Salvador da Bahia, Brazil South America December 2008
Everything about this years birthday & holiday adventure was a dream come true! My flights departed late but what else would I expect from
American Airlines. Somehow we landed in Miami early and the transfer was a minor challenge as I had to change terminals. I felt as if I were walking to Brazil but I finally reached gate E31 with two hours to spare so I charged my phone, DVD player (anyone who knows me well will tell you I love my cooking, travel and gadgets in that order) and checked my email. Finally we boarded flight 980 bound for Salvador da Bahia on the central horn of Brazil. We departed an hour late. I nibbled on the horribly mushy chicken pasta dinner (yes chefs are very critical and brutal to garbage passed off as food, especially on a plane at 10:30 at night) before I fell into a deep sleep across 2 seats. In one of my tosses or turns I noticed a streak of fiery red color in the distance out the window I quickly realized it was sunrise. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Shortly after the attendants came by with a cold muffin, a mini package of raisins and an apple. I opted for the ‘virgin bloody mary’ mix to finish off the breakfast box. We landed 10 minutes late. I whisked through customs and immigration so quickly I wondered if they thought I was a celebrity or royalty. 20 minutes after landing I was handing over my luggage to the hotel driver. We whisked in and out of the city center with the precision of an expert marksman.
As we entered
“Porto da Barra” I wondered if the driver had driven me to the wrong place or had I made a mistake converting the price of the hotel. Porto da Barra as it turns out is a high end beach community. All of the hotels and pousadas (generally mid to low end motels and hostels) are beach front properties. Shocked is an under statement as my head spun 100 miles an hour. It appeared that none of the guys had shirts on and most of them were in tight Speedo briefs. The women for the most part wore strings tied around them masked as bikinis. We pulled into the driveway of the
"Grande Hotel da Bahia" and I panicked. I couldn’t imagine this hotel cost less than $100.00 USD per night for an ocean view suite with balcony, free breakfast and free internet service.
As I cautiously registered in Spanish, one word of portugese and a smattering of English I realized the rate was correct and the hotel was simply better than I had expected.
The pool, rooms and restaurant were all fabulous. I stood on the balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean truly thankful for that turkey and all the stuffing! I slept peacefully for a few hours and then ran out for a bite on the beach (double cheeseburger and pineapple milkshake R$6,00 or $3.00 USD) then returned to the hotel. Wow, I thought I was doing something by waking up at 4:30 AM to get out and catch an early start before everything came to life. Can you believe it the sun was already peaking its head above the horizon and there were people on the street and beach already or basically all night, so much for the “get an early start theory”. I spent a lot of time standing on the balcony stunned by the beauty of the rising & setting suns, the beautiful bodies on the beach and gagging at the heat.
I had read so much about the hotel's breakfast buffet in reviews and blogs. Refreshing that everything that was written was true. The restaurant itself was very simple, sand white and beige with a very upscale museum ambience created by simple but magnificent black & white African paintings and pieces of art on one of the walls. The opposite wall was completely mirrored giving the room an illusion of added width. The white draped buffet table ran down the length of the room. It was filled with international and local specialties. The variety was great and even better for free including an array of freshly baked mini and full sized pastries, tarts and breads. There were several varieties of charcuterie, cereals, tropical and domestic fruits. Freshly prepared eggs, coffee, tropical juices and many jellies, jams and honeys completed the table. The overall quality of the buffet and service reminded me of Sunday Brunches at the nicer hotels in Manhattan and the Hamptons.
Absolutely not typical or expected of an ala carte beach front hotel buffet, you know the ones that define free breakfast as semi frozen muffins, cold cereal and paper cups of muddy water masqueraded as coffee. After 2 plates of fluffy bright yellow scrambled eggs, three different hams, Brazilian coffee and fresh orange juice (all served on beautiful white polished china) each morning I explored different sections of the city, first staying very close to the hotel and each day venturing further and further away from the hotel and Barra.
Farol Da Barra -the lighthouse- is the local cruising spot in Barra, it was interesting and mostly very upscale Europeans on vacation. Cruising in Bahia is very sophisticated. The guys are very well groomed, educated and huge flirts but very hesitant to jump in the sack. It is very easy to laugh, joke, drink and kiss most of the night and still not hit pay dirt.
