If you would like to take only two weeks vacation from the stresses of everyday life in Germany, while still enjoying uninterrupted 35 degrees and want to experience something new, then you can apparently safely to stay in Salvador. But spend his life there? Today the city from which one gets to see as a tourist, usually no more than 1% of the localities, almost three million inhabitants, of whom a large proportion are located in one of the 99 favelas. But we do not judge this mega-city rash, but first take a closer and more pages under the microscope.
The first thing to keep in mind that in any guide books Salvador Brazil-and especially the historic old town quarter - missing not allowed - "Pelourinho". On the contrary, apart from the Sugar Loaf and the Jesus statue in Rio de Janeiro, it is probably the most widely advertised site of this huge country. That the masses of tourists every week to push for the narrow streets, has also spoken by the locals up in every corner of Brazil.
So we throw ourselves in tourists shell and then stroll in the Otto normal outfit - Gomez-shirt, swimming trunks and Adilette - through the historic center of Salvador.
As an interested German I am of course before thoroughly informed about this neighborhood: the time of the Atlantic triangular trade (ca. 1680-1888) countless slaves from West Africa to Brazil have been abducted to the rice, cocoa, cotton and sugar cane plantations of the Northeast States agrikulturelle growth base for the expanding and industrializing Europe grew. The geographical Location of the All Saints Bay, one of the closest to the West African coast lying areas of South America, as well as endless unused land area in the hinterland of Bahia, contributed to this, that a profitable, they were almost exclusively established on slave labor-based colonial empire under the Portuguese crown. And Salvador became the entrance gate and commercial center for this exploitive and inhuman and bustle of early Brazil. Located
Above the cliffs, boasting views of the Baia dos Todos-os-Santos "equipped Created slow this city with the many, rich with gold ornate churches and the elevator that leads down to the port city and the slave market. Until 1763 the was mainly limited to the Pelourinho Salvador even capital of the Brazilian colony.
After the murderous business in 1888 - so very late - had taken his end, was a broad cultural recovery process received by the now freed African-abstaemmigen majority of the population in Bahia, because at the time of slavery were Religionsausuebungen, owner of African language and song banned of course. This had led to the loss of thousands of years old culture. Thus developed in the 20th Fruehphase Century, now more of a mixed culture from various Western and African influences. Ranging from Capoeira, formerly a defensive martial art in the slave war, about the Afro-Brazilian Drum music styles to the vreschiedenen mixed religions - many things are still alive on the cobblestone streets between the houses of the narrow Pelourinhos!
That this small, colorful and winding old town today, the cultural center of Brazil's Northeast, is funny enough, but not that of course. Until the nineties, the district was gradually more and more degenerated into a favela - a lot of drug addicts residents, organized crime and dilapidated houses could be no way to make the "Pelo" for foreigners and the 99% of Brazilians live peaceful attractive. Then took the UNESCO and the state is a heart and made together a decent basic renovation of dilapidated Streets, squares and churches. The rent levels rose again, and many former residents of the Pelourinho district problem, it then moved to cheaper housing estates on the outskirts of unrest in the districts today. Superficially, the problems were thus solved, but in reality only outsourced.
Who would like to get grasp now even the vaunted Pelourinhogefuehl of today from a distance, can see the great music video for " They don` t care about us "by Michael Jackson to the African drumming group" Olodum " that the Old Town all its (computer edited) can vibrate colors. A catalog advertising Salvador could not identify exactly these pages better.
Sun, but now enough chatter, one wants to finally experience the first hand-Pelô atmosphere. So let's dive into this a little different world.
on local bus station in the port area of the lower city and the already mentioned a 150-year-old elevator "Elevador Lacerda" we cheat ourselves in and immediately walk through the colorful amusement. Welcomed one is immediately able from a variety of music styles that mix depending on the exact location, as often as Bob Marley sounds into one and liebesgesuelzte "Arrosha" rhythms lost in the other ear and result in a common, sometimes schaeusslich dissonant combination. The music spots are obvious, as also noted many times in Brazil, very close together marked. In Pelourinho joins a souvenir shop on the other (the souvenirs here are great!), In addition there are also many Bierstaende, Acarajé (the - far-fetched - greasy Bahian Doenerpendant) and popcorn on every corner. It will be constantly umhaucht of a bitter, pungent, spicy scent cloud, as long as you are not in one of the stinking of urine lost back streets.
