SALVADOR . AFRO - BRAZILIAN CULTURE AT IT'S BEST .

Our first sight of Salvador was a row of skyscrapers that slowly grew out of the hazy horizon while we were still way offshore . The city lies at the entrance of the Baia do Todos os Santos , Brazil’s largest bay and is quite unique in that it is divided into two parts , the upper city ( Cidade Alta ) which is the original colonial city and the lower city ( Cidade Baixa ) which runs along the shores of the bay incorporating the port and commercial area . These two levels are connected by the Elevador Lacerda , the world’s first urban elevator which ascends 236ft in about a minute or you can travel on the Plano Inclinado , a funicular lift . The city has over 300 churches but as our blog is starting to resemble a catalogue of Brazilian churches and being wary of boring you with more historic buildings , all l will say is that some of them are magnificent which is our interest in them . In some of them the intricate hand carved wood-work layered with gold is something to be seen and apparently the Igreja de Sao Francisco dated 1708 , one of Brazil’s most impressive churches has over a ton of gold adorning it's ornate carvings .

Salvador has many interesting markets including the Mercado Modelo , once a holding pen for slaves . It has dozens of stalls where you can buy anything from musical instruments to amulets that ward off evil spirits .

We spent some time exploring the historic Pelourinho section which showcases the largest collection of colonial buildings in Latin America . The Largo do Pelourinho is also the place where slaves were punished , whipped while tied to posts but thankfully the posts have long been removed . Strangely enough it was also where Michael Jackson shot his controversial music video “ They don’t care about us “ and in the process changed the lives of the cultural music group Olodum forever . Salvador’s best known percussion group also collaborated with Paul Simon’s “ Rhythm of the Saints “ tour . One evening while sitting with our mates at a pavement bar we had the strangest looking apparition walk slowly past us on two occasions . He wears what resembles a suit of armour and apparently has never shown his face to the public in over thirty years . A little further on from where we sat he appeared to open a facade that looked similar to a stone wall and stepped into an opening which apparently leads to his abode. The result of this eerie mystery surrounding this character has made him world famous .  

There is so much that is different about Salvador from the street food prepared and sold by baianas , turbaned women in voluminous lace trim dresses to the street drummers to Capoeira , a dance and martial art all in one . Apparently the Carnival in Salvador is Brazil’s wildest party and in one street bar with a great band playing we were mesmerized watching people dancing the Samba .

The gods were smiling on me when while booking into the five star Bahia Marina l casually asked Saulo the guy checking us in where l could get to see some jazz and blues . He pointed to a historic building a couple of hundred metres away and smiled saying “ hey man , the best jazz and blues in Salvador “ . The building turned out to be the Museum of Modern Art and they refer to the gig on Saturday nights as the JAMnoMAM and he was right . Young musicians alternate throughout the night playing every instrument you can imagine and of course there is a strong percussion influence in their music . They even had a blind guitarist playing a Fender Stratocaster “ Jeff Healy style “ with the guitar on his lap and he was brilliant . Every Saturday night since arriving is JAM night . Salvador has been a great experience and what made it even more enjoyable was the friends that we have met here who showed us the city with its African heritage clear to see in their dance and food and to hear in their music .

But the highlight of our time spent while in Salvador was our five day trip into the mountains of Chapada Diamantina where our visit coincided with the annual two day Jazz Festival . But that’s a complete experience on its own and as soon as time permits l will do a separate post on this beautiful place .

Right now we are preparing our boat to sail to our next destination , the city of Maceio which is 268nm up the coast and hopefully we will get a bit more south in the wind direction that is blowing right now when we set sail

JAMnoMAM .
WHAT A GREAT WAY TO SPEND A SATURDAY NIGHT , SITTING UNDER A CANOPY OF STARS LISTENING TO CLASS AFRO - BRAZILIAN JAZZ .

BAHIA MARINA .
WE BASED OURSELVES IN THIS FIVE STAR MARINA WHILE WE EXPLORED THE CITY NEARBY .

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SALVADOR . A CAPTIVATING CITY .

THE VIEW OF SALVADOR WHEN APPROACHING FROM OFFSHORE .

BAHIA MARINA .
THIS MARINA HAS EVERYTHING INCLUDING FIVE RESTAURANTS .

