Skimming the Coast of Brazil: Ilhéus, Salvador, Fortaleza

After saying adieu to Rio de Janeiro, our boat set out on a northward course along the coast of Brazil. Brazil is a big country, just about the same size as the contiguous United States. So, navigating the rest of the Brazilian coast took us five days, with three stops.

Ilhéus

Ilhéus was our first stop. A town of about 180,000, it seemed like a manageable destination, especially compared to Rio. We set out on foot from the port area, in the antlike parade of wobbly seafarers heading to town. Most of the enterprises along the traffic path were clearly used to being patient with bridging the language barrier, be it to English, Spanish, or anything else. By this time, we had a “forgot to pack” list that took us to a local drugstore before anything else. We explored the large church, and the adjacent commercial area. Ilhéus is a significant exporter of cocoa, and we managed to find a lovely craft chocolate store, where we experienced more of that patience as we navigated our transaction and basic pleasantries muddling through in an amusing mixture of Spanish, Portuguese, and English. Risking the melting of our loot, we set out for an extended exploration of the town-adjacent walkway along the water, passing what used to be the harbor until the sidewalk virtually disappeared. What had, by then, also disappeared was the presence of our shipmates. It was fun to explore.

Salvador

Our second stop: Salvador, or, more accurately, Salvador de Bahia de Todos Santos. De Bahia, because it is on a huge bay. De Todos Santos, because it was “discovered” on All Saints Day. Of course. At over two million inhabitants, Salvador is quite a bit bigger, and we opted to join a guided tour.

Salvador was founded in 1549 and was the capital of Portuguese Brazil for a while. It was also central to the slave trade and sugar plantation. All these things left marks of large, concentrated wealth, remaining today as lots of impressive churches and some impressive buildings. Some of the later buildings appeared Art Deco-ish style, including the large outdoor elevator built in 1873. Brazil’s first large elevator, it still serves to connect the upper and lower parts of town, supplemented by several funicular cable cars. Given the makeup of the population, over 80% identify as multiracial or black, African and Portuguese influences are both visible. Our tour guide took great pride in explaining how slyly the population has adjusted Catholicism to fit cultural heritage.

The day in Salvador was full of experiences and impressions of history and culture, difficult to sum up. The sense that it left me with, from our guide and many others we encountered, that it was a challenged and joyful place, intensely proud of its history and what it is. A place to watch both the sunrise (over the Atlantic) and the sunset (over the bay), because the bay is so immense.

Fortaleza

Fortaleza is another big city, at 2.5 million residents. We opted to explore on our own and managed an Uber from the port to a commercial district where we explored a large mall. Quite a contrast to the historical sites of Salvador. But interesting and no less educational. Based on our experiences in Manta, Buenos Aires, and Fortaleza, it appears that mall culture is alive and well in South America. Consumerism is a developed country affliction, and, it seems, a global aspiration. The mall was expansive and taught how a certain, advantaged part of the population opted to spend both time and money. One of the highlights for us was the exploration of a grocery store, where we recognized some products and puzzled over others. The expanse of Fortaleza didn’t lend itself to on-foot exploration, but from afar and a-car, its high-rise, beach-proximate district looks to rival Waikiki.

The one day, touchdown, largely managed tourism experience is both interesting and lacking, educational and sometimes awkward, eye opening and inadequate. We arrived with a supply of Brazilian currency because, well, I find it a matter of appreciation to the country and people I am visiting. We overestimated our needs and have some Reais left over. Clearly, that must be a sign that we should return to Brazil for more exploration. Certainly, the initial exposures were fascinating. If only they spoke Spanish! 😊