Holy shit, this city is beautiful. I can’t stop smiling and I started mid-flight along the coast of Aracaju, when I opened my eyes because the pilot kindly announced it was worth doing so.
I complained about Recife, but there’s one thing the city did right—it’s a convenient hub in Brazil and the airport is in the middle of Boa Viagem for maximum convenience. It was the quickest and cheapest Uber ride ever, 7 minutes and 15 reais.
Salvador is “only” an 85-minute flight from Recife. I toyed with the idea of taking the bus, but it would have taken at least 18 hours, and I would have arrived very early in the morning, unable to check in before 3 p.m. Besides, flying was barely more expensive.
My last two Airbnb in João Pessoa and Recife were fairly sterile standard studios in high-rise buildings. I checked in with a keypad and I had zero contact with the hosts. The elevators had tons of signs about condo rules, the doormen were deferentially polite but distant, and everything worked just well enough to get a good Airbnb review.
I caught a lizard in the bedroom of my Airbnb an hour after I arrived. Salvador is anything but sterile, and I love it for that. The city is cultural, artsy, religious in a way the Vatican would never approve, always ready to party, obsessed with music, too hot to dress properly, and home to every shade of skin colour.
Salvador is basically a huge “fuck you” to far-right extremism. Yes, I do read the news. No, I’m not happy. I’m terrified, actually.
Don’t make whatever country great again. Make the world messy, fun, and happy again, for fuck’s sake.
I was going to shop and organize once in Salvador, but the sun was shining and I didn’t feel like doing chores. I was thirsty for more beauty.
I walked to the Elevador Lacerda for the best views over the harbour, then I watched the sunset at the Farol in Barra.
I’m in one of my happy places around the world… and the party is starting soon.
Packing in Boa Viagem, R. Faustino Pôrto, 571-401 – Boa Viagem, Recife – PE, 51020-000Last view of Boa Viagem, R. Faustino Pôrto, 571-401 – Boa Viagem, Recife – PE, 51020-000Last view of Boa Viagem, R. Faustino Pôrto, 571-401 – Boa Viagem, Recife – PE, 51020-000Aeroporto Internacional do Recife, Praça Min. Salgado Filho, s/n – Imbiribeira, Recife – PE, 51210-902Aeroporto Internacional do Recife, Praça Min. Salgado Filho, s/n – Imbiribeira, Recife – PE, 51210-902Aeroporto Internacional do Recife, Praça Min. Salgado Filho, s/n – Imbiribeira, Recife – PE, 51210-902Aeroporto Internacional do Recife, Praça Min. Salgado Filho, s/n – Imbiribeira, Recife – PE, 51210-902Aeroporto Internacional do Recife, Praça Min. Salgado Filho, s/n – Imbiribeira, Recife – PE, 51210-902G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorAlong the coast of Aracaju, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorAlong the coast of Aracaju, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorAlong the coast of Aracaju, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorAlong the coast of Aracaju, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorAlong the coast of Aracaju, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorAlong the coast of Aracaju, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorClose to the Bay of All Saints, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorClose to the Bay of All Saints, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorClose to the Bay of All Saints, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorClose to the Bay of All Saints, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorClose to the Bay of All Saints, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorSalvador, Bahia, G3 1933 Recife to SalvadorRecife to SalvadorR. Chile – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Elevador Lacerda, Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Elevador Lacerda, Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Elevador Lacerda, Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Praça Tomé de Souza, S/N – Centro, Salvador – BA, 40020-000Av. Sete de Setembro – Barra, Salvador – BA, 40140-110Av. Sete de Setembro – Barra, Salvador – BA, 40140-110Farol da Barra, Largo do Farol da Barra, S/N – Barra, Salvador – BA, 40140-650Farol da Barra, Largo do Farol da Barra, S/N – Barra, Salvador – BA, 40140-650Farol da Barra, Largo do Farol da Barra, S/N – Barra, Salvador – BA, 40140-650Av. Oceânica – Barra, Salvador – BAFarol da Barra, Largo do Farol da Barra, S/N – Barra, Salvador – BA, 40140-650Salvador
