On July 5th we travelled to Pelourinho which is the oldest part of Brazil for a historical tour. On the way to pelourinho, Simone gave us the historical background of Salvador. Salvador was the first capital until 1763 when it was moved to Brasilia. When first arriving to Paulinho, Simone told us we were in an area near political organizations such as town hall. The road we were on looked above the ocean and other houses. Michael Jackson actually’s music video for the song “They Don’t Care About Us” was filmed along the roads we were walking on. I did notice the architecture of the homes looked more modern and Simone explained to us it’s because commercial houses started becoming popular in Salvador 15 years ago. The views were beautiful as we walked closer to the museums and churches. I am typically not a fan of history but Simione made Brazilian history so enjoyable. The first stop was outside a church that provided medical care and moral help for the rich. Once a woman became a widow and didn’t have a man to take care of her, she stayed at the church til the priest found her a suitable husband. What was most interesting to me about this church was that “orphans” were dropped off here. They were not actually orphans but children that were born out of wed lock and the mother’s family forced her to give the child up. As we were walking up, we came across the first statue dedicated that was dedicated to an Afro Brazilian. Afro Brazilians were not given much acknowledgment. They fought for their freedom because they were initially brought to Brazil as slaves. The area we were touring held some of the oldest monuments in the country. The Church of Francis was one of the most beautiful buildings I had ever seen and the whole class was in awe. I loved the small artwork outside on the walls; every picture represented a small story or lesson. The people living in the church recently found a Jewish bath and found out practicing Jews were living in the church but had to practice in secret due to fear. The last stop at the tour was a small museum exhibiting art. My favorite part of it was the background on this model, Dona Flor. She had “two husbands.” One was the one she was married to physically but he represented the logical and boring part of her life. Her other husband lived in her head and he represented the fun and excitement she wanted. Overall today was a really fun experience filled with beautiful art, architecture, and history.