Terrazzo Da Bahia, Salvador

São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos

Advantages: Nicely restored tourist friendly old town
Disadvantages: The ladies hunt in packs

Salvador, in the state of Bahia, north east Brazil (or São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos as it was named in the past) was the first colonial capital city of Brazil and, although power shifted to Rio de Janeiro in the late eighteenth century, then to Brasilia in 1960, it retains much of it's past grandeur and colonial architecture. One of the main reasons to come here, however, is the wonderful mix of cultural influences that make the cuisine, music and lifestyle here so different even to other parts of Brazil. The population of over three million, consists mainly of people with African origins descended from slaves, although there have been many other strong influences through Salvador's history. Salvador is also famous for it's carnival and street parties. The final stop on my extensive two-week tour of Brazil was to Salvador ...

AndrewPo 02.10.2008 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Salvador de Bahia

samba santa

Advantages: Fantastic atmosphere and culture
Disadvantages: Expensive to get to, dangourous in places

The phrase "cut the atmosphere with a knife" is often over used, but in the case of Salvador it is an understatment. In all my travels (109 countries on every continent) I have never visited such an electrifying city and that includes Rio. Perhaps it was the fact that it was Christmas but the city was alive with music, you hav'nt lived until you have heard "White Chrismas" to a samba beat. Salvador is unlike any other South American city, it was here that the black slaves were bought over from Africa to work the plantations. From this misery developed capoeira a strange but enchanting synthesis of dance and martial arts. It was started as a form of passive resistance to the colonial masters, the martial arts symbolising the aggression that could not be used and the dance the freedom they desired. Go to the main market near the port ...

Jasonrow 29.07.2001 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Salvador de Bahia

Drugs, Violence and Voodoo

Advantages: We got out alive.
Disadvantages: The whole place.

We arrived in Salvador in the middle of a strike. But it seems there's always a strike in Salvador. The electricity workers were on strike for a 140% rise because they hadn't had one since April and it was now August. The hotel workers joined them after a couple of days for similar reasons, and we had to clean our own rooms and make our own beds, we even had to cook our own breakfasts if we wanted something hot. The management put the food out at the crack of dawn and left us to fend for ourselves. Every morning we woke at 6 am to the sound of whistles, yelling and loud hailers, as the strikers formed their picket line right outside the hotel. This racket went on all day but it was difficult to avoid. Two more days and the airlines went on strike for 180% rise and there were people stranded who couldn't get home, or to their next ...

petehall 10.01.2001 (17.01.2001) · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Salvador de Bahia