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Intro
This time I'm on a preplaned tour, with planetickets and accomodation booked at
a travel-company in advance.
It's not a group-thing,
I'm still on my own. Here is the story
Sunday, august 20'th
Starting from Vejle at 1.16 by train
to Copenhagen. It's on schedule, and I'm in Copenhagen at 3.30.
Another short train-ride to the
airport and a TAP-air
flight to Lisbon at 6.25. 3½ hours later I'm in Lisbon. Then a short ride to my
hotel - Hotel Roma - just for sleeping.
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Monday, august 21'st
Breakfast at 7.30 - and a taxi to
the airport. The plane for
Salvador de Bahia is
supposed to leave at 10.15, but it's 11.15 before we actually get moving.
The trip across the atlantic takes
7½ hours, so we arrive at 3 pm local time - including the time-difference. It
takes a while before my luggage arrives, but finally it does. A long line at the
customs where they have decided to check everyone - but that's only until one in
the queue calls an official and starts to make loudly complaints. Then most of
the queue is sent through without checking. Only in South-America such a thing
could happen.
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A minibus is ready to take me and 2
other Danes to
Pousada Beija Flor
in Pelourinho, the old part of Salvador. It's a very nice place - a Pousada is a
small hotel - a bit like a british B&B. I've got a nice room with great views
across the bay and the harbour. I'm there to see the sunset at 5.30 local time.
Out for some cash at at ATM. But I
can't find anyone working. Have to try again tomorrow. So without local money, I
have to get "dinner" from the minibar at the room.
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Tuesday, August 22'nd
First whole day in Salvador. Great
buffet-breakfast with melons, grilled bananas, homemade cake - and a lot of
other stuff very much different from a british B&B. Then out to take a look at
this old part of Salvador called Pelourinho.
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First stop - Banco de Brazil. My
Visa is working here, so I get some Reials out of the machine. I have been
warned by the hotel - don't carry to much cash - there are thieves in a poor
area like this.
So I return to the hotel to my
safety-box with most of the money. There seems to be something about what they
said. Almost outside the hotel 3 policemen are holding a thief lying on the
ground - 2 of the officers with their guns pointing at the guy. I decide to take
a small detour so I don't intervene in the proces.
Pelourinho - by the way - has not
got a nice story. It was settled during the days of the slave-trading being a
major import-center for slaves to most parts of Southern America. That went on
until 1825, and is the reason why Pelourinho - and Salvador - is very much
influenced by Africa.
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| There's a large number of churches in
the city. One for every day of the year it is said. I check out 2 of
them . The St. Francisco church and the "Igeja de Ordem 3. Secular de
Sao Franciso da Bahia". Very nice places with lot of goldpainted
woodwork and portuguese-inspired tiles.
Both churches has small museums with
nothing much in them, but it gives them an excuse to take a small fee
from the tourists. |
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Tuesday is a special day in Pelourinho.
For some reason there's a huge party every tuesday night. At 5 they
start with a carnival-parade through parts of the city. 25-30 groups
participate. The youngest participants are so young they can hardly walk
- and that almost go for the oldest as well. This goes on for more than
an hour, an when the parade is finished some of the groups have small
concerts around the city. |
| Later more organised concerts starts at
3 or 4 places around town. Something more popular samba - a band with a
rapper, doing his thing with a huge group of drummers - and a more
jazz-inspired band is what I get to see tonight.
This goes on late into the night, but I
don't. I'm to tired and returns to bed at around midnight. |
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Wednesday, august 23'rd
Breakfast - a walk through Pelourinho - and then a taxi 4-5 km. north to Praia del Barro. Here are a few
nice beaches. There's also an old fort - supposed to be the oldest in Brazil. I
walk around here for a couple of hours before returning to Pelourinho.
Lunch at a local I have found.
There's a buffet, and you pay by the pound for the food you take. They do that
in a lot of places down here.
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Afternoon-stroll in my local
neighbourhood. A mix between nice Pousadas and old houses. Children are
playing football all over, and the adults are hanging out the windows
chatting with everyone that pass. All looks quite enjoyable, eventhough
things here are very poor.
From my local area down to the the more
tourist-parts of Pelourinho. It's not that big - I have seen most
already - but a very nice place it is. |
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Dinner at "Casa de Roca". Food in
Salvador is cheap and plenty, but nothing spectacular. There's live music for
dinner tonight. A local troubadour is plying the classic brazilian hits at the
bar.
Then back to Beija Flor. There's no
TV in the room so I spend the evening on my balcony with a book and a nice view.
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Thursday, august 24'th
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Start the day with a nice walk in my
local area. I really like this area. You meet people selling oranges,
bananas etc on small carts - and there's a lot of local life. |
| The downhill to tourist-Pelourinho. It
doesn't take long before you get a "gift". A small waistband is tied
around your waist, and you get three wishes. When that is done - well
they just happen to have to show their fine shop to you, with plenty of
wooden-pearls etc - very cheap of course....... |
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On to more shopping-parts of the
city. There are plenty of music-shops - and a lot of them selling instruments. I
go to one of them to buy some local music on CD with me back home.
Then back to my Pousada again. Late
lunch at my local, and siesta at my room. Afternoon-walk is cancelled today.
So it's only dinner at Roca's and for the third time in a row I'm not able to
finish the meal - it sure is plenty. |
To
Foz de Iguassu
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