After taking a late night, two-hour flight (instead of a 26-hour bus ride) from Rio, we arrived in Brazil's colonial capital city, Salvador da Bahia - which everyone truncates to Salvador. At the mouth of a massive bay, Salvador was a natural choice by the Portuguese who trekked across the Atlantic. Relics of its Portuguese roots still stand today, like Fort Santa Maria in the background. Porto da Barra beach's clear waters abutting the fort are popular with both locals and travelers looking to cool off.