The drive from Belo Horizonte to Salvador was long and challenging. The roads were in various state of disrepair and the truck drivers in the opposing lanes didn't think us a worthy adversary and would overtake other trucks expecting us to veer out of the way by driving on the shoulder.
Bahia has a distinct culture from the rest of Brazil. It is more laid back, lazy, colorful, musical, vibrant and perhaps violent than most other regions of this great country. Even though our hosts warned us, we ventured at night to see the carnaval where we were assaulted multiple times. This episode was described earlier in our blog. This city has a rich architectural heritage easily comparable to Rio de Janeiro yet no one seems to be taking care of the old houses, palaces and churches and they are slowly falling apart. We loved the food and the music. I purchased a carnaval compilation that I listen to in my car regularly.