Salvador Brazil

Our first stop in the southern hemisphere is the old capital of Brazil, Bahia de Salvador. Once the port for the slave trade and the sugar fazenda's (farms), Salvador has retained much of its old colonial charm as seen in the following pictures. I have been here many times before but it is nice to come back and see it so much more spruced up.


Street scene in Salvador. Our hotel is visible on the far skyline and is an old convent that has been converted into a five star property (the cheapest rooms here are $600). Too bad we're so busy during the day and have to be away seeing things. I would love to be here with Helen and live it up with her at this place!


These women are part of the old culture of Salvador and walk the streets letting folks take their pictures. The weather is quite tropical but we are experiencing a "cool" spell while here and the temperature is only about 80 degrees.


We took a nice all day drive inland to the little towns of Santo Amaro, Cachoeira, and Sao Felix. This is a view of Cachoeira along the banks of Paraguaçu River. It's colonial architechture is more preserved than in Salvador.


We visited a very colorful market and saw all kinds of exotic fruits, which here are as common as apples and oranges to us. These are cashews believe it or not. The nut is inside the stem of the fruit, which must be roasted before eating. They are quite fresh and delicious!


We also visited a cigar making facility where they are hand rolled in the old fashioned way. I like the idea of a good cigar but in the last few years smoking them has made me a little bit sick so I avoid them now. Still, the fresh tobacco did smell good.

I will not be able to make a timely posting from our ship as we sail around the Galapagos Islands for the next three days, so I'll probably add some photo's of that stop by the end of the weekend. Thanks to everyone who has posted comments or written to me personally about the narrative and the pictures. I'm becoming quite the techie with my new digital camera and my wireless laptop computer. Geez, I surprise myself!