Monday, September 05, 2005
...Nao, Obrigado...
...out of the blue we decided to head to the North-East of Brazil for a few days. Salvador in Bahia has the highest of back population outside of Africa, mainly due to the history of the slave trade in the area. Black slaves were shipped here from Africa (around 5 million people) in shocking conditions. We visited the old slave market in the docks where new arrivals were kept in the basement in a watery black hole.
There also used to be a whipping post in the main square here - the Pelourinho. Today, the central area has been restored thanks to lots of money from UNESCO (it´s a world heritage site due to the colonial architecture). It is beautiful but is also full of people trying to part tourists from their cashola (legit and not so legit). If you can make it from one side of the square to another without 3 assorted street vendors and a couple of beggars accosting you you´re lucky. Very quickly you learn to say ´Nao obrigado´(no thanks) and avoid catching peoples eye. We´ve also been pickpocketed and almost scammed in the Pelo so it´s not for the light hearted. Having said all that, the night life, vibrancy, music, colourful people, drumming, and traditional Bahian costumes are all amazing. Walking through the Pelo you´ll hear drumming, jazz, singing drifting from upstairs windows and see Capoeira (cross between martial art and dance). The atmosphere is great.
A lot of people here practise Candomble - a weird mix of African cult and Catholicism. We went to a service which was an experience. The women dance around to drums and the aim is for them to enter a trance state (without chemical assistance as far as we know), the men play a supporting role. Some spectators also enter a trance (imagine your gran freaking out, shaking and crying out in guttural tones). Really interesting...although we didn´t understand much.
# posted by Pete @ 1:58 PM 
