Salvador de Bahia: be home by nine

There are two pictures that have haunted me for years and in a certain degree triggered this trip. One is taken in Paraty, and the other in Salvador. It is a picture of Pelourinho, the old centre of Salvador, where the heart of this big city beats.
Pelourinho is a cobbled, mostly pedestrian area, where you are bound to pass most of your time in Salvador. This is the Upper town, built at a small altitude for more fresh air, and it looks literally down upon the Baixa, the Lower town, where the beaches and the commercial sector are and where you should be careful where you step because, depending on the hour of the day and your lucky star, you may never breathe the fresher air of Pelourinho again. Not that the upper part is enormously safer though. You may be at the nicest spot feeling safe with policemen all around taking pictures of colorful colonial houses, the symbol of this Unesco protected area, but take the next parallel and you immediately realize you are in unmarked territory and have to get back to the central street. Preferably running.
Actually, it is not just Unesco that protects this city, or its saints, but the police as well. They are everywhere in the old city, and this is probably why you are there. The people are poor and one feels that the only reason one is not eaten alive is the police presence. Although I heard  they may appear apathetic when something happens. Thus every tourist guide will advise you to leave everything at home, except the strict necessary. Do as Brazilians do in other words: expose your beauty in a minimal way can only be a winner!
But the problem is what one considers as strict necessary. And my problem is, I consider one good reason I am there is to take lots of pictures: capture the moment, with an expensive camera…
The times I felt unsure were therefore more than one in the city. To the point that a policeman approached me to say that I should get rid of my camera before nine o'clock, when their presence diminishes seriously. But apart from that, all was OK. Meandering in the streets of Salvador was pure pleasure. Nice architecture, colorful people, churches, bars. And juices from every fruit imaginable, to refresh myself. Nothing more I could ask for.
But that night at Santa Teresa, when I saw my first spectacle of capoeira, really marked me for life. Capoeira used to be a disguised martial art, invented by slaves who would pretend it was a dance. And this is where all these charming movements come from. A combination of force and grace. Capoeira happens everywhere and anywhere in Salvador. Just follow the noise and most times you will assist to a free spectacle that will leave you excited and abashed. The dance often ends with mock martial maneuvers between the dancers. Sometimes it gets out of control, and it then quickly becomes what it was meant to be originally: a martial art. You may watch my films to try and capture the moment. I wish I had filmed more. I wish I was there…

The French-owned pousada was excellent and empty! At least until a German modeling crew arrived and started taking pictures of unnaturally thin models. The breakfast was unforgettable. Needless to say I still have the stains on my pockets from all the goodies I stuffed inside for the day… And another thing was, the place was full of masterpieces from Ekenberger, specializing in arte bruta (that has nothing brute in it…) who I immediately recognized as a soul brother and somehow managed to visit at his place -not easy to find, there are many yellow houses in Salvador.

I hope you enjoy the pics, although I think reality beats everything, at least as afar as Salvador is concerned.

Highlights of the day: Would that sound too much if I said "Everything"?
Downsides: I could remain paralyzed for the rest of my life if I tried even half of the capoeira steps.

Postcards part 1, Postcards part 2

All the Pics in one slideshow

Films: Capoeira 1, Capoeira 2, Capoeira 3, Mock fighting capoeira, At the restaurant, Dance spectacle, Cultural TV show while eating, Dance school

Time lapse salvador 1, Time lapse salvador 2

Next: Rio de Janeiro: Christ knows what you did last summer