Brazil: Sao Cristovao

From Maceio we took a blablacar from Maceio to Aracaju. It turned out he is a professional driver, which was a first for us. A fellow rider told me she believes more than half of the rides on blablacar in Brazil are posted by professional drivers. We drove along the beach (1st below) as we left Maceio, and later, we watched the driver fill his tank with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).





Once we got dropped off at Aracaju bus terminal, instead of heading to yet another beach town, we decided to head inland to Sao Cristóvão, the original state capital of Sergipe - founded in 1590 on sugar fortunes - until the capital was moved to Aracaju. Sao Cristovao is yet another town built on the hill. At this point we can conclude it's not that Brazil does not have flat land, it's that the Portuguese love to settle on hills, presumably easy to defend. Below, a couple of views from the hilltop center of Sao Cristovao. Actually, the 2nd one is only halfway up.





Sao Cristóvão has only a handful of tourist beds in the center. Being there is like having stepped into a vintage film, before TV. In the evening neighbors gathered to sit and chat on the sidewalk, catching the breeze, while kids kicked the ball in the square. Below is the view from our guesthouse to the Church of Our Lady of Protection, the oldest church in Sao Cristovao.



Around the historic UNESCO World Heritage Center of Sao Cristovao at night.










Church and Convent of Saint Francis of Assisi on São Francisco Square.






Parish Church of Our Lady of Victory


Convent and Church of Mount Carmel


Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel


Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel (left) and the adjacent Carmelite Convent


The Oldest Church in Sao Cristovao - Church of Our Lady of Protection


Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People