THE ELEVADOR LACERDA .
THE LINK BETWEEN THE UPPER AND LOWER CITY .

ONCE A HOLDING PEN FOR SLAVES , TODAY IT IS A FAMOUS MARKET .

PALACIO RIO BRANCO .
OVERLOOKS BAIA DE TODOS OS SANTOS BRAZIL'S LARGEST BAY .

THE HEART OF THE ORIGINAL COLONIAL UPPER CITY .

IGREJA DE SAO FRANCISCO . DATED 1708 .
ONE OF BRAZIL'S MOST IMPRESSIVE CHURCHES WITH OVER A TON OF GOLD PLATING ALONE .

WHEN THIS LOVELY LADY HEARD THAT WE WERE SOUTH AFRICANS SHE INSISTED ON HAVING A PIC TAKEN WITH US .

LARGO DO PELOURINHO .
ONCE A SLAVE'S WORST NIGHTMARE . THE WHIPPING POSTS HAVE LONG BEEN REMOVED .

STREET DRUMMERS .
A COMMON SIGHT IN THE PELOURINHO .

TAKING THE FERRY TO ILHA ITAPARICA .

THE ITAPARICA MARINA .
A SOUTH AFRICAN COUPLE OWN A RESTAURANT NEARBY .

THE MAGIC WATER ON ITAPARICA .
THE STORY GOES THAT IF YOU DRINK ENOUGH OF THIS WATER YOU WILL LOOK YOUNGER THAN YOUR CHILDREN . IT OBVIOUSLY TAKES TIME TO TAKE EFFECT AS WE ARE STILL WAITING.

THE NICEST BUNCH OF GUYS WHO BECAME GOOD FRIENDS .
WE HAD SOME GREAT TIMES TOGETHER IN THE CITY .

THEY ARRIVED AT OUR BOAT WITH ALL THE INGREDIENTS FOR A GREAT LUNCH .
MARTINCHO SPONSORED THE FOOD , WE PROVIDED THE VENUE AND ALEJANDRO COOKED UP A STORM .

SAULO OUR SAINT IN SALVADOR .
FROM THE MOMENT WE ARRIVED HE DID EVERYTHING HE COULD TO HELP US ENJOY HIS CITY.

MORRO DE SAO PAULO & THE RIO JEQUIE . WHAT A CONTRAST .

After enjoying the solitude of Camamu Bay , Morro de Sao Paulo was the re-awakening . The moment we stepped through the historic arched entrance into the village we felt the buzz.

A very popular tourist village on the Ilha de Tinhare it is one of those fun in the sun kind of places with beautiful beaches lined with dozens of pousadas and small upmarket hotels . This place is totally car-free and wheelbarrows are used to cart everything from the ferries to the various establishments throughout the village . We really enjoyed the vibe with its holiday atmosphere and with live music being played from various beach bars it must really rock in season . We were fortunate to be there out of season as in peak holiday time the number of tourists triples and it must be sheer madness with jammed beaches and packed restaurants , not our kind of fun . Judging by the number of surf shops and dive operators trading in the village there is obviously a good wave and good diving on offer as the Atlantic side of Tinhare has many beaches stretching for forty kilometres .

After a couple of days we upped anchor and headed up the Rio Jequie to the village of Galeao not too far from Morro . What a contrast from an upmarket resort village to this rural fishing village a few miles away . The locals are very poor but really friendly and it reminded us of places we have visited back in Africa . Most of them own a dugout canoe and it was one place that l saw these traditional canoes being sailed with amazing skill . How they keep them upright when the wind is gusting l have no idea .

Something that we have enjoyed in Bahia State that we have never done back home in South Africa is eating out in the taverns with the locals . We have always felt comfortable sitting amongst them enjoying the distinct flavours of Bahian food which is unique to this state and at times it was easy to forget that we were in Brazil as everyone looks so African . At times l have had to check myself as the first language that comes to mind when speaking to these people is the good old Zulu . One restaurant owner was so chuffed with our patronage that it would be unfair to say that his service was five star . He literally topped up my glass everytime l took a sip of my beer , his service was so good . The meal that they prepared was fresh prawns in a typical Brazilian style dish which was fantastic and washed down with a couple of ice cold beers at half the going price , what more could you ask for . When it came to settling the bill he produced a piece of scrap paper with a number on it then looked at me with a broad grin , crossed out the number and halved it . He had obviously enjoyed our time spent together as much as we had .

