It took me 30 loooong hours in a bus to reach Salvador de Bahia from Sao Luis. My back understood  why people say Brazil is big. As a reference, the state of Bahia is as big as France approximately...




Here, the population is obviously mixed but the black community is very important, creating a unique Bahian culture within Brazil. First for religion matters. When people cure from a disease or come back alive from the hospital, they think it's god who help them and thank him by hanging a molded representation of their ill body part in the church... It's a bit scary to see all these molded legs and arms over your head...but if they feel good about it...

Then there are the "ribbons do Senhor Bonfim", they were originally tied to church's doors and railings to grant faithful's prayers. They became today real fashion accessories. Tied to wrists and ankles making three knots and three wishes, they fall by themselves a few months later and your wishes come true!

As for Valentine's day, it's not celebrated in February like everywhere else but on June 12, eve of June 13, Day of St. Anthony, Portuguese saint with a tradition of matchmaking. As a single, I was then encouraged on that day to go to St Anthony's church to pray to find my soul mate... Look pretty desperate action to me..


Walking around in Pelourinho, the beautiful Salvador city center, watching the pastel-hued colonial buildings, I imagined what it must have been two centuries ago, when slavery was common and when old slave auction  took place on these typical cobblestones streets. Now tourists have replaced slaves....


Finally Salvador would not be Salvador without its beaches. Kilometers of white sand surround the city, and it's quite enjoyable to spend a whole afternoon drinking coconut water at a table with your feet massaged by salty and sandy water... My last couch surfing host was living in front of one of the most popular beach of the city, the view from his window was simply breath taking.