There’s something about Brazil… Something seductive… Something hot… Something sexy.

Brazil is a sexy country and I have a hard time whether I am completely in love with the country or completely in lust.

We had explodeer the wild side of the country and just when I thought I couldn’t love the country any more we were on our way to the next stop – the hot, seductive city of Salvador.

Salvador da Bahia has an energy and unadorned beauty that few cities can match. The city was once the magnificent capital of Portugal’s great New World colony and today it remains as the country’s Afro-Brazilian jewel… Trust me – it’s a sexy city.

The  charming Old Town  is now a World Heritage Site and is home to a vibrant musical scene. With with drum corps pounding out powerful rhythms against the backdrop of colonial buildings throughout the day, the evening brings Capoeira circles forming on plazas and open spaces around town, while the scent of acarajé (bean and shrimp fritters) and other African delights fills the night air.

On other sides of town, a different spirit flows through the crowd as religious followers celebrate and reconnect with African gods at mystical Candomblé ceremonies. In fact, there’s no other place in the world where descendants of African slaves have preserved their heritage as well as in Salvador – from music and religion to food, dance and martial-arts traditions.

I don’t know whether it was the bright colours, the gorgeous men or the gin but my mother and I adored the city. We wandered the rainbow streets – frequently stopping for drink breaks to briefly escape from the sweaty men weather, we admired the gorgeous architecture, we distracted police men from their radio calls to ask for directions and we went out for evening drinks where we watched women sending food up and down their top-floor houses with baskets and ropes.

In the past 500 years, Salvador has held a firm grip on its strong African, Brazilian, and European roots and I can assure you this cultural crossroad of a city will be sure to seduce you with its’ beauty and charm.