Pelourinho

Today we met a friend for lunch in Pelourinho. This is the "old city" of Salvador echoing its Portuguese colonial heritage (pictured in the MJ video previously posted). Walking through the cobblestone streets you could easily imagine you were somewhere in Europe....like, let´s say, Portugal...though Brazil´s culture, specifically the African-influenced Bahian culture, comes shining through. There are inummerable shops selling anything from tourist trinkets to chic boutique items. There are often people playing music. If you visit on certain days, there may be a special concert, capoeira performance or an Olodum practice. For the benefit of tourists, there are women in traditional Bahian dress selling Bahian food like Acarajé (ah-kah-ruh-ZHE). Tourists are usually roaming the plazas and winding side streetstreets taking pictures of the architecture and colorful buildings. There are also churches. Lots of churches. By churches I mean 17th century cathedrals. You can stand in one of the main plazas and have at least 3 sizeable, beautiful "igrejas" within sight. Many Bahians will tell you that there are at least 365 historic churches in Salvador, enough to visit one every day of the year. If you come to Salvador, undoubtedly visit Pelourinho. It is touristy but also extremely worthwhile.