As we progress we drive through massive slums surrounded by lush green forest, the roads are getting busier and narrower has we head towards the centre of town. It is evident that it is Carnival time. I have never seen so much beer stacked outside shops, queues 2 hrs long to purchase alcohol in vast quantities from the supermarkets,sales girls in every aisle promoting their particular brand.
Salvadore was the capital, in its hey dey of the slave trade and this legacy remains today in its large black population. There are huge slum neighbourhoods surrounding gated guarded communities. We are in the Barra area and have three apartments and are split into groups. Our apartment is lovely, very nicely appointed, decorated with antiques, very spacious and has a pool. Geoff and I as we are leaving early decide to take the servants quarters, two rock hard bunk beds with a very thin mattress. It was like a sauna and you frequently woke covered in perspiration.
First night we head for the Pelourinho part of town, the old city centre, containing colonial architecture, numerous restaurants, cobblestone streets and much more. This evening it's the start of Carnival with many bands setting off around the market squares playing all manner of music. The street bars and vendors are out in force and it makes for a great atmosphere. We have a great evening and get a taste of one of the main Blocos a reggae style band warming up. We follow this huge road train through the streets about 40 foot from the main speakers. The base you just cannot explain, I have never felt my body vibrate internally. The music was fantastic, the following crowd dancing their hearts out, literally. We eventually stop, not being as young as we used to be and rest against some plywood hoardings. Unbelievable the hoardings were also vibrating. Having read a military article about the use of sound waves to make the enemy lose control of their bodies, having experienced this base, I can now understand the phenomena.
Anyway a couple of days relaxing at the flat was welcome respite before donning our T shirts to join the Oludum drum Bloco. This carnival is the biggest in the world, consists of three different routes and contains parades, music, live entertainment, dancers and hundreds if not thousands of street vendors. Approximately two and a half million visitors descend on Salvadore. The gigantic stages are pulled through the streets by huge HGV's. The live acts are on the top, the huge sound systems draped all around. Ropes are surrounding these vehicles forming a barrier up to one hundred metres front and back. This is manned by officials and patrolled by security for that crew. This is the Bloco and within here is the safe area which you pay for and receive a specially deigned t shirt. People save all year to buy their shirt for the particular bloco and these cost £80 and upwards and can fetch six times this price. To the locals this is a fortune but a party not to be missed. Some have standing orders from their employment to ensure a place. The people outside the bloco are known as the popcorn. This area is free but open to anyone, more importantly to tourists the chance of coming into contact with beggars, thieves and any other rogue. So you pay and you get a degree of safety.
To me this is my worst nightmare, I am not into massive crowds pushing, shoving and getting totally shedded on booze and drugs. However this is an expedition and new experiences are there to be experienced so I reluctantly buy my ticket for the Oludum drums which I am informed is one of the best. Some of the guys are out every night either as popcorn or have bought tickets. Our bloco starts at 3 pm so lathered up with sun cream, sun cap from a local beer seller, money down my shreddies we head out without any jewellery, watches, cameras etc. the theiving is so prolific we are warned against taking any item we are not prepared to lose. So as not to be at risk from dodgy drinks we drink Smirnoff ice from tins, three tins for £1.50 not bad and ice cold. As we walk the 2 km to our start point you are conscious of the crowds looking on enviously to anyone who has a carnival t shirt. We enter our bloco, it's 36 degrees, it's boiling and the music starts. Incredible, you cannot describe the beat, the base, the incredible sound as we move off along the 5 km route. We are the token tourists but are very well received having photos taken constantly. We inch along, dancing, gradually getting more and more compressed as more bloco members join in. The crowds outside are massive, all dancing and swaying to the beat. Our security does a fantastic job of quelling any trouble and throwing out illegal vendors after we've bought a drink from them of course. It's so hot and so compact you are soaked to the skin not only with your own perspiration but with everyone else's. Its impossible to stay together amongst the crowd but you don't feel threatened. Time flys by and all of a sudden we are at the end, it's about 7 pm. We step outside of our safety net, stick together and head back to the start and go to the lighthouse area and act as popcorn watching several other Blocos before heading off home about 11 pm. A couple of our group had their pockets picked, one had a chain ripped from her neck but overall a successful mission ha ha. What a great night, thoroughly enjoyable but I doubt very much I'll do that ever again.... Just not my thing but hey I've carnivaled in Salvadore.
1-4 Beer sales must have increased a thousand fold
5-6 Couple of the smaller local drumming bands
7-8 Couple of happy street food sellers, the cheese was particularly good
9. A local character
10- 18 Oludum drums street carnival, locals, yours truly with Heather and Geoff, and the chap in blue is from a sect / group called Ghandi.
Over and done with and onward. Thanks to Steve who gave me some of his photographs which I have doctored.
Chau
Tony x
No comments:
Post a Comment