Penedo, Aracaju, Salvador
Trip Start
Dec 31, 2007
1
24
26
Trip End
Apr 24, 2008
Penedo, Aracju, Salvador,
Brazil
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Old river town, part very old and touristy, part thriving market, generally speaking noisy and the day we arrived it was suffering flood damage to their roads. Hostel chosen from our Footprints Guide proved pretty windowless and not very inviting. We looked into the Colonial Hotel on the water front; a huge room with great views over the river BUT so noisy in the late evening. The bus station service, when they condescended to open their doors, proved useless and it was difficult to book to go anywhere. By our own efforts we found a bus from Neopolis (over the other side of the river by ferry) ... onto Aracaju for our next stop towards Salvador and Rio.
Penedo has plenty of cheap eating places all along the riverside; the fish is good, but all the places appear to have roughly the same menu! The town is good for a day and possibly a night but that is enough to see all the places of interest.
Aracaju
Capital of the state (Sergipe); a large city with a beach some distance from the centre. Many churches, a lot of art deco, open park like squares, a river frontage and a run down shopping area and very short of ´cyber cafes.´
Hostel Brasilia feels its age of half a century and charged 60 R´s for a small double room, not a good deal, everything about the place is dull even though they try to maintain standards that were relevant to the 1960´s.
A large new bus station that serves the whole state and beyond, but it too is so still and empty. Signs of expansion as a beach town are clear with large new hotels along the (far off) beach.
Perhaps in 2015 it will be of more interest than it is now. A ´´one-day´´ town or better still give it a miss for now.
Salvador
Brazil´s fourth largest city and we gave it a miss beyond two hours in the main (hectic) bus station changing our plans and destination. We chose to catch the first bus out heading south; our choice was a twelve hour ride away; Porto Seguro.
If you like big Brazilian cities with all the implications of danger, poverty, beggars and intimidation then this place is for you. Sure it jacks up the adrenaline but I now prefer the gentle peaceful life.
We are now close to the end of our four months trip around South America, it is our second such visit and I must say that I would love to do it again next year. This continent is so vast a three year trip wouldn´t do it justice. Perhaps this small world is bigger than it seems from the UK.
Please watch your step out there and as always be aware, take care, Peter T
