Salvador: search the Street impatient Sloth
I traveled to Salvador (Brazil) not as a tourist or as a writer. The trip came by my work as an engineer. I was accompanied by a technician, and that we should install a telematics control system in several trucks of a company. I must confess that, although I do not like work trips, he drew me. I lived most of my teenage years in the South American giant, but did not know the historical city Brazil. Now would there four days.
The plane flyby showed me the geography of the area and the explanation of the name "Bay" became apparent to me. This is a great sea entrance partially closed by a thick peninsula where the city sits. Thus was formed a huge bay, well protected from the ravages of the Atlantic, whose formal name is Bay of All Saints.
I lived most of my teenage years in the South American giant, but did not know the historical city of Brazil. Now would there four days
While the commander sent fasten our seat belts I imagined that the king of Portugal sent there to found a city because it was an excellent natural harbor. But ... away from everything that was important at that time ... or not?
The real treasure of the Portuguese was the route around Africa to the spice Moluccan and India. The Bay of All Saints could become an alternative refueling point for vessels owned or enemies. Was that the reason that the Lusitanian Juan III sent to found in 1536. Thus was born the first capital of Brazil.
In Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro Bay is said that never works. Would it be so?
We rented a car and went straight to the company. We expect, but ... the trucks had not arrived yet! They asked me to give a talk on how the system works. It seemed that the trucks would be delayed in arriving. I smiled because I know that in San Pablo and Rio de Janeiro Bay said that never works. Would it be so? While giving my presentation brought some sweets Bay (cocada and Quindim). Every cloud has a silver lining ....
When I finished, trucks had not yet reached. I took a picture to show old Salvador on which wanted to investigate. Had been made in 1832 by the artist in the same issue that led to Darwin worldwide. I wanted to know what was that place to look after work. They argued for a while and gave me some ideas of where it could be until the trucks arrived ...!
There was a picture of Salvador on which wanted to investigate, made 1832 by the artist in the same issue that carried Darwin around the world
When we finished the day's work it was dark so I could not see any of the old city. We ate at the hotel and taking a caipirinha (Brazilian typical drink). In the morning we saw that the hotel was a few meters from a historic point: the "Farol da Barra"Or Lighthouse Beach. Before going to the company went to get some pictures. This is a lighthouse at the tip of the peninsula, which was built on top of the defenses controlled the income. Click and ... "Quick. A company!”
Never were all trucks to install so work alternated with long waits. The company people did not seem very concerned; when we were installing chatted among themselves; when expected chatted with us. Darwin, Travel in memory, noted that the vast majority of the population were slaves of African origin who spent much of the day talking very animated, loudly and with much gesticulation. Slavery was abolished in 1888, but everything else is still very true.
I was beginning to get impatient because the days passed and I could not make time to explore the historic center of the city
I was beginning to get impatient because the days passed and I could not make time to explore the historic center of the city. And that was only about fifteen or twenty minutes, and car, Company! But as night falls early, when we finished it was dark. "Even if it could go at noon", thought. When I came about to leave one of the managers of the company and invited me to lunch typical meal in a nearby restaurant. I could not refuse, or wanted. Bahian food is admired throughout Brazil. Vatapá, quiabada, moqueca fish, caldinho of Sururu ... I tried a bit of everything. But just spent another day without visiting the historic.
The next morning, penultimate Bay, I left early to run seaside. Which beaches! When we got to the company installed a truck but had to wait for another to come. Meanwhile chatted with "Seu Samuel" the shop foreman. I had a translator because the technician (Argentina) not understood. Samuel, descendant of slaves, knew all of Bahian culture. We talked about the "orishas", deities of Candomblé religion. Slaves brought their own religion but, forced to convert to Catholicism, identified their gods with statues of churches. Just when it seemed that he prayed to the Virgin Mary actually did it their "Iemanjá", sea goddess and mother of many orishas. Another important, with the figure of St George, Ogun was; and many other well.
Something out of the way and almost desperate helplessness I found the drawing view of Darwin
Before the appearance of the manager to take me to another gargantuan lunch I took the car and, together with the technical, we went to the historic. When we arrived ... A swarm of people and had incredible traffic! And of course ... is the center of a city of more than three million people. Unable to find place to leave the car! The traffic in front of me wearing beautiful historic buildings unable to appreciate or take a picture of decent. We long.
Something out of the way and almost desperate helplessness I found the drawing view of Darwin. Parked, I got off and took several photos. The steep little street where slaves carried on a stretcher to a "great man" is now the "Rua de Preguiça" or Street of Laziness. Later, Hotel with wifi, I knew long ago, that street was the connection between the port and the "upper town" or historic Pelourinho district. They earned about actual slaves for their owners who could carry offering pay, sloths. In the thirties he built a huge and terrible elevator oceanfront, so the Rua da Preguiça longer used and was in the hands of miscreants. The building in front, in ancient engraving, was a theater that burned in 1922, but it was new when Darwin was. Down at the harbor there was a fortified island still exists, the fort of "São Marcelo".
The steep little street where slaves carried on a stretcher to a "great man" is now the "Rua de Preguiça" or Street of Laziness
At night, caipirinha in hand, the technician decided that the next day, our last day at Bay, We would wake up early to go through the Pillory before going to the company.
Every cloud has a silver lining. At six o'clock we were in the old ... Fully barium desert! It was a great experience walking in front of these Baroque-Portuguese facades without that world of people flooded the streets usually. We had a unique insight into this neighborhood that was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.
At seven people and we had already got in the car before we caught traffic. The company installed the latest truck and head to the airport swift. Before boarding the plane could not resist the temptation to buy a berimbau, an African musical instrument which is used to monitor the poultry, that amazing Brazilian dance that originated in African martial art.
I sat in the comfortable seat on the plane and, first four days, I had the pleasant feeling of having done.
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martin
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Salvador de Bahia is Vadinho and commander Vasco Moscoso de Aragon pension spree in Montecarlo , arriving tomorrow to eat a acaraje prepares them Dona Flor ; masters of the sand trying to rip off a gringo ………
The spirit and soul of Salvador is JORGE AMADO , the writer who said that the Portuguese word is bunda nicest
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