Our next anchorage was the town of Cairu situated 14nm upriver from Morro . Other cruisers that we had met on route had told us about the beautiful Igreja Convento Santo Antonio in other words the convent overlooking the town . Three monks still live in the monastery and we were fortunate to chat to one of them who seemed quite tuned into South African affairs and also another big fan of Nelson Mandela . The Brazilians love our former statesman and when l proudly mention his name they either give me a big thumbs up or they place both hands on their heart and call his name . They have no idea who Jacob Zuma is ,l wonder why ?

After ten days on the Rio Jequie enjoying the rustic surrounds of the river which l might add reaches depths that exceed 30 metres in places we raised anchor and headed downriver towards the sea and the bright lights of Salvador further up the Bahian Coast .        

MORRO DE SAO PAULO : GAMBOA : CURRAL : GALEAO : CAIRU .

THE HISTORIC ENTRANCE TO MORRO DE SAO PAULO .
NOTE THE WHEELBARROWS WHICH ARE USED TO CARRY EVERYTHING FROM THE FERRIES INTO TOWN .

EVERY VILLAGE HAS AT LEAST ONE CHURCH .

PEDESTRIANS ONLY IN THIS TOWN OF MORRO .

GOOD WAVES AND GOOD DIVE SPOTS KEEP THESE SHOPS VERY BUSY .

THIS IS OUT OF SEASON .
IN SEASON IT MUST BE MADNESS .

UPMARKET HOTELS RIGHT ON THE BEACH .

GREAT SPOT FOR A POWER NAP .

THIS RESTAURANT OWNER GAVE 5 STAR SERVICE .
HE TOPS UP YOUR BEER AFTER EVERY SIP

AN OLD TRADITIONAL BOAT BUILDING YARD .
NOTE THE DUGOUT GETTING A BITUMEN SEAL .

OLD RUINS WITH A LONG STORY .

TOWN OF GALEAO ON THE BANKS OF THE RIO JEQUIE .

IGREJA CONVENTO SANTO ANTONIO .
THREE MONKS STILL CALL IT HOME .

PAINTED CEILINGS THROUGHOUT THE CONVENT .
NOTE THE CLEVER DEPICTION OF ANOTHER LEVEL UPSTAIRS .

DINING OUT WITH THE LOCALS IN CAIRU .
GREAT FOOD , GREAT MUSIC , GREAT PRICES & ICE COLD BEER .

ANCHORED OFF CURRAL .

CAMAMU BAY & RIO MARAU . PEACE AND TRANQUILITY .

At this time of the year and along this stretch of the Brazilian Coast the southeasters are the prevailing winds and once again we enjoyed a great sail from Ilheus to Baia de Camamu . We were thinking that if the conditions were right we might call into Itacare but by the time we had the tricky entrance off our beam there was a reasonable swell running with the wind blowing in the high teens and the boat was surfing along so nicely it seemed a pity to put an end to this sail . Also cruising friends of ours had attempted the entrance while being led in by a local boat and in the process ran up onto the sandbank and with the help of a group of locals struggled to get off and back into deeper water. With our boat displacing around twelve tons at the moment it somehow took the shine off Itacare so we continued onto Camamu Bay and sailed into our first anchorage near the entrance of the river .

What a contrast to where we were moored in Ilheus amongst the prawn boat fleet and their rowdy crews . It was peaceful and quiet and beautiful with island communities living in total harmony on mainly Ilha Campinho and Ilha Saphino in their neat little homes in a different world . The villages have wicker waste baskets mounted on poles and trees and the surrounds are spotless . 

This part of Brazil is very different to the Brazil we experienced last season . It is remote and rural and the multi-million dollar gin palaces that we saw in the south have been replaced with traditional wooden boats and dugout canoes some even being sailed with great skill . A common sight are these dugout canoes being driven by a small standard industrial petrol engine with a long shaft and prop . 
We visited Camamu Town by ferry as our boat sits too deep for certain sections of the approaches to the town . This bay is noted for the traditional boatyards that still build the beautiful schooners that grace Brazilian waters using the same designs that they have utilized for years . 

