February 22, 2015
Off the East Coast of Brazil.
I have posted three pages with pictures of Salvador Bahia, Combat Dancing, one on churches and one on the extended carnival in Salvador. But there are pictures that I took and some random thoughts that do not fit into a topical post so here they are.
The Afro-Brazilian museum has displays interpreting the slave trade and what happened culturally. Salvador is called the most African city outside of Africa, but it also feels European. The museum puts that together. The centerpieces are 27 carved wooden panels depicting Afro-Brazilian culture and the Camdomble religion by Carybe, himself a mix of European, Brazilian and Argentine. In fact there is a lot in the museum about Camdomble, which grafts Christianity onto West African religions.
The lower town is the port. It is connected to the upper town by an art deco “elevator,” a part of the mass transit system of Salvador. The first elevator on the site was run by the clergy and was muscle powered with ropes and pulleys. In the 19th century there was a steam powered elevator. In the first half of the 20th century an electric elevator replaced steam. It leads to the art deco ferry terminal, a great place for people watching. There are many old buildings in the lower town that are not as nicely restored as in the upper town and their condition makes them interesting. There is also an old fort guarding the harbor.
There are a few shots of the upper town that just didn’t fit.
And finally, some shots from the ship as we sailed out.
