Back to Salvador

18 February: We wake up up at 6:30 to bid farewell to Eusinio and the kids, they're to be out of the house by 7:00. After breakfast, we pack, read, shower, order the bus tickets and are ready a little after 12 when Valerie returns and we sling down a quick lunch. She brings us to the bus station (Rodovaria) and it's a teary goodbye.

The bus is full and as usual on this trip, we're the last row of seats right next to the toilet. When the bus idles, the whole tail section resonates, which is wonderfully horrible. It's a bit on the warm side. We talk, sleep, I need to close the toilet window a number times since an open window causes an overpressure in the toilet which blows really hot air from under the door right to my feet. A black girl in front of us spoke a few words of German, but we're not really in much of a mood to converse further. A black guy opposite her plays some percussion while the bus is rolling. He's quite good. 

Part of the great mural at Salvador's Rodoviario	Key to our hotel room in Salvador

We arrive at Salvador later than scheduled since the bus driver had kept a rather leisurely driving pace. We immediately go to the Expresso Real bus counter, since they have the only line going from Salvador to Lençois. They tell us that tonight's bus to Lençois is already full! Darn!

We have the option to take the day bus or the night bus tomorrow. We opt to stay till the next day in Salvador and take the night bus. After buying tickets, we check the Lonely Planet for a hotel room in Salvador. Hotel Caramuru by phone say they still have rooms (whew!) for 50 R$ per night. We say we'd be right over. We take a cab which is initially quite fast but then drives into the wrong part of town till he needs to ask. He's so far wrong that no one really knows our hotel. Amid the confusion, he even has the cheek to switch to Bandera 2!

The room's ok, if a bit small, has a fan, a wooden floor consisting of wide, reddish-coloured planks: it's simple but somehow quite nice. Salvador's really warm. We shower and try to find a bite to eat, McDonalds is the only place open at this time of night. The Salads we order are bad (not much in the way of Hygiene in the place), complaints get some McNuggets instead. In the freezing a/c atmosphere, we plan our Salvador tour-schedule for the next day. 

Upon returning to the hotel, we notice that our hotel organizes Candomblñ ceremony visits, so we book for the next evening. It's a very warm night. 

 

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