The lighthouse itself is the typical tourist attraction, intersting with a nice museum on the ground floor.Tee shirts, drinks and souvenirs.
Further away is the district of
Largo do Pelourinho the party place and major non beach tourist spot. The center focal point to start from is the
Palacio Do Rio Brancio very impressive in the Praca de Se (city square)is the seat of government and municipal centre.
The famous
Lacerda Elevator the city's largest landmark is also located in the square.
The elevator divides the upper and lower cities. The upper city being the seat of local government and middle to high class neighborhoods and the lower city being home to the traditional ways of life, economy and simple wages.
"Mercado Modelo" is an old covered market set on it's own by the old harbour, actross the street from the foot of the Lacerda Elevator in the lower city. It houses a huge traditional and very ethnic crafts always crowded with Bahians and tourists alike. You absolutely must haggle and bargain for the best deals.
Consistently impressive were the public services. The city and the beaches were very clean at all times. There were teams of people walking and picking up trash and refuse of the streets. They were always noticeable with the red jump suits on the beach raking and sifting the sand, picking up trash and emptying the trash bins. It was clean every day 24 hours.
I was curiously impressed with the public bus system. I noted it is one of the best organized and operated I have seen world-wide. They are the typical large coach buses and mini vans with a twist. You enter the back of the bus and pay cash to an attendant and slip through a turnstile. The cost on regular buses is $R2,00 and the express luxury buses are $R4,00 (1 and 2 dollars respectively) Notable was the fact handicapped, disabled, pregnant and street vendors ride for free they simply enter the front of the bus and have a seat. The rides are smooth and very fast. Buses run very frequently and 24 hours. The cost was
extremely reasonable considering cabs charged $R50,00 for the same trip ($25.00 USD). There is not a system of transfers, one simply pays again. Each bus has a list on the front of the bus stating which stops they make so it was relatively easy to travel by bus.
Note in Brazil money is written $R00,00 not in the typical $00.00 USD form we are familiar in the US.
Food was varied and extremely tasty. In “Porto da Barra” referred to as Barra Beach the food was sophisticated, international and moderately priced. Basically it was nothing special to those accustomed to good world cuisine. The food in Pelourinho was very traditional ethnic Bahian food based on rich seafood and the abundance of indigenous West African ingredients and cooking styles. It was by far the best food I ate in Bahia and the least expensive. I tried the infamous
“Arcareje” and found it to be very tasty. A cornmeal dumpling fried in coconut palm oil and then split in half, stuffed with a fiery pepper and herb relish topped with baby dried shrimp. It was bursting with spicy, smoky and fragrant flavors and an arousal to the senses! The other thing that struck my palate was the baby shrimp that were dried and salted “shell on”. The crunch and surprise of the soft shells was not bad just unexpected and different. Another dish I liked was a black eyed pea mash made with more of the fiery peppers and herbs and mashed okra which gave the dish a slimy but tasty pass over the palate elevated by the medium sized dried shrimp with shells on of course. These dishes were no more than $R5,00 or $2.50 USD. On my birthday I actually spent some time in the hood. I had a fantastic dinner of steamed shrimp, white rice and a spicy salad. It was really well prepared, seasoned and finger licking good. Easily a $100.00 USD meal in New York or L.A. but only $R22,00 or $11.00 USD. I spent some time afterwards watching the local high school band championships in the square. They battled, poppped dipped and spun all over the place. The family was out in full force, majorettes, "marching gurls" and all the other costumes that come with bands. The teams were really good and they "PERFORMED"!
A pleasant surprise was the sight of the now very muscular Henry. He explained how an associate killed his brother and he shot the guy dead and was sent him to prison. He did a few years and is now trying to get his act together.
Honestly that’s being nice about it, the bottom line is JDs is finished and just refusing to close. Both of the new clubs “GAZALA and CHA” are larger with more appealing décor and better pricing that is translating into huge consistent crowds for them. I checked out all of them Saturday night and JDs had FOUR people including myself and not counting the staff. The VIP lounge is no more so it is now a smaller space with the same old décor from years ago, not to mention a hefty entrance fee with no specials or show.
