A Night out in Salvador de Bahia

Crew, somewhere between Fernando de Noronha and Salvador de Bahia

The arrival celebration in Salvador

Saturday 8^th December. Igor took us to the old town while still light, and we were there until about 1130 in the evening. We walked about 2km past the port offices and museo moderna (with arts and crafts) to the elevator that transported us up to the old town. Once there we had a tour through this most lovely and surprising old town, which is not only very well preserved, but also very lively (and can be dangerous in parts.)

1. Cravinho bar to drink cravinho. This is compiled from Cachaca, Cinnamon and Cloves plus sugar.  A hopping, very popular, bar!
2. Next to the two well dressed ladies with nice hats on the street selling Acarajé. This is bean cake fried in the local Dende oil with Vatapá (cream with cashews etc), shrimp and spices. Excellent!
3. Next we walked east to a bar with chairs in the street in a small square Sta Antonio, where we had first Carne de Sol (dried meat) with fried AIPIM (Cassava, looking like French fries), with beer, and then Escondidinho (mashed cassava with cheese) con Calabresa (sausage) with onion, and more beer.
4. Finally we walk back to the top of the old town, listened to some music in the street from a Peruvian guitar player and singer, and drank two drinks, the first a Caipirinha (limes, cachaca, sugar, ice) and then a Seriguela Caipirinha (same, but with the fruit Seriguela instead of lime.).
5. Then we got a taxi back to the marina.

Note: Salvador was at one time the capital of Brazil, for about 200 years, before Rio, and much later, Brasilia. The buildings in the old town date back to this grand period.

Note: Cachaca is a type of local rum based on sugar cane, and used for mixing drinks.  Many different fruits are used to vary Caipirinha. The fruit here is seriously good!

This remarkable small herb garden has survived the transatlantic crossing, although the parsley faded away almost entirely after a dousing in salt water one day! The Basil has lived through it all, surprisingly for quite a sensitive plant!