Travel Postcard: 48 hours in laid-back Salvador, Brazil
the Golden Church and the Afro-Brazilian Museum, which illustrates the influence of the culture on the Bahia region. The slave trade was based in Salvador because of its port. More than a million Africans passed through the city over three centuries.
The town square may look familiar from the 1995 Michael Jackson video for "They Don't Care About Us" that featured the city's famous Olodum drummers. The colorful houses and cobblestone streets make it easy to imagine what Salvador was like in colonial times.
7 p.m. - For a casual dinner, dine at one of the restaurants in Pelourinho. Mama Bahia in the old city serves authentic "moqueca" seafood stew, made with palm oil and coconut milk.
9 p.m. - A traditional one-hour dance show put on by the Bale Folclorico da Bahia Foundation in Pelourinho is an inexpensive and entertaining look at Bahian folklore and religious dances. Tuesday is the big party night in Pelourinho with outdoor concerts and bar stands. But watch your valuables at street parties when it gets dark. Sip a caipirinha drink, the classic Brazilian cocktail made with lime, sugar and a local sugarcane liquor called cachaca.
Saturday
9 a.m. - After a leisurely breakfast, visit the lower city or "cidade baixa," which is connected to Pelourinho through a large elevator. Bonfim Church is the most well-known attraction.
The church, believed to have healing powers, has a special room filled with mementoes left by people who say they have been cured.
Noon - Stop for lunch and then hop in a cab
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