Salvador, a third biggest brasilian city, the centre of afrobrasilian culture, known as the African soul of Brasil, is a place with the most dark-skinned inhabitants of Brasilia. Great beaches and a fabulous colonial architecture of Centro Historico made my stay here unforgettable. I have needed two-three days first to believe I have indeed started my open-end holidays...
I spent my time here in a very cosy and family-style hostel Nega Maluca with a great breakfast, seated very nearby the heart of the Centro Historico.
I had an opportunity and took a part in a special religious ceremony called Candomble. Tha black slaves in Brasil were not allowed to keep their own religion, so they were practicing their own ceremonies under cover of catholic ceremonies and catholic saints. The ceremony was very impressive, everybody dressed in white and light coluored clothes, dancing in a transe, screaming sometimes, huging sometimes other dancers or some people from the small audience. Very special experience. Two women freaked really out - their ghosts (or, in a catholic way, saints or angels) were kind of released or so, hard to say... it looked like kind of orgasmic catharsis, very impressive...
The other special thing here is Capoeira, kind of fight which looks more like a dance with smooth, very balanced movements. It was developed by slaves who were not allowed to do any fights or so (they were not allowed to do anything but working...), so they invented this special mixtre of dance and fight. Its a pleasure to observe them performing Capoeira, perfect bodies in perfect harmony...
Spontanous Capoiera at the beach
Zebra on her way to see sea turtles which she finally did not found. But feeling lucky despite of that :)
Zebra feels very very lucky...
Tonight I will go with a friend to Theatro Miguel Santana to see Baile Folclorico
Tommorow I am leaving Salvador to Rio de Janeiro...
