Salvador de Bahia

It was hot and extremely humid when we left the ship this morning about 9AM. I did not sign up for an excursion [a mistake, in retrospect] so I set off down the road toward the Mercado Modelo and the Elevador Lacerda. The elevator has 2 cars that go up and down all day on the condition that they are near full or no one else is in sight. They have attendants so you can’t mess with the controls. It moves very quickly and you are released out of the back of the car. The building is on a large plaza inhabited by every type of barker vendor, huckster, cabby and the like. Then there are the Bahianas, the women of Candomble. Their beauty is magical. They come rushing toward you with their enormous balloon skirts and colorful headdresses and beads. Their arms are outstretched ready to embrace you if you don’t resist. Then you pay them for someone taking your picture. I don’t know if they actually practice Candomble but they must be there on the plaza whenever a boat docks. There must have been 30 or so moving from plaza to plaza [Bahia has a plaza on every other corner and anywhere from 1 to 6 churches on each] incase you want a picture with one of them in a different vista.
Then it started to rain, really rain, that warm heavy tropical rain without wind. Everyone ran for the churches for shelter [sanctuary?]; I stayed out in the rain and got soaked to my skin. I hope I can get some photos out there as the Ciudade Alto is remarkably colorful and architecturally diverse. I headed back to the ship as I fear I may be suffering from plantar’s faciaitis again. I didn’t put my insoles in my walking shoes. I hope that’s not what it is but just to be safe I signed up for a few bus tours instead of footing it everywhere. Better coddle it to see what develops.
Back at the ship I went up to the hot tub and soaked my feet for a while. It was nice to have the ship to myself [and a few others].
FYI: The self-serve laundromat costs $2.00 per load. You can only use their soap [it’s free] as they have strict rules about what they can put back into the environment]. The dryers are $1.00 per ½ hour. They provide an ironing board and irons for passenger use.
There will be more on the Ciudade Alto after I download the pictures. Wish you were all here with me.