After all the earth-shattering news of the previous post, this lovely story from our great friend Paranaguá provides a pleasant distraction, with the tale of his visit to a spectacular place in the Bahian outback.
Jacobina: City of Gold
I recently stayed in the city of Jacobina, accompaning a team doing an archeological survey led by the archeologist Leila Almeida, during the construction of an EMBASA public sewer for the city.
Located 330 km from Salvador, Jacobina is a city on the northern edge of Chapada Diamantina. From Salvador, the road is excellent all the way to Capim Grosso. But from the Capim Grosso exit until entering the city, you have to drive with caution, due to the dips and bumps in the road.
As I approached the city, I saw that Jacobina is surrounded by mountains, broken by canyons and passes. The high hills, lakes, rivers, waterfalls and the vegetation dominated by native flowers, xiquexique cactus and other species, make it an excellent destination for adventurous ecological tourism.
Accompanied by Diego (a member of Leila Almeida’s team), I spent my free time discovering the tourist sites: the Hotel Serra do Ouro and Alto do Cruzeiro, a place where there is a beautiful panoramic view of the city; the churches of Matriz and Missão; the Avenida Beira Mar, divided by the Itapicuru River; the caves of the Indios Jacob and Bina; and the Mercado Popular, with its wide variety of products.
As for gastronomic treats, there are excellent restaurants, and I’d include the “Bonzão do Bode”, thanks to its simplicity, the tasty food and the owner of the establishment, who enchants his clients with his gentileza and simpatia. I can attest to this, as I enjoyed a plate of roast goat with boiled cassava, recommended by my son Markus Vinicius and my daughter-in-law Patrícia, who reside in the city and work for the Jacobina Mineração e Comércio as environmental engineer and nutritionist, respectively.
A little history
Jacobina was founded in 1722. Known as the “City of Gold” — after gold was discovered there at the beginning of the 17th century, its mines attracted the Portuguese and the bandeirantes paulistas — it possesses a valuable historic, cultural and natural patrimony and was the scene of important moments in Brazilian history. Its name is of indigenous origin and means “Open Field” or “Wide Field”, moreover, there is a legend that says that in the ground of Jacobina lives an Indios couple, Jacob and Bina, and the combination of their names gives Jacobina. At the present, the mining business is by Yamana Gold, through the Jacobina Mineração e Comércio (JMC), which operates the gold extraction in the city.
The magnificent view of the Alto do Cruzeiro, which spreads across an arc of more than 200 degrees, can be seen from any point in the city. One of the principal events of Jacobina is the Penitential Walk, previously called the Caminhada da Luz (walk of light), a name altered by Brother João Zacarias of the Santo Antônio parish. The festa is a spectacle of Christian faith for Catholics, culminating with thousands of faithful who wind their way up in the direction of Alto do Cruzeiro, carrying lighted torches and forming a living serpent of light and fire.
Text and photos by Paranaguá.