Notable was the closing of the chic “WHISKEY LOUNGE”.As usual I stayed in my favorite apartment six at Anthony’s Camilo House Apartments. I continue to be a huge fan and patron because they seem to always evolve in the most subtle of ways. Anthony is still managing, Marie is still keeping house, she has to be the best housekeeper in the DR, gone are the adult cable stations (due to the slowing economy I suspect) but a pleasant surprise was the relocation of the office- no longer in the entrance hall to give an added sense of privacy. I really love this subtle touch as a person who enjoys vacationing in non hotel atmospheres.
Everything about this years birthday & holiday adventure was a dream come true! My flights departed late but what else would I expect from American Airlines. Somehow we landed in Miami early and the transfer was a minor challenge as I had to change terminals. I felt as if I were walking to Brazil but I finally reached gate E31 with two hours to spare so I charged my phone, DVD player (anyone who knows me well will tell you I love my cooking, travel and gadgets in that order) and checked my email. Finally we boarded flight 980 bound for Salvador da Bahia on the central horn of Brazil. We departed an hour late. I nibbled on the horribly mushy chicken pasta dinner (yes chefs are very critical and brutal to garbage passed off as food, especially on a plane at 10:30 at night) before I fell into a deep sleep across 2 seats. In one of my tosses or turns I noticed a streak of fiery red color in the distance out the window I quickly realized it was sunrise. It was a beautiful sight to behold. Shortly after the attendants came by with a cold muffin, a mini package of raisins and an apple. I opted for the ‘virgin bloody mary’ mix to finish off the breakfast box. We landed 10 minutes late. I whisked through customs and immigration so quickly I wondered if they thought I was a celebrity or royalty. 20 minutes after landing I was handing over my luggage to the hotel driver. We whisked in and out of the city center with the precision of an expert marksman.
As we entered “Porto da Barra” I wondered if the driver had driven me to the wrong place or had I made a mistake converting the price of the hotel. Porto da Barra as it turns out is a high end beach community. All of the hotels and pousadas (generally mid to low end motels and hostels) are beach front properties. Shocked is an under statement as my head spun 100 miles an hour. It appeared that none of the guys had shirts on and most of them were in tight Speedo briefs. The women for the most part wore strings tied around them masked as bikinis. We pulled into the driveway of the "Grande Hotel da Bahia" and I panicked. I couldn’t imagine this hotel cost less than $100.00 USD per night for an ocean view suite with balcony, free breakfast and free internet service. 
As I cautiously registered in Spanish, one word of portugese and a smattering of English I realized the rate was correct and the hotel was simply better than I had expected.
The pool, rooms and restaurant were all fabulous. I stood on the balcony overlooking the Atlantic Ocean truly thankful for that turkey and all the stuffing! I slept peacefully for a few hours and then ran out for a bite on the beach (double cheeseburger and pineapple milkshake R$6,00 or $3.00 USD) then returned to the hotel. Wow, I thought I was doing something by waking up at 4:30 AM to get out and catch an early start before everything came to life. Can you believe it the sun was already peaking its head above the horizon and there were people on the street and beach already or basically all night, so much for the “get an early start theory”. I spent a lot of time standing on the balcony stunned by the beauty of the rising & setting suns, the beautiful bodies on the beach and gagging at the heat. 
I had read so much about the hotel's breakfast buffet in reviews and blogs. Refreshing that everything that was written was true. The restaurant itself was very simple, sand white and beige with a very upscale museum ambience created by simple but magnificent black & white African paintings and pieces of art on one of the walls. The opposite wall was completely mirrored giving the room an illusion of added width. The white draped buffet table ran down the length of the room. It was filled with international and local specialties. The variety was great and even better for free including an array of freshly baked mini and full sized pastries, tarts and breads. There were several varieties of charcuterie, cereals, tropical and domestic fruits. Freshly prepared eggs, coffee, tropical juices and many jellies, jams and honeys completed the table. The overall quality of the buffet and service reminded me of Sunday Brunches at the nicer hotels in Manhattan and the Hamptons. 
