Alive Class is a Project in which the school hires a service and Salvador Bus provides everything to take the pupils through many important sights across the city in their panoramic buses. The routes are customized to fit the needs of every school, but they generally include Campo Grande, Barra Lighthouse, Vitória Plaza, Sete Ave., Castro Alves Square, Municipal Square, Modelo Market, Sister Dulce Hospital, Calçada, Bonfim Church and Ribeira. Other options might include Orla, Tororó Dyke, Shopping Mall, etc.

Some of the participant schools this month are Pingo de Gente, Marista, Integral and Isba. Our buses have two floors and almost five meters tall. Besides teachers, students also counts on tourist guides, sound and DVD services. During the trip the crew provides rich information about the places seen, connecting what students have learned at school about city history with the real world, always enjoying a wonderful view inside our double deck panoramic buses.

Now it’s easier to find Salvador Bus: Central do Carnaval stores in all shopping malls and airports are selling tickets for many different routes. According to the businessman Felipe Benzota, a partnership with Central do Carnaval was stablished by Joaquim Nery and Geraldo Albuquerque, managers of Central, giving tourists the possibility to buy a souvenir of our Carnaval, CDs of Bahia musicians, parties entrances and more when acquiring their tickets for Salvador Bus.

The City Department of Education also decided to deploy the Live Classroom Project and now, even though at the end of the year, decided to reward students from various schools of the city, especially those located in the periphery.

During the trip the crew provides rich information about the places seen, connecting what students have learned at school about city history with the real world, always enjoying a wonderful view inside our double deck panoramic buses. The Alive Class Project is a priority for the Salvador Bus team because it gives students the opportunity to learn details of the first capital of Brazil and to absorb a little of the whole context, especially among the XV and XVI centuries, while walking the city streets, said Lucas Benzota, director of the Salvador Bus.

This contract with the City Department of Education Culture and Sports will benefit 200 students per day. Two buses will make trips departing from Barra Lighthouse to the Historical Downtown and from the Modelo Market to Bonfim Church and Ribeira.

Among the benefited schools are: Gilberto Pires, Nova Sussuarana, Olga Figueiredo, Municipal de Paripe, São João Batista, Teodoro Sampaio, Cajazeira XI, Tenente Almir, André Rebouças, Primeiro de Maio, Alexandrina Pita, Nossa Senhora Salette and others. Before the holidays students will learn more the social contrasts of our city. The project will continue in 2010.

According to the businessman Filipe Benzota, the goal is to provide, for free, another attraction to this time of year. To gain access, the applicant must embark from the main hotels in town. There will be two special routes. The first leaves Itapuã, from the coastline to reach the Historical Downtown. The second has the same destination, but starts at Vermelho River neighborhood and goes through Barra and Vitória Hall.

The beginning of the route is scheduled for 7 