264941 Mon Nov 22 22:18:09 -0800 2004 4 26 International 0 1398765 I will be travelling to Salvador from New York for a three month stay starting in Feb '05. I will be renting a house in the historical district and am looking for any cool/creative/artistic type people that can show me the ropes in Salvador or offer any information. Originally from California - Does anyone know what the crime rate is like? Or any off the beaten path places to check out? Mon Nov 22 22:18:09 -0800 2004 0 Gary 1 1398774 I was in Salvador, Bahia last Christmas with my family. I, too, was warned that the crime rate could be very high. We found that old city very charming (a church for every day of the year, etc.) and populated with so many police that we felt very safe. Food...well, we didn't find anything very special, but I didn't really do my homeowrk before going. We took advice from the hotel, who sent us to very touristy places. But we did find wonderful curbside places with live Brazilian music where you could just sit and listen while having a drink. And later at night, the place seems to rock. Tue Nov 23 12:12:23 -0800 2004 1398765 0 jc 1 1398872 I just came back from a week in Salvador with my husband! It was wonderful. I lived in Bahia for 2 years in the 90s but it was my first time in Salvador. The city feels nice and Pelourinho feels safe with a lot of police officers in the street. The only annoying thing is the sales people coming after you all the time. But although very pushy they are nice and gentle. The food is wonderful. I'm Braziliand and vey familiar with comida baiana (dende oil, coconut milk,...) but my American husband also loved it. You must go to Paraiso Tropical. They have 2 locations, we went at the Rio Vermelho one. It's an amazing restaurant. They do the dende oil and coconut milk in the restaurant using all natural ingredients. The moqueca (traditional fish/shrimp stew) was amazing and lighter than others I've had in the past. They do it a bit different from the traditional way, using some fruits and nuts. The result is great. For dessert the mousse de cupuaçu (regional fruit) was outstanding. It was my favorite meal in Salvador. They also have amazing juices and drinks. At Pelourinho we had one meal at the famous Sorriso da Dadá. It was very good. We had the shrimp and fish moqueca. It was cooked in the traditional way. Another great place in Pelourinho is Maria Mata-Mouro. We had a great bobó de camarão (shrimp and yuca stew) there. They have many dishes other than the comida baiana. So this place is also a good option when you get tired of baiana food. The dessert was great: a plantain cake with tamarind sauce and vanilla ice cream. Really delicious. Galpão is a more upscale place in a great setting overlooking the Baia de Todos os Santos. The chef (a French guy) won the best chef of the year.It's more expensive but with the dolar so strong our meal there was $85. for two, including drinks, wine and tip. My husband had an amazing fish. His dish was much better than my duck. For appetizers the corn gnocchi with gruyere was great. For dessert we had the cupuaçu filled biscuit and the white chocolate pyramid with bacuri (regional fruit). The pyramid was one of the best desserts we ever had!! We also went to another upscale place, Trapiche Adelaide. A half a block from Galpão. It's also worth a visit. We missed the acarajé and abará. But I heard that the best is Acarajé da Cira in Rio Vermelho. I hope you have a wonderful time! Mon Nov 29 11:05:28 -0800 2004 1398765 0 Toot 2 1398896 It is a very real pleasure to read about a country somewhere on the face of the earth where the dollar is strong! I will think about your post next week when I leave for Europe and the 1.332 Euro which four years ago was .83! Thank you for the smile! Also for the wonderful report. Mon Nov 29 22:22:00 -0800 2004 1398872 0 Joe H. 1 1399230 I was just in Salvador last week, staying in the old colonial district. It's an attractive area to visit, but I think it would be a difficult place for an obvious foreigner to live. Too many peddlers, panhandlers, and thieves, all looking for an unwary gringo. My hotel was in Santo Antonio, just a 5-minute walk from the Pelourinho square, and I was firmly advised never to walk home from Pelourinho after dinner. And I think with good reason. On Tuesday, the big party-in-the-streets night in Pelourinho, I was set upon by a bunch of local revelers, all grabbing at my pockets, and one got my cell phone. This despite the often-mentioned heavy police presence in this area. I was more than happy to leave Salvador the next day. To be more positive, it is a beautiful, atmospheric area. And for good food, I'd recommend Dona Chika-Ka, good Bahian food on two levels of an old house, plus seating on the street. They communicate between the two floors by means of a basket on a rope, dangling out of a window, which is amusing to watch. For an escape from Salvador, I highly recommend going down to Morro de Sao Paulo, a two-hour boat ride south of the city. It's touristy but idyllic anyway (and the tourists are almost all Brazilian)...no paved roads or cars, four beaches, nice pousadas and restaurants, and caipirinha bars set up on beach #2 at night. Good luck! Wed Dec 15 15:12:03 -0800 2004 1398765 0 Boswell