As if this plethora of sensation were not enough, which unfortunately does not run unobtrusive, with a digital camera for people who can not encounter Germans about the way that first one's free, do Stoffbaendchen bind with "great" sayings on your wrist. A little small talk, "where are you from ?...", an (over) nice Brazilian Greet and then it goes to the real thing. For now we will angefluestert and to a rich assortment of drugs yet so unassuming Stoffbaendchenumbinders attention. Of hashish to crack everything is on sale. If you are the Opposite then understand that it leads Unfortunately, a cloudy Non smoking or Nichtschnupferexistenz, which quite surprised. However, he then offers a kind of him to give money anyway. No, because he has been unlucky. A "filho da puta" then you have to endure about themselves, which do I make but rather not for the general public. Let's run untouched so on, to old houses nested, (Mediocre) Capoeiragruppen to a small spot.
Here is offered to the Europeans a wonderful, romantic view. The sun sinks behind the islands to the west of All Saints Bay. It will turn red and the sky as the roofs of the lower town with its small port in front of the cliffs, at the upper edge you are.
Were it not for the two extremely intrusive children who would one the nice atmosphere in two minutes once again spoil. With dirty clothes and pained face they beg for money for a meal. Ironically, they take the freshly purchased Acarajé not. probably because someone is not hungry yet? The same children will be in the evening at another corner of the Pelourinhos see again - (crack) smoking and drinking and an estimated twelve years. Even after the umpteenth denial about "only one real" The kids do not loose and the passing by two police officers appear to Tourist perceptive not to exercise that feels now quite harassed. So keep an only to leave this place and actually very nice to shake off the children. Stress! I am in my five months I have been here now, no area occurred in Brazil Sun shady, just like the Herzstueck Salvador. It is actually impossible, as light-skinned German a normal walk to take through the Pelourinho.
Handtaschendiebstaehle pockets and are very common and if you really feel like getting to be attacked again properly, then you will probably just night one of the small, unlit streets and walled steep downhill to the waterfront. Heidelberger than you can imagine something like this as a lot of "snake path" from the Philosophers to the Old Bridge. But without guarantee, to arrive safely at the other end. In this way one can save the equivalent of 0.07 euros, the cost of the elevator that leads directly down to the bus station. In this way some stairs is small even with warnings and half "separation barrier" points from particle board, to tap the unsuspecting tourists and Gomez do not blend into the trap.
So he prefers to stay a bit up in the Pelourinho, over which it has become night. Some days, the district monitors now on in earnest. It goes to Praça José de Alencar, the steeply-sloping place in the already mentioned Michael Jackson video. There are often concerts, theater shows and other cultural events. Twice already, I could enjoy that allowed about 50 men + Saenger strong Afro drum group "Olodum" listen. Indescribably good is this the whole body vibrates with the rhythms, while simultaneously re-echoes the place and the amount aufgewuelte. A concert was even bathed in the rain, but the Brazilian party animals, does not mind the crowd and summarily decided to "one, two, three - free upper body." And not just the men!
With so much wet fun, beer and hormones in the air, it can take Our experience, unfortunately, not long before the first fights break out in the crowd. Apart from the now regularly interrupted by the music band, can only prevent a large police presence amid the crazy dancers worse. But then explore as four policemen with truncheons, kicked, slapped and beatings on the chest of one woman right before my eyes the top of the pyramid of power began, it was going at the time. 8 clock in the evening. Now I've experienced a lot, but what gives me to think.
It seems like so often in Brazil: Violence, poverty and the sad disillusionment are direct neighbors of their happiness, optimism, warmth and happiness. But, as already announced
up at the beginning: the Pelourinho, with its two dozen roads accounts for a negligible percentage of the surrounding metropolis of Salvador. It would somehow be unfair to stop at this point of the report. Finally, I am lucky to have already met a lot of other places that deserve to be mentioned.
