Salvador

Salvador, Bahia was our WOC destination in 9th grade and it was the best WOC trip we had until now. Brazil's first capital is surely a beautiful place notable for its architecture, culture and beaches. Salvador has preserved most of the historic building and we were able to see that in the Pelourinho, which is the historical centre of Salvador. Each and every building was unique and we thought it was beautiful. Salvador's culture was greatly influenced by the africans, we can see it in Salvador's cuisine, music and religion. It's cuisine is simply delicious but heavy because it is spicy and based on seafood. All the ingredients and techniques are all typically African. Acarajé and moqueca are two of the most traditional dishes. Capoeira is a mix of dance and martial arts used only for defense in a combat. Music accompanies this fight with instruments such as the berimbau, which makes it very entertaining to watch. It was dance/martial art practiced by the slaves. The religion dominating is called the Candomblé, where there is a god for each element such as the sun, wind, earth, water, etc. We visited many churches in Salvador and they were very beautiful. Apart from the historical part, we also visited some beaches where we were able to relax and enjoy the sun.

I surely had a lot of sun in Salvador, especially because I went with my friends. We visit many places from museums to beaches. Don't forget to buy the famous colorful wish bracelets when visiting Salvador.