The
city of Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia and was
also Brazil's capital unt`il 1763. It is divided into two parts.
The "Lower City" is at sea level and contains the
old port and the commercial district where visitors will find
a complete and varied assortment of Brazilian arts and crafts
at the Modelo Market.
A familiar
sight at the Modelo Market is the "baiana", usually
an older woman dressed in the traditional white, pleated dresses
of colonial Bahia who sells coconut sweets and spicy "vatapás",
"acarajés" and "xinxins" from a tray
that she carries to the market on her head.
The "Lower
City" is also the best place to witness a demonstration
of "capoeira", a martial art developed by African
slaves in Brazil, originally as a form of combat and later as
a type of dance and folklore tradition.
Practioners
compete to the rhythm of the "berimbaus", a local
percussion instrument made with a wire cord streched tight across
a wooden bow.
The "Upper City" can be reached by stone steps, alleyways
or the famous Lacerda Elevator. This part of the city contains
the old government buildings, the residential districts, museums,
churches and much of the newer architecture. Points of interest
include a 16th-century cathedral (one of the city's many notable
churches), two universities, and agricultural institutes. Salvador
has a naval base.
