Carnaval in Salvador
Every carnival season Salvador is the scene for the greatest street party in the entire world.
According to the Guinness Book of Records, it's bigger than Rio, bigger than anywhere on the globe.
Of course, we had to join the party, but as Rita feel very claustrophobic inside huge masses of people, we decided against going to the main events at Campo Grande or Circuito Dodo, where hundreds of thousands would be crammed into the avenues along the seafront.
Not risking that, we made two flies with one bash, by going to the old, colonial part of Salvador, the Upper city or Cidade Alta, which we really wanted to see. Here the carnival was supposed to be more intimate.
You go to the upper city by taking the famous almost 150 years old Lacerda Elevator - the oldest public elevator in the world.
In just 30 seconds, we moved up 70 meters and walked out towards the most beautiful view of the Bay of all Saints.
Behind us, inside the cobbled streets, the processions were slowly gathering - intensely guarded by both military police and municipal police force.
While our visit this Fall to Bali gave us the impression that the Balinese mostly express introverted happiness, Brazilians seem to express outgoing joy and the ability to really party through.
Everywhere we looked, we experienced joy and easiness. Here is seemingly no sexism, ageism, or racism. We watched grandmothers walk by in tight leggings and challenging low-cut robes with huge booties, while old men with cool shirts and happy smiles watched on.
On the whole, there is a lot of skin here. No cover-up of less flattering body parts. Everything is shown with pride.
We spent several hours on some plastic chairs in a small alley, looking out into one of the carnival circuits. All the while we drank beer by the liter and exchanged friendly nods and 'saúde!' with the elderly gentlemen seated around us.
In turn, we walked out to check up on the processions and find the ones which would be the most fun to parade with.
We walked with golden, roman legionnaires complete with blue eye shadow and glossy lipstick. With hordes of pink playboy bunnymen and with the wild Commanche group, dressed as native Americans with colorful feathers and headgear.
All over the old city, we found the Filhos de Gandhi, or Sons of Gandhi. This huge group of what we heard should be dockyard workers, keep up the age-old tradition of Candomble, an African-Brazilian religion. The hundreds, perhaps thousands of men were all dressed in traditional white and blue African attire, with turban-like headgear made out of neatly folded common towels.
We were informed by Carnaval connoisseurs that this group features some of the best percussionists who parade at the Carnaval in Salvador.
Slow samba to wind down
On the way home to the hotel in Itapua, we stopped by a small bar at our local beach.
Sambas and bossa novas and plenty of cool beer to wind down from the frenzy of Salvador. Many happy people around us were slow dancing or singing to the famous tunes! What a day!
And - on a more somber note:
Brazil has the last couple of years fallen into its worst recession ever, with a crumbling economy and skyrocketing unemployment, street riots in major cities, and widespread corruption reaching all the way up to the offices of the former President.
- The carnival looks like a party, but it’s much more than that, one Brazilian said,
- Carnaval can help us put aside our problems for a few days. It might even be greater in times of crisis because now we need it even more.
Of course, we had to join the party, but as Rita feel very claustrophobic inside huge masses of people, we decided against going to the main events at Campo Grande or Circuito Dodo, where hundreds of thousands would be crammed into the avenues along the seafront.
Not risking that, we made two flies with one bash, by going to the old, colonial part of Salvador, the Upper city or Cidade Alta, which we really wanted to see. Here the carnival was supposed to be more intimate.
You go to the upper city by taking the famous almost 150 years old Lacerda Elevator - the oldest public elevator in the world.
In just 30 seconds, we moved up 70 meters and walked out towards the most beautiful view of the Bay of all Saints.
Behind us, inside the cobbled streets, the processions were slowly gathering - intensely guarded by both military police and municipal police force.
Everywhere we looked, we experienced joy and easiness. Here is seemingly no sexism, ageism, or racism. We watched grandmothers walk by in tight leggings and challenging low-cut robes with huge booties, while old men with cool shirts and happy smiles watched on.
On the whole, there is a lot of skin here. No cover-up of less flattering body parts. Everything is shown with pride.
We spent several hours on some plastic chairs in a small alley, looking out into one of the carnival circuits. All the while we drank beer by the liter and exchanged friendly nods and 'saúde!' with the elderly gentlemen seated around us.
In turn, we walked out to check up on the processions and find the ones which would be the most fun to parade with.
We walked with golden, roman legionnaires complete with blue eye shadow and glossy lipstick. With hordes of pink playboy bunnymen and with the wild Commanche group, dressed as native Americans with colorful feathers and headgear.
All over the old city, we found the Filhos de Gandhi, or Sons of Gandhi. This huge group of what we heard should be dockyard workers, keep up the age-old tradition of Candomble, an African-Brazilian religion. The hundreds, perhaps thousands of men were all dressed in traditional white and blue African attire, with turban-like headgear made out of neatly folded common towels.
We were informed by Carnaval connoisseurs that this group features some of the best percussionists who parade at the Carnaval in Salvador.
Slow samba to wind down
On the way home to the hotel in Itapua, we stopped by a small bar at our local beach.
Sambas and bossa novas and plenty of cool beer to wind down from the frenzy of Salvador. Many happy people around us were slow dancing or singing to the famous tunes! What a day!
And - on a more somber note:
Brazil has the last couple of years fallen into its worst recession ever, with a crumbling economy and skyrocketing unemployment, street riots in major cities, and widespread corruption reaching all the way up to the offices of the former President.
- The carnival looks like a party, but it’s much more than that, one Brazilian said,
- Carnaval can help us put aside our problems for a few days. It might even be greater in times of crisis because now we need it even more.
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