Being There
For a general introduction to Bahia’s distinctive Afro-Brazilian culture, the Balé Folclórico da Bahia (49 Rua Gregório de Matos; 71-33-22-19-62), in Pelourinho, puts on a terrific one-hour show for about $8, with both candomblé and secular songs, percussion and dances, and some spectacularly acrobatic if not terribly authentic capoeira. Every Tuesday night, there’s free live music in the Largo do Pelourinho and the Terreiro de Jesus. Every other night of the week there’s live music somewhere in the city, especially in the Brazilian summer. Bambara (3186 Avenida Otávio Mangabeira, across from the beach; 71-33-42-04-81) is a large restaurant with ocean breezes, a dance floor, and a live band playing música popular brasileira.
Traffic in Salvador on weekdays is beastly, so don’t even think of renting a car. You can hire a driver (who might speak a bit of English) for about $60–$75 per day. The driver will ask for more; bargain. It also helps to rent a cellphone, which we did at the airport from a company called Vivo. The phone cost about $14 for the week; a 20-minute card, about $8. Most taxi drivers have cellphones and will pick you up wherever and whenever you want and charge you only the meter rate to your next destination.
To see what’s on (and where, and at what time) when you go, consult the indispensable website bahia-online.net, which provides voluminous information on all things Bahian, from history to restaurants to music to all the major candomblé houses. For help and advice from a human being, stop in at the Bahiatursa center in Pelourinho (12 Rua das Laranjeiras; 71-33-21-21-33), where the young staffers are cheerful and attentive. —C.H.
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