Left the ship at around 9:30 and fought our way, through the throng of taxi drivers and tour operators, to the exit of the terminal.
The idea was to take a taxi to see a picturesque lake and then wander around the old town.
Salvador is built on a hillside that comes down to a bay. The “New Town” is around the port area and is a little decrepit. It is very hot and humid, with damp, green, mouldy walls and overgrown vegetation.
The “Old Town” is at the top of a steep hill and is reached by a large, public elevator (out of order) and two funicular railways.
Back to the plan outside the terminal was also packed with taxi drivers, though their price was US$60 for a 3 hour tour, compared to the $100, that was been asked inside.
Unfortunately, they all wanted $40 to take us to the lake, which was part of the $60 tour – we decided to take a tour but asked for a driver who could understand English, or Spanish and had a big car.
We were directed our driver (Almir), who had a big car but could not understand a word of English or Spanish – he also did not have a tooth in his head and subsequently, I came to suspect that he was dyslexic, as one one occasion, I resorted to Google translate, to ask him a question. Thinking about his name later, I began to think that he may have been a Turkish immigrant.
We managed to communicate and had a really good tour around the town(s) and the beaches. The lake we wanted to see, called El Dique of something or other, was bordered by a dual carriageway and was not that impressive.
More dancing in the evening and Lynne was asked to dance by one of the Dance Hosts (Lounge Lizards) while I sat by sulking and planning a sneaky trip to the bar. Unfortunately, she would not follow his lead in the Quick Step and was returned, prematurely, into my care.
Regrettably, I know the situation very well. All too often, I am about to launch into my “Feather” and “Locksteps”, only to find that Lynne has other ideas.
