Salvador de Bahia & Fortaleza, Brazil

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Salvador de Bahia, Brazil and Fortaleza, Brazil
February 25 and 28, 2010

There was great similarity between these two Brazilian cities. Both are coastal commercial cities with between two and three million people. Both were colonized by the Portuguese who were in search of the sugar cane, rubber and gems in the area. Today both struggle with the challenges of any big city in the world.

The African influence is evident in the faces of the people, the music, the art and food. Not surprising when one remembers that the Portuguese were big slave traders and a check of the world map reminds one of the proximity of Brazil to West Africa. Or as our “English speaking guide” explained: The Portuguese came here; the Indians killed the Portuguese so the Portuguese brought in slave to do the work. There it is, Colonial history in a nut shell!!

The “old city” in Salvador de Bahia is quite well preserved and a walking tour along the cobblestone streets almost made 200 years vanish….except for the beggars and tourist police. Both were rather surprising as we’ve been exposed to very few beggars on this trip. The tourist police in Lima, Peru did an almost 100% effective job of keeping beggars and pick pockets away from tourists. The tourist police here did a good job but were not quite as effective. Our guide had a perspective on the too: it’s not the Brazilian people who steal, it is the drugs.

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