Day 289
Downtown Salvador, in the Pelourinho.
Last night we went into the centre of Salvador, to a place called the Pelourinho and it was such a hive of activity..party town! Prior to Carnival, Saturday nights never end..the party just goes and goes and goes..It´s called ´´Saturday 24 hour and is held here in Barra (Bahia) every Saturday night from November until Carnival starts in early February!
On the way we saw a guy who~d just been hit by a car..and all these people on the streets going totally insane. The place seems to have cars, people and accidents happening all the time. We~ve seen a few. And the taxis dont have seatbelts and jus speed about like there is no tomorrow...so we were thinking.....what are we doing out and about in Salvador at this time of the night?
But..its such a colourful, church filled city..that has a lot of looming crosses and artists on the streets...and musicians playing...and in a way..even with all the commotion going on, we feel safe and just like being amongst it all.
We felt really at home as well..the colours the smells, the people...and just everything going on down there was just so alive.
We had to wait for a couple of hours before we saw our show so we ate at a little cafe (a local pastry with vegetables..so yummy!) and had a local beer...and then walked around following the music. So much music here in the Pelourinho! And great music..the drums were strumming and this coconut string instrument which was fascinating was resonating around the plaza...
We went into this side street and heard a band playing and decided to go in there..we were the only foreigners there..everyone else was black..and even then we felt at home. We must have adapted to the unusual i think! IT was really weird because there were three bars in the place...and one was called the regae bar..and one was called the negra bar. Funny how they don~t mind advertising the negra fact. For them..it~s just what it is.
The place, that was an inside, outside place called Alfoxe Reggae na Luz was a little place that had a big stage with a huge umbrella for the band..with one large light lighting up the band..and an outside dance area for the specators..it had stairs going up to a balcony, where we were. A local lady, in the big hooped skirt, was at one end cooking local snacks on a fire..
We were leaning up against the pole listening to the band..and the locals were coming up to us..and at one stage the manager or the owner came up to us and gave us two tickets for more of their local pastry type snack food. We had some and it was a rice roll stuffed with shrimp. So nice. It was pretty salty so we had to buy a beer after..which i think was their strategy.
The music was just fantastic. All regae and negra music..and everyone was dancing...a guy came up to us with these mighty long dreadlocks and showed us how to do the negra handshake..was so funny..they talk to us in long speeches of portuguese as if we understand..and we smile and say a few local words and obrigado and they~re happy! They really welcomed us..and probably could see by our dancing that we really loved the music.
We left to find our show, the Fundacao Bale Folclorico da Bahai show which is a local cultural show..it started at 8pm and we were told (and somehow understood them) to be there about 10 to 8. We got there...and got front row streets. THe theatre Teatro Miguel Santana, is a local theatre which has wooden bench seats and holds probably 30 people.
The show started with a lot of local black people in costumes and bongo drums and dancing..and as it progressed it reached fervour pitch. THey love the fast rhythmic music..and get very engrossed in it. The dances are all to do with the fields like the tobacco and corn fields and you can see it in their actions. It tells a story. There were a lot of men dancing..really energetic, acrobatic dances....
So colourful...
Dancers at the show!
We loved the show...and it really allowed us to understand more of the african culture which is what this city, Salvador, is based upon...there are more black african americans here than anywhere else in the world, outside Africa!
We stopped off at a local bar later and had a minerale com gas (sparkling water) and just watched the place rage on...the dress is incredible..the women wear BIG dresses..sort of skirts that are hoooped out. IT~s just amazing..and the lights, the christmas lights, are glittering away like no other city. All the trees are tied with strands of lights!
What a great night!!!!
