The Upper and Lower City of Salvador

I had the pleasure of touring the upper and lower cities of Salvador. It was amazing to see how drastic the two cities are and the rich history that they both carry.

Upper City:

We first toured Porto de Barra which is considered the initial settlement of the Europeans. I had the opportunity to learn how the forte that was built here was used to alert the residents of any danger. To be in the presence of brazil’s origins and witness the incredible beauty and learn the rich history was such a magnificent experience!

Next, we toured Casa De Yemanja. Yemanja, the goddess of the sea, represents protection, beauty, fertility, and motherhood. Ah, my absolute favorite part. I was in total awe to learn about how Yemanja was celebrated by the locals every year on February 2nd. The locals, dress in white/ blue gather and bring gifts and flowers in a basket and send them out in the ocean. Celebration of Yemanja occurs through dancing and fiestas all night long in the Rio Vermelho. What I found most interesting about Yemanja is the outpouring love and faith that people have surrounding her and the fact that they seek her for guidance and protection throughout the year.

As we drove our way to the lower city, we passed a sacred lake which features eight Orishas from the religion on Candomblé. The prevalence of Orishas in Salvador has sparked great interest for me to learn more about the religion and the different orishas and their purposes.

Lower City:Drastic changes can be seen immediately as we entered the lower city. What fascinated me was the amount of significance of African heritage in this part of the city. Specifically, in Itapagipe, there is a rich history of Africans, and it carries the largest population of African descendants of Africans. It was beyond marvelous to see the beautiful and colorful stacked houses and learn that individuals living there created more spaces to accommodate their family members as they grew.

Our second to last destination was Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim. Our tour guide mentioned this church being her favorite place of worship, and I can see why! This was a significant church where both Catholicism and Candomblé intertwined! Obatala-the God of creation is one of the Orisha’s from Candomble is associated with this church. Every year on January 1st, Obatala-is celebrated by individuals all over at the church, with a ceremony that includes special water to clean outside the church! I admire the reverence and prideful atmosphere that the city has for the religion Candomblé and the Orishas-absolutely captivating!

Last but not least, we happily ended our tour with some sorbets from Sorvetera da Ribeira! We were like little kids at the candy store, exploring the different delicious flavors some universal while others, native to the country. Yummmmm.