Day 128
Salvador, Brazil
Back on our own. We were very sad to see the Hardy´s go....it was so nice to share our adventure again with people we love. As for the last week, Thank you to Heather for booking and planning it all. We had a great time and are so happy for all we got to see and do in Rio. It is a facinating city of dicatomys that will live with us forever.
Salvador is another huge city (two hours flight North) but VERY different. Salvador is known as the cultural and historic center of Brazil and it is easy to see where it gains this distinction. The buildings here are old and colorful, the beaches full of dark colored Brazillians decended from African slaves and retaining much of their unique allure. It makes you feel a bit like the creole influence you would see in New Orleans.
We only had 14 hours in Salvador.....and 7 of them we were sleeping.....but in typical Herald style we packed in the other seven.
We went to visit two 1700´s Forts, one where they still set off the cannons everyday, we walked the streets shopping for the famous Salvadorian textiles, and had lunch on the crowded beach.
Lunch was the most interesting part of the day. Not wanting to sit around in a restaurant.....we decided to chance it on a famous Bahian street food called Acaraje. Its basically peas and corn turned into paste, deep fried, and then stuffed with lentils, tomatoes, and shrimp (sin shrimp for me). Its VERY tasty....but the interesting part is that the Salvadorians so value this famous food that they have made laws to protect it!
No restaurant, cafe or hotel is allowed to sell this particular food. It may only be sold by women on the street. These women need a license. To obtain this license they must go before a board of directors for the union and submit their receipe for apporval. The license can then be handed down from mother or grandmother to daughter as long as the receipe is not changed. The women who cook and sell the Acaraje all wear traditional flowing skirts and turbans on their heads. I find the whole tradition to be quite beautiful.....which maybe makes the food taste even better. We topped them off with cold, fresh coconut water drank through a staw right from the coconut itself.