Exploring the Pelourinho

One of the places we really wanted to take Mom and Dad Hill before they left was the Pelourinho, one of the most iconic places in all of Salvador. To understand the importance of the Pelourinho, you have to understand some of the history involved in the region, which I am only starting to learn. 

The city of Salvador was the original capital of Brazil and was founded way back in 1549. It is one of the oldest cities in the Americas and one of the first planned cities in the world. Portuguese explorers liked Salvador because the Bay of All Saints provided a large, safe harbor. Salvador became the center of the sugar trade between the old and new world, and slavery was a vital component to its success. Brazil was home to over 5 million African slaves, 1.3 million of which were imported to Salvador itself. Though its history is tragic, the mixing of African, Portuguese, and native peoples has created a really vibrant and amazing culture. Today nearly 80% of the population of Salvador has African heritage, and it is the largest Afro-based population in the world outside of Africa.

We started the day by grabbing two Ubers (our new normal since we have a "huge" family here) and headed over to the Elevador Lacerda. The Lacerda Elevator connects the lower city (Cidade Baixa) with the upper city (Cidade Alta). It is 236 feet tall and was finished in 1873. It costs $R0.15 ($0.03) to ride it. We decided to skip the ride up this time and just start at the top to save time. The top of the elevator has a pretty great view of the Bay of All Saints and just behind the elevator is a fun, vibrant "Salvador" sign.

 

Next we wandered through the plaza and saw the various statues and handmade craft booths. The statue of Salvador's founder, Thome da Silva, was a particular favorite one for the boys. They immediately said "Why are his pants down?" Haha! Once you see it, you can't unsee it! There was also an area called plaza of the fallen cross that honors the old Sé Church that used to stand at that location but was torn down to make way for streetcars in 1933. 

After exploring the booths for a while, we got some food. We tried our first fresh coconut. Most of us were good with just a small sip, so Andrew and Jonathon finished it off. Christian gagged and was not a fan, though he doesn't like anything coconut, so I wasn't surprised. 

We also tried the most famous dish in Bahia called Acarajé. Acarajé is similar to a dumpling or fritter and is made from black-eyed peas, onion, and salt, and then fried in palm oil. Brazilian palm oil, dende, is a very popular flavor here in Bahia. The acarajé is cut open and filled with whole, unpeeled shrimp and a paste made from peanuts and coconut milk. To be honest, none of us really loved the taste. We tried it because it is an iconic Bahian food, but for me it lacked flavor, and the whole shrimp (with legs still on) were hard for me to eat. 

There is quite a lot of history with Acarajé and the women who sell it. The Baiana de acarajé is the name given to "women who dedicate themselves to the traditional trade of selling acarajé and other delicacies from African and Afro-Bahian cuisines." These Baianas are mostly black women who follow the religion of candomblé and dress in traditional clothing. They are important representatives for the region and can be found throughout the city. Mom and Dad got their picture taken with a Baiana de Acarajé in one of the main squares of the Pelorinho. They are beautiful with their large, flowing white dresses and headscarves.

Acarajé

Baiana de Acarajé

Another fun thing we found in the Pelorinho was a group of people doing the traditional martial art of capoeira. Capoeira is a "combination of dance, acrobatics, music, and spirituality" and is Afro-Brazilian in culture. In the early 16th century, it started as a way for slaves to practice self-defense, disguised as a dance. Not only did it help them maintain their physical abilities, but it also helped to preserve their African culture. I think capoeira is very fun to watch because it is so smooth and rhythmic. The boys have been able to do a little bit of capoeira as part of the DLI program, so we have seen it before and knew what we were watching.

From there, we made it to the heart of the pelourinho. The old-world style architecture was beautiful, and the buildings were so colorful and bright. The name pelourinho actually originally referred to this area because pelourinho means "stone or wooden column, placed in a square or central and public place, where criminals were displayed and punished." In the early days of the city, slaves were punished in this big open square. Salvador definitely has a difficult past, but they have embraced the culture that was created and welcomed visitors to come and learn more. I wanted to take pictures in every direction because it was such a delight for the senses.

Rainbow ribbons are also very common in this part of Salvador. These Bonfim ribbons we originally created in 1809 by the treasurer of the Devotion of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, Manoel Antonio da Silva Serva, with the goal of helping to obtain resources for the church. While the church still exists, today the ribbons are a favorite souvenir amongst tourists and symbolize the faith and culture of Bahia. Tradition states that "the ribbons carry the power to fulfill 3 wishes when they break. Popular belief is that you should wrap the bracelet around your wrist twice and the tie three knots. You make one wish for each knot. When the knot breaks on its own, your wish will come true." As you enter the pelourinho, there are people all over the square with these ribbons that will tie them on to your wrist or ankle. Hyrum and Mom and Dad Hill all got a ribbon for free, but some people ask for money afterward, so you have to be a bit careful. Those people who don't tie them to their wrists, tie them to the poles around fountains and other landmarks. It makes a very colorful addition to the landscape.

Our last stop was the Convento e Igreja de São Francisco (The São Francisco Church and Convent of Salvador). It cost $2 ($R10) per person to go through the church. The boys were not interested in going inside, so we bought them ice cream (sorvete) at a little shop right outside, and the adults took turns going through the church. The current structure was started in 1686 by Franciscan friars. This church has the largest collection of azulejos (painted tin-glazed ceramic blue tilework) of any church in Latin America. The blue tiles were definitely beautiful, but I was not prepared for the amazingly detailed golden wood carvings in the chapel that cover nearly every surface. It was stunning! Mom Hill and I both audibly gasped when we first stepped inside. We walked around for a few minutes, and then we just sat and stared at the beauty. Mom has been to a lot of fancy churches in Europe and said she didn't remember any of them being that ornate. 

After we finished at the church, it was time to head home. Right as we started walking back, the heavens opened and the rain started to pour. We are getting used to it raining every day, but this happened so suddenly and with such force that we were surprised. We ran for shelter under one of the umbrellas and decided we would need to wait this one out. Luckily, it let up after a few minutes, and we had enough time to call for our Ubers and make it home before the next deluge. It was such a great day full of learning and fun! We will definitely be back to the Pelourinho with all of our visitors.