churches, buildings, etc. Today with the guide, I feel safe to take pictures with my Nikon. And indeed it is a pretty city, actually. It has its own charm.