When I first arrived in Salvador I felt a little scared and vulnerable. Perhaps this was because many people that I had met had warned me about the danger of the city (in terms of pickpocketting). I was also a little disappointed by the staff in the hostel that I stayed in- ‘Hostel Galleria 13’. I felt like they were very money grabbing. They had nothing planned for Christmas which was disappointing to hear.
Nevertheless, myself and a group of people decided to head to Morro de Sao Paulo (a nearby island about two hours away) on Christmas Eve. This was my first Christmas away from my family so I figured spending it on an island would be a good idea. Getting the catamaran is easy, you can get there 10 minutes by uber before and grab your ticket.
As soon as we arrived on the island, we decided it would be best to spend the night there. I would recommend staying the night as I think the last boat is 3pm which does not give you much time on the island. We managed to walk into hostel ‘DPM Eco Hostel’ a small hostel run by Argentinians (like most of the island). It was comfortable enough and I liked the reminders of how to be more eco by saving water. We spent the day enjoying some beers on beach 4. The beaches are named by numbers and you can either walk or catch a small boat.
For me, I was not that enamoured by the island, I found it very touristy and expensive.
However, I was only there for one night and also at the height of the season. It was nice to spend Christmas here and the hostel did a great job of hosting a meal for Christmas Eve, which consisted of each guest bringing a cooked dish. We made guacamole (which went down well!) and an aubergine and chickpea salad which was not as popular. The other main hostel on the island is ‘Che Lagarto’ which is a bigger chain.
We caught the catamaran back to the mainland at 3pm which got us back to the hostel in perfect time- ready for the free Caipi hour (17:15-18:15), this was the awesome thing about this hostel (its saving grace). Hostel Galleria 13 is located in the old town, Pelourinho. Just be careful walking around here at night alone. It can feel a little overwhelming as people will approach you to sell things. For me it was similar to the vibe in Cartagena, I could just speak the language so I felt safer.
The breakfast at the hostel is also a plus, it has an excellent selection and goes on till 12pm, good for those who like a lie in! We had an enjoyable Christmas dinner at ‘Zulu restaurant’ which is the sister restaurant to the hostel. Guests get a 10% discount here. I had a vegetable Moqueca which is the traditional dish from Bahia state. Typical street food dishes consist of tapiocas (similar to a pancake) and acaraje (imagine falafel dough balls with shrimp or your choice of meat as a filling)
My last day in Salvador was spent shopping and preparing for Universo Paralleo (a weeklong festival in Bahia state). The city really warmed to me and that was a real Brazilian vibe. There were many beautiful coloured houses and stunning churches. I would suggest 3 nights in Salvador. If you do visit this area then make sure you factor in the national park: Chapada Diamantina. Unfortunately I ran out of time to visit this, but for some people this is their favourite place in Brazil. Compared to all the cities in Brazil, Salvador is beautiful and very Brazilian!
Romy's Roamings 