As would be especially the countless beaches mentioned. Salvador has in this respect probably one of the best locations in the world. As immersion peninsula into the Atlantic, there are two partly fantastic, huge sandy coastline, which converge at the head of Salvador, the Lighthouse of Barra. That flows west to the Bay of All Saints also offers a variety of tranquil island paradise, where you can spend a cozy weekend. to relocate with a small boat to one of these islands, which is comparable cheap and quick. "I am nothing, you nothing," one has left the noisy city behind and ends up in a warm, shallow bay, where only few Capoeira warrior stir the sand, or the richer Brazilians thick (yes, it's clichéd!) Tan bellies. A trip to the peninsula "Itaparica" is any Salvadorurlauber recommended that the fruits of the schnuckligen boats are even included. In addition, the company has recently which, in my opinion, megalomania, project the state government in the near future, a bridge from Salvador to build according to Itaparica - that way across the Bay of All Saints - and this will destroy the increased volume of traffic these remaining idyll of a day.
little note on the side: instead of spending tax money for a functioning school system, police or ordinary schools, is invested in a mega project that Kant would turn in his grave. Who knows if the construction company, the Supervisory Board not accidental in the Parliament is sitting?
Very well, at least the really very restful day round trip will cost by the All Saints Bay in the torque 15 € per person - my clear recommendation! to Salvador itself can make no comment on the standard Badevergnuegen. All 29 districts (!) Border on the land for the. Some sections are more beautiful and some less. often leads such as a large, noisy traffic artery just behind the sandy strip of recovery or the stinking sewers as yet unknown, making its way into the sea. Caution you must have on all beaches this big city when it comes to exercise valuables! There are enough "Capitães de areia" - to German: to steal, so children and young people whose favorite sport is to watch the unsuspecting swimmers, money and cameras - Strandkapitaene. A small recommendation can I give good beaches but: In the north-east of Salvador, that is near the airport, there are some kokospalmengesaeumte Paradieslein with beautiful waves and free-running and ice Sonnenbrillenverkaeufern. These beaches, with the name "Stella Maris", "Vilas de Atlantico" or "Praia do Flamengo" not quite come to those further north approached outside the city, they provide in any case a nice Caribbean feel.
What has yet to offer Salvador? One might even a poetic tour take by about five giant shopping center, but get bored you can elsewhere.
closing let me with one last funny story about "Salvador and its Metro. The Public
Verkersnetz is now equipped with old, noisy, smelly, broken buses that race without timetable and journey times across the city. "This will change," promulgated in 1999, the City Council of Salvador.
The residents were delighted with the beautiful designs are winning an S-Bahn in the newspapers, which meanders through the almost futuristic between the roofs of many Hauchhaeuser and unseeligen traffic stop commands.
Implementation this construction should be partly related to their financial statements in 2003, but somehow there was probably wrong what. Rather than completely in one go to make the two subway lines ready, it was decided to be a solution with the rates paid to the responsible contractors and related sub-section sites. The finance committee of the city must be a case but have fragmented maechig. Because the money for the rates soon became very scarce. So you stood at the beginning of the new decade, quite helpless. On the one hand, smaller pieces of track laid above ground construction had already been completed, but the view was soon working on a metro first then. The expected lengths of the lines have been corrected - namely shortened. And yet the construction process moved with his constant interruptions ever in the length, and has still found no end, after the opening has been postponed year after year. A prime example of sloppy programming. Now slowly begin some sections, which were built at first to be unusable. The weather elements they had over the last ten years and not up to the maintenance had to be grossly negligent not care.
30,000 euros (80,000 reais), the Government also apply for the monthly rent of an unused train, traveling - next planning mistakes - were bought early and can not be used now. A city has at its Project clearly quite taken over. Who would like to learn more about this says, at best a taxi driver in Salvador on this topic. Our experience is obtained on the question of what holds that the squandering his taxes, namely a loud "Meu Deus", "Ave Maria" or just a smile with schmunzliges Ackselzucken. Today, the Metro is still not finished, may be living in Salvador, Brazil also pleased indeed to a new Golden Gate Bridge to Itaparica! I'll come back around 2020 times.
That leaves still draw a conclusion: Salvador is a huge metropolis which has grown faster than they could grow. The historic Pelourinho and some distributed over the rest of the city churches, as well as the many beautiful beaches are the highlights. There are people who manage to get otherwise can not only by the noise, the stench clouds, the obvious poverty of many municipalities, the stress and the risk stellenabhaengige from the holiday mood. There must always know yourself, how resilient he is. I have found for me personally that I am adding this moloch big city and my rhythm is another. Maybe it's because I've just taken there almost never vacation mature Mario Gomez-tourist role and know from the beginning to the dark side of the city had to learn that are often repressed.
Heidelberg has won for me.
Part 1 - Insights into the health system
Part 2 - Palmares, a town struggles
Part 3 - Salvador da Bahia
Part 4 - The Christian Church in Brazil - a blessing?
