SALVADOR (2)

We also went out to the Bonfim church - a centre of Candomblé, because when the slaves were forbidden to practice their own religion, the African gods were syncretised with catholic saints and worshipped clandestinely at mass. The church is known for miraculous cures and there are any number of model limbs and body-parts given by the successfully cured. The older ones carved of wood are attractive and endearing. The modern, mass-produced, plastic versions are horrible and vaguely (or in one case frankly) obscene.

We went to the rather disappointing Museum of Modern Art – a few sculptures in a small park, although a gallery with other works was supposed to be open in the afternoon – and to a production of modern dance which was most enjoyable. One number was based on comic-strip heroes and heroines: Superman, Spiderman, Bat-woman etc, using the music from the TV versions. It was well done and very amusing.

A feature of the old city which we enjoyed were the mail boxes...

On our last day we took the ferry across to Itaparica island, a haven of calm after the city. If anyone is interested, there is a yacht-chartering business waiting to be developed in the bay - it is a huge sailing ground with several islands and lots of places to go ashore to eat and drink. Warm water and palm trees, what more do you want? It was 'discovered' by Amerigo Vespucci on All Saints Day 1501, and it is easy to imagine him sailing into the calm waters through the entrance between Barra and Itaparica.


The sleepy village of Itaparica on the northern tip, with its little church and fort, was a pleasant place for lunch in the shade of the trees, overlooking the anchorage for visiting yachts.


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También conocimos la iglesia de Jesús Bonfim – un centro de Candomblé, ya que cuando se les prohibió a los esclavos practicar su religion, ellos sincretizaron sus dioses con santos católicos para hacer su culto de forma clandestina en la misa. Esta iglesia es conocida por las curaciones milagrosas, y hay cantidades de maquetas de piernas, brazos etc donadas por los curados. Las maquetas antiguas talladas en madera son atractivas y simpáticas. Las modernas, producidas en serie de plástico, son horribles y vagamente (o realmente, en un caso) obscenas.

Fuimos al Museo de Arte Moderna – unas pocas esculpturas en un pequeno parque, aunque supuestamente una galleria con otras obras iba a estar abierta en la tarde. Asisitimos a una producción de baile moderno, muy buena. Un número estaba basado en unas personalidades de los monos animados: Superman, el Hombre Arana etc, con la música correspondiente.

El ultimo día tomamos el ferry a la isla de Itaparica, un oasis de paz después de la ciudad. La bahía es perfecta para navegar en velero… Fue descubierta por Amerigo Vespucci en el día de Todos los Santos de 1501, es fácil imaginarlo pasando entre Barra e Itaparica para navegar las águas calmas y tibias.

El pueblito durmido de Itaparica en la punta norte de la isla, con su iglesia y su fuerte, era un lugar agradable para almorzar a la sombra de los arboles con vista al mar.