Flight to Salvador and afternoon in Barra

We have a reasonably early flight to Salvador this morning and we wake up at 5am for breakfast. Considering that during the cruise we did this every day, it doesn’t feel so hard. 

The entire flight and getting to the airport were absolutely uneventful and easy. Once in Salvador, we get an uber to our apartment in Barra. Since we are too early for the check in, our host proposes to keep the luggage at the reception of a nearby hostel that she also owns. It’s perfect, we do this and start exploring the waterfront. 

We are again right next to the town’s beaches. They are a lot smaller and a lot less crowded than in Rio de Janeiro. We will definitely try them tomorrow. At a first impression, this district of Salvador is very nice with a mix of historical buildings: there is a fort, an old school and a fortified lighthouse; and beach vibe. The streets are not really modern, but a lot more washed down and the many cafes, restaurants and acai ice-cream parlors that pepper the waterfront look a lot more local and friendly than the fancy establishments of Ipanema.

There was a small exhibition about the whales in Salvador and conservation efforts, it was inside the fort. We learned that if you keep your eyes on the horizon, we might be able to see a humpback whale! The prime season is July – November. We are right in the middle of it. We didn’t know, maybe on our last day we could check for a whale watching boat trip – we have never seen whales before. 

We walk along the waterfront promenade for a good hour before the sun gets really too hot and we get lunch at a kg restaurant ( an affordable buffet style restaurant where you pay your food by the weight ) followed by some ice-cream. It’s almost time for our check-in and we head back to the hostel where we left our luggage before walking to the apartment.

We are a little tired and decide to get a few hours of quiet time during the hottest hours of the day. In the late afternoon, we go get groceries and Alexis gets a haircut. 

The next two days are going to be busy with tours that we have already arranged, so it’s good to get a slower day today.