Lyn's Log, 15th February 2006
Brazil, Salvador

Salvador, Brazil.
S12º58', W38º31'
7,399 miles.

We arrived in Salvador on Monday 23rd January, the last ten miles with very little wind and a very hot sun. The umbrella had to come out again as a sun shade. The marina offices had no signs on the doors, nor was there a sign on the stairs to indicate the bar was above! We eventually spoke to Nicolaus who was the assistant who organised one’s arrival and departure and any other problems, especially as he could speak a little English, but he was so busy with the South African rally from Cape Town to Salvador that he did not really want anything from us. He told us that a man from the Federal Police would be coming to the marina to sort the South African boats and it would be best if we could catch him then. We didn’t see him and walked a long way trying to find the Federal Police Office, but it was impossible, and we eventually caught the man at the marina three days later. We presented him with all our papers from Recife, but we did not have the one important one he wanted. This was a leaving paper from Recife police, that they had not told us we needed. It appeared we had three options:- get the paper from Recife; get our passports stamped but get a fine for not having the correct paper; or pretend we hadn’t left Recife so that when we return there it is as if we hadn’t left. We would just have to be a bit careful whilst in Salvador as we were not officially there. We chose the third option so at least we didn’t then have to visit Customs and Port Control, and do it all again when we left!

The marina is at the foot of an escarpment in what is said to be the most run down part of Salvador. People only come down here to work. The old town is on top of the escarpment where there is a breeze. There are four large lifts nearby, and a funicular railway (almost a lift), to take pedestrians to and from the top at a cost of two and a half pence each way. There is an interesting building by the marina which is an old market place, Mercado Modelo, now full of artisan shops. There are two restaurants upstairs, and Capoeira and gymnastics on display just outside. On Friday nights a small stage is set up and a live group play from around seven to eleven thirty for free. It gets very well attended but most of the drinks are beer or soft and there seems to be no trouble. The age group is much lower than ours, though.

The marina bar does some very good caiparinhas, a local rum with chopped limes and much ice, and here we often socialised with some of the crews from the South African rally. One crew was from Germany and very kindly gave us several tins of food which they had cooked and tinned themselves before sailing. The meatballs and duck will help augment our rather poor selection of tinned frankfurters and feijoada from Brazil. Frankfurters and corned beef seem to be the only tinned meat available in the supermarkets. There are some really nice freshly prepared fruit juices, ‘sucos’, to be had from bars and restaurants, but when buying the boxed juices from the supermarket, it is good to get to know the brand you prefer as they vary considerably.

After visiting the marina next door to have a ‘lift and hold’ for an hour to tighten the rudder bolts, we set out across the estuary to visit a couple of the islands for a few days. We were in the process of derusting and painting the anchor well cover which holds the windlass and so could not easily use the anchor. There was one marina at Itaparica in a pretty bay with sand banks appearing at low water like a small version of the Goodwins. The marina was no dearer than at Salvador, around £5 a night, but with cleaner water we could swim and enjoy a breeze. We sailed around the Ilha Do Frade island to check out its anchorage, deserted, and the next morning found ourselves enjoying a race to windward with two of the local wooden sailing craft. We beat them back to Salvador, but it was close in the early stages until we realised how they were sailing well inshore to keep out of the tidal current.

A few days later when the paint was hardened and the windlass back in operation, we took a week out around the rivers and islands in the bay. It was beautiful and peaceful and we enjoyed some secluded anchorages. Sometimes we drifted under headsail alone, sheltering from the sun under the awning over the boom; some mornings there was no wind and we motored; and other times we had exhilarating windy passages tacking up wind against a current making progress frustratingly slow. One afternoon we anchored off a small village up river. It seemed that school had just finished for the day and a few adults and many children arrived at the small beach, the children jumping into the water and splashing about merrily. A water bus brought a mother of some of the children, and departed with the other adults from the beach. In the morning a full water bus arrived but could not reach the shore due to the low tide. It continued upstream close to the edge. Then a few people arrived at the beach looking rather like they had just missed the bus, and after a while departed again.

On the 14th February we went back to the marina in Salvador to be sure of a place there for Carnaval. During the following week there were many workmen making preparations for the big event: putting up staging, boarding around certain buildings and statues, extra lighting, etc. The marina also filled up. Something large was constructed at the marina next door which began playing music until the early hours which was loud enough for the whole of Salvador to hear. Not too good for us when we want all the windows open for ventilation at night. The excitement and anticipation grew. Our newly arrived Spanish neighbour said, “Salvador is the best place in the world for Carnaval”. It was why he came. Whilst waiting, we continue to derust and paint, and get to grips with the local buses, doing a bit of sight-seeing.