Bear in mind these rivers are huge and around the time that we arrived it was spring tides and the current was really strong so generally you go in the direction of the tide whether it be an ebb or flood . My grandmother taught me that lesson in that she was born and raised and lived well into her thirties on the banks of the Umzimvubu River in Port St Johns on the Transkei Coast . Nobody even attempted to row against the current .

The people who live in the small villages along the banks of the river are generally very poor and fishing seems to be their sole existence . Watching them deploy large nets from these unstable canoes and the tactics they use to drive the fish into their nets is quite fascinating and it is obvious that these are skills handed down from one generation to the next .

There are extensive mangroves and numerous creeks leading off the main river and our new duck with its Honda outboard earned its keep as we explored the tributaries that feed this system . Huge fish traps made up from branches and sticks are a common sight along the banks and a careful watch must be kept while motoring along to avoid getting fouled up on floats attached to submerged baskets on the floor of the river .

After spending sometime in anchorages near the mouth of the river we decided to head upriver to the town of Marau situated on the banks of the river that shares the same name . The most distinguishing feature of the town is a huge concrete embankment that features all of the creatures that are found in the surrounding area with their bodies moulded/raised and painted on the walls of this enormous structure . Sadly we discovered that the creator of this feature had a serious drug addiction problem and he finally took his own life .

One of the joys of cruising are the many interesting people you meet along the way . One such person is John , a scientist / oceanographer / solo sailor of note who has chosen a simple way of life living with his wife in their rustic home on the river . His boat is a replica of Bernard Moitessier's famous yacht Joshua and she stands in the mud in front of their home .
Early one morning with Urs and l still astral travelling in the forepeak he woke us and immediately invited us to their home for a meal . We had an enjoyable day and a great meal learning about the lifestyle that some people choose as against the conventional and left late that evening in our duck for home .

Another interesting couple we met were the owners of a restaurant located on a small island that they have owned for thirty years near the Tremembe Falls . Ada is a qualified doctor and Nilton her husband is a noted chef . They live very happily in their rustic home/restaurant in amongst the trees on their island . We were greeted with samples of his homemade shooters made from different fruits and cachaca . 
Nilton served up freshwater crawfish ( pitu ) for lunch and after a great day we left with four different flavours ( bottles ) of his magic potion .

After a couple of days anchored in the upper reaches of the Rio Marau twenty six nautical miles ( 48kms ) from the sea completely isolated from the rest of the world we headed back down river to an anchorage near the mouth of the river and early the following morning we set sail for Morro de Sao Paulo , totally rested and eager to move onto our next destination .       

RIO MARAU .

EXPLORING THE MANGROVES IN OUR TENDER .
OUR LITTLE HONDA WORKED IT'S BUTT OFF .

PERFECT ANCHORAGES ON THE RIVER COMPLETELY TO OURSELVES .
THIS IS WHAT DREAMS ARE MADE OF .

JOHN'S BOAT . A REPLICA OF BERNARD MOITESSIER'S FAMOUS BOAT JOSHUA ON THE HARD IN FRONT OF HIS SIMPLE HOME ON THE BANKS OF THE RIO MARAU .

WE ENJOYED A GREAT MEAL AND A WONDERFUL EVENING WITH JOHN .

MARAU'S MOST DISTINCTIVE FEATURE DEPICTING ALL THE CREATURES BIG AND SMALL FOUND IN THE AREA .

THE CHURCH OVERLOOKING THE TOWN OF MARAU .

THE OTHER CHURCH ABOVE THE RIVER .

CHECKING OUT THE TREMEMBE WATERFALL . SHALLOW DRAFT BOATS CAN ANCHOR RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FALLS .

URS HAVING A BEAUTY TREATMENT IN A ROCK POOL .
ME THINKS SHE IS MISSING HER BALL & CLAW BATH BACK HOME .

NILTON & ADA .
THEY SERVED UP FRESHWATER CRAWFISH ( PITU ) FOR LUNCH .

WINDWARD DRAWS 1,8m SO WE HAD TO VISIT THE FALLS IN OUR DUCK .

ANCHORED IN THE UPPER REACHES OF THE RIO MARAU APPROX 26NM (48KM) FROM THE SEA.
PEACE AND TRANQUILITY .