Why Salvador and Boipeda?
Salvador, founded in 1549 by Tome de Sousa, is the capital city of the state of Bahia known for its cuisine, music, architecture, Afro-Brazilian culture and carnival and a perfect end point of my trip to northeast Brazil. Boipeda , a small island (a part of the Cairu Archipelago with an area of 88 sq km and a population of over 3,000), was totally unknown to me till I met Claude, a Swiss on my 4D3N trip to the Amazon, who considers Boipeda, a biosphere, the most beautiful island in Brazil. Hence, I added this stop when finalising my itinerary.
Salvador, the first capital of Colonial Brazil, is one of the oldest in the Americas and one of the first planned cities in the world. The majority of the population has African, European and Native American roots. The African ancestry is from Angola, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal and Mozambique. Situated on a steep escarpment, the city has been developed into the Upper Town and Lower Town. The Historic Centre of Salvador in the Upper Town is a World Heritage Site known for its colonial architecture studded with monuments dating from 17th century to the beginning of the 20th century.
By the time I settled down in the nostalgic Pousada Colonial Chile on Rua Chile, it was almost 4pm. I have been warned not to go out in the evening as it is not a safe city. Hence after a quick tour of the church square and a wholesome dinner with shrimps and rice, I returned to rest in my simple but comfortable room.
4 Nights in Boipeda (21– 24 February)
On 21 February, I got up early and took the 9 am catamaran to Morro de Sao Paulo (R151) which took over two hours. The shortest way to get to Boipeda is to take an hour traversing the Island of Tinhare on 4×4 (R150). I managed to book the transfer at 12 noon while on the boat. It is fun to drive through the interior of the island which reminds me of the terrain and sand dunes at Lencois Maranhenese National Park. Then my host George of Casa Amerala Chales picked me up with his boat from the beach. I had a nice chalet that is tranquil and peaceful. I did not even bother to cross the river to explore the Velha Boipeda (the village) in the afternoon. The casa only provides vegetarian food which suits me well.
The next day (22 February), I crossed the river shortly after 9 am to see whether I could join an island tour (R250). By the time I found an agent, the boat had left at 9:30am. I therefore reserved for the following day. The weather was perfect, and I walked along the coast to the Cueria Beach. It is a leafy lovely short walk. I spent the morning at the beach and had a sumptuous lobster lunch for only R140. Unfortunately, the way they cook does not bring out the flavor and the over-cooked meat tasted like rubber. After lunch, I took a quad ride back to the village (R20). I enjoyed strolling in the tidy and picturesque village (not as touristy as Morro de Sao Paulo) before taking a ride back to my hermitage across the river.
Unfortunately, the weather got from bad to worse: it rained non-stopped throughout the night and did not stop till 9 am on 23 February. The island tour was cancelled. I watched the rain and listened to its soothing rhythm over breakfast. Nature, rain and forest bathing are spiritual!
When the rain finally stopped after 10 am, I decided to go to the village and take a quad ride to the Morere Beach (R35). As soon as I got there, torrential rain poured down for half an hour followed by a brief moment of sunlight. It continued to drizzle on and off throughout the afternoon. I was lucky to take a cart ride with a dozen passengers (R15). A more comfortable ride. As I was dropped off further away from the village, I had an opportunity to see the less developed part of the village. A wonderful experience! I was back in the casa before 5 pm and had a nice vegetarian dinner.
Finally, we had a good weather on 24 February and the island tour with went ahead at 9:30am. We first stopped at the natural pool off Morere Beach which was overcrowded with some 20 boats. Then we spent two hours at the Castelhanos Beach. After 2:30 pm we stopped at Sao Sebastiao, a traditional fishing village for lunch. After 4 pm, we set sail again passing through a mangrove tunnel before stopping at an oyster bar in the middle of the river. I had half a dozen of oysters (R18) and a dozen of clams (R30). They have very different taste and texture! I watched a strangely beautiful sunset. On the way back to the village, torrential rain retuned: we were all wet and cold. Strangely, the rain stopped as soon as we stopped off the boat. Tonight, I moved to stay in a pousada in the village for a night.
2 Nights in Salvador (25-26 February)
I returned to Salvador taking a different route (R270): by boat to Curral, coach to Itaparica and ferry to Salvador. The fast boat left the Boipeda at 11:30 am and I was back in Salvador just before 4pm. The connections were perfect, and I even had a free transfer to Pousada Colonial Chile. The weather was perfect, and I went out to explore the historic centre and walked to Praca da Se, the main square where the Cathedral Basilica stands and then Pelourinho. In this Afro-Brazilian culture heartland, the colours, people and music are exhilarating. The golden sunrays falling on the fading colourful buildings as well as the dilapidated churches and convents created a striking surreal image.
As I would depart at 4 am on 27 February for Chile, I only had one full day in Salvador. I began the day at the Lighthouse Barra by taking Bus 1001 (R5.20). The bus is neat and tidy with a driver and conductor. I passed the high-class posh residential area. The lighthouse built since the 16th century has a toy-like feel and I was interested to find some Chinese figurines of the 17th century.
Then, I took a taxi to Pelourinho (R30) and spent the next four hours visiting the Church and Museum of Carmo, Church of the Third Order of Our Lady of Rosary of Black People, Church of St Domingo and Church of St Francisco (all built in the 18th century) and the House of Jorge Amado Foundation (a famous Brazilian writer (1912-2001) of the modernist school). The tiled mosaics and gold-studded baroque architecture of the Church of St Francisco are stunning, and the triangle-shaped Pelourinho Square are most picturesque and atmospheric.
Time passed so quickly that I did not have time to visit the Cathedral Basilica and the Casa Benin which traces the history of the slaves from Benin and other parts of Africa (I visited Benin many years ago). I watched the most beautiful sunset during my month-long stay in Brazil from the roof top of Pousada Colonial Chile. I went to bed early and took Uber to the airport after 1:30 am. I was on my way to my final destination – Santiago, Chile
Remarks
I have spent a month in a small corner of Brazil – from Amazon to Salvador Bahia. Looking back, I have a few thoughts. First, I do not think I have seen the best part of Amazon. The 4D3N jungle tour is so-so and the 5D4N on the ferry to Belem is boring by my standard especially as I was charged (over USD500) for a very basic and uncomfortable room without window. Second, Sao Luis and the 3D2N side trip to Lencios Maranhenses far exceed my expectations. Third, I had my first Brazilian carnival in Recife and Olinda. I am not a party goer, but it is a good way to experience the Brazilian culture. I am delighted by the ceramics of F Brennand. Fourth, I personally find Fernando de Noronha touristy, overrated and not value-for-money. I find Lord Howe Island (a small island in Australia with World Heritage status) that I visited in 2000, much more impressive. Fifth, I had a most enjoyable experience in Boipeda which is worth going. Sixth, Salvador has so much to offer and is a must-see destination in Brazil. A visitor can truly appreciate its colonial past, roots with Africa and the Brazilian spirit and history. I would like to return one day especially during its carnival.