Absolutely not typical or expected of an ala carte beach front hotel buffet, you know the ones that define free breakfast as semi frozen muffins, cold cereal and paper cups of muddy water masqueraded as coffee. After 2 plates of fluffy bright yellow scrambled eggs, three different hams, Brazilian coffee and fresh orange juice (all served on beautiful white polished china) each morning I explored different sections of the city, first staying very close to the hotel and each day venturing further and further away from the hotel and Barra. Farol Da Barra -the lighthouse- is the local cruising spot in Barra, it was interesting and mostly very upscale Europeans on vacation. Cruising in Bahia is very sophisticated. The guys are very well groomed, educated and huge flirts but very hesitant to jump in the sack. It is very easy to laugh, joke, drink and kiss most of the night and still not hit pay dirt.
The lighthouse itself is the typical tourist attraction, intersting with a nice museum on the ground floor.Tee shirts, drinks and souvenirs.
Further away is the district of Largo do Pelourinho the party place and major non beach tourist spot. The center focal point to start from is the Palacio Do Rio Brancio very impressive in the Praca de Se (city square)is the seat of government and municipal centre.
The famous Lacerda Elevator the city's largest landmark is also located in the square.
The elevator divides the upper and lower cities. The upper city being the seat of local government and middle to high class neighborhoods and the lower city being home to the traditional ways of life, economy and simple wages.
"Mercado Modelo" is an old covered market set on it's own by the old harbour, actross the street from the foot of the Lacerda Elevator in the lower city. It houses a huge traditional and very ethnic crafts always crowded with Bahians and tourists alike. You absolutely must haggle and bargain for the best deals. 
Consistently impressive were the public services. The city and the beaches were very clean at all times. There were teams of people walking and picking up trash and refuse of the streets. They were always noticeable with the red jump suits on the beach raking and sifting the sand, picking up trash and emptying the trash bins. It was clean every day 24 hours.
I was curiously impressed with the public bus system. I noted it is one of the best organized and operated I have seen world-wide. They are the typical large coach buses and mini vans with a twist. You enter the back of the bus and pay cash to an attendant and slip through a turnstile. The cost on regular buses is $R2,00 and the express luxury buses are $R4,00 (1 and 2 dollars respectively) Notable was the fact handicapped, disabled, pregnant and street vendors ride for free they simply enter the front of the bus and have a seat. The rides are smooth and very fast. Buses run very frequently and 24 hours. The cost was extremely reasonable considering cabs charged $R50,00 for the same trip ($25.00 USD). There is not a system of transfers, one simply pays again. Each bus has a list on the front of the bus stating which stops they make so it was relatively easy to travel by bus. Note in Brazil money is written $R00,00 not in the typical $00.00 USD form we are familiar in the US.
Food was varied and extremely tasty. In “Porto da Barra” referred to as Barra Beach the food was sophisticated, international and moderately priced. Basically it was nothing special to those accustomed to good world cuisine. The food in Pelourinho was very traditional ethnic Bahian food based on rich seafood and the abundance of indigenous West African ingredients and cooking styles. It was by far the best food I ate in Bahia and the least expensive. I tried the infamous “Arcareje” and found it to be very tasty. A cornmeal dumpling fried in coconut palm oil and then split in half, stuffed with a fiery pepper and herb relish topped with baby dried shrimp. It was bursting with spicy, smoky and fragrant flavors and an arousal to the senses! The other thing that struck my palate was the baby shrimp that were dried and salted “shell on”. The crunch and surprise of the soft shells was not bad just unexpected and different. Another dish I liked was a black eyed pea mash made with more of the fiery peppers and herbs and mashed okra which gave the dish a slimy but tasty pass over the palate elevated by the medium sized dried shrimp with shells on of course. These dishes were no more than $R5,00 or $2.50 USD. On my birthday I actually spent some time in the hood. I had a fantastic dinner of steamed shrimp, white rice and a spicy salad. It was really well prepared, seasoned and finger licking good. Easily a $100.00 USD meal in New York or L.A. but only $R22,00 or $11.00 USD. I spent some time afterwards watching the local high school band championships in the square. They battled, poppped dipped and spun all over the place. The family was out in full force, majorettes, "marching gurls" and all the other costumes that come with bands. The teams were really good and they "PERFORMED"!
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