Salvador. Brazil's first capital and a great city to visit. Known for it's catholic churches and Portuguese colonial architecture and we spent yesterday seeing both. The Pelourinho district houses some lovely 17th and 18th cent. Portuguese buildings in very good condition. The most famous church (Nosso Senhar Bonfim) was packed (this was Sunday of course)..........others not so busy. We spent some time in the town square which was surrounded by churches ( a particularly nice Baroque one) and with cafes, restaurants and cobbled streets had quite a European feel to it ............add to this that the culture here is quite Afro/Brazilian and you have a really exciting and interesting mix. We also visited the old customs house which is now a huge and colorful indoor market. Salvador used to export wood, precious metals and sugar and import
Manufactured goods and of course slaves (hence African influence).
Our hotel is also a very interesting building which used to be a Carmelite nunnery...........long cool corridors and cloisters but better food I suspect........or maybe not?
Not all food and architecture though. Some very poor and crowded housing seen up on the hill above the main town and the area next to the hotel is pretty grim and druggy at night.
Early start tomorrow when we fly to Vitoria.