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Published: February 27th 2023
Misc. Photos In and Around MS Volendam and Salvador Da Bahia, Brazil
Crew Drills Were an Almost Daily Occurrence with a Few Real McCoy Calls for the “Medical Response Team …” Thrown in From Time to TimeSalvador Da Bahia, Brazil was our Tuesday, February 21, 2023 port of call. The name is officially Salvador. The “Da Bahia” is merely clarification and differentiation from the other Salvadors in Brazil. As the first capital of Colonial Brazil, the city is one of the oldest in the Americas and one of the first planned cities in the world. The capital of the state of Bahia evolved on a steep bluff with two levels – Upper Town (Cidade Alta) and Lower Town (Cidade Baixa). In 1873, Brazil's first elevator, the powerful hydraulic Elevador Lacerda, was constructed to connect the city's upper and lower towns. Having undergone several upgrades (including the addition of a twin, adjacent sister elevator), elevator service remains in use today. Salvador is recognized throughout the country and internationally for its cuisine, music and architecture, and the African influence in many cultural aspects of the city makes it a center of Afro-Brazilian culture. With more than 2.9 million inhabitants, as of 2020, it is the third most populous city in Brazil and the ninth largest in Latin American.
In planning for my time in port, I had checked out the shore excursion options and found a note attached
to the description for the only shore excursion that had any appeal whatsoever,
Easy Salvador: “On Volendam's February 21, 2023, call this tour will not pass by the Barra Lighthouse. Tour duration may be extended, itinerary may vary, and there may be traffic delays due to Carnival. The Mercado Modelo building is currently undergoing renovation; the handicraft market will be held outdoors under a tent. Churches and museums are closed on Ash Wednesday; outside visits will be substituted. Churches, museums and the Farol da Barra Lighthouse are closed during Carnival; outside visits will be substituted.” Much more truthful than a used car salesman. Yes, Uncle Larry saved his money for another day. I attended the Port Talk presentation covering Salvador in the days preceding our visit and was convinced that Carnival would still be in full swing – expect the street right outside the passenger terminal to be packed with revelers, expect long lines at Attraction A, Attraction B will be closed, etc., etc., etc. Enough said.
Apparently, NOT enough said to dissuade Uncle Larry from getting his toes wet in Carnival, because I decided to venture off the ship and past the terminal to immerse myself in the
Carnival frenzy for an hour or two. Within walking distance of “home,” so I could return at will, my decision seemed like a prudent choice. There were people but not the throngs I expected. There were no lines at Elevador Lacerda. There was no "open for business yet" cantina where a fella could get a cerveza fría. But, alas, there WAS humidity. After an hour and a half or so of wandering around aimlessly looking for the party, I returned to the ship unimpressed but not disappointed. Salvador is a nice stop for the ship, but there is nothing remarkable that I could discern.
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