We make the most of our stay in Fernando de Noronha until the very end: beach, turtle museum, and a small restaurant before weighing anchor at nightfall on Sunday, December 11th. Unlike most tourists who choose to rent a small buggy to get around the island, we opted to take the bus to reach the more remote beaches, but with our two daughters, we were almost always hitchhiked! Kids can be handy sometimes... However, supplies on the island are very limited; there are no fresh fruits or vegetables left in the supermarket when we arrive. We did try the national soda, guarana, made from an Amazonian berry, quite good when chilled!
Ilhas dois irmanos Turtle Museum Breakfast with dolphins Praia da Cacimba The crossing to Salvador de Bahia is quick and pleasant, 700 miles in 4 days and 5 nights on a reach at an average of +/- 6.5 knots. 10-15 knots of wind during the day, 15-20 at night, sea calm to slightly rough, thanks to the trade winds!! If sailing could always be like this.... As we approach the coast, we start to encounter more fishermen and cargo ships, and we need to be more vigilant during watches. Friday, December 16th, at dawn, the lights of Salvador de Bahia's skyscrapers twinkle in the distance, and we dock in the city center at the chic Bahia Marina. It's impressive to arrive in a city of 2.7 million inhabitants by sea, realizing its expanse along the coast. Since we've changed Brazilian states, we must again spend a few hours between the maritime police and customs for the tedious formalities. The Franco-Brazilian hostess at the marina warns us about the surge in armed robberies on the streets during this summer vacation period for Brazilians. The marina's premises, which house some luxury shops and gourmet restaurants, are highly secured. The next day, we take the Lacerda Elevator, the Art Deco elevator, one of the city's symbols, to reach the upper city and its historic district, Pelourinho, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. We stroll among the magnificent colonial buildings and churches adorned with Christmas colors. We arrive in a more popular neighborhood with a beautiful fruit and vegetable market. The mangoes are delicious and at 30 cents each, we indulge. Then we return to the boat to prepare a birthday cake for Diane, who is celebrating her first year. Given the heat, we opt for a chocolate mousse! In the late afternoon, we take a taxi to the Barra district and its huge American-style shopping mall. We've been away for over two months and need to do some serious shopping. Brazilians are not stingy with Christmas decorations, and there's everything to amaze our little sailors, with window displays worthy of Paris's Galeries Lafayette. It's a bit new for us to go shopping by taxi, but it seems quite common here. The contrast between rich and poor is quite striking, moving from magnificent tourist buildings guarded by security to filthy alleys a few meters away, where people high on crack emerge next to huge, ultra-clean air-conditioned shopping malls...
Today, a quieter day, we take advantage of having fresh water at will for a big cleaning of Libertaire after letting the girls repaint the cockpit with gouache!
Arrival in Salvador! Bahia Marina Port of Bahia seen from the top of the Lacerda Elevator Diane blows out her first candle in Brazil!
The Rio Branco Palace Colorful facades of Pelourinho Terreiro de Jesus Church of San Francisco with the nativity scene in the foreground We plan to leave Salvador tomorrow for Morro de Sao Paulo, 30 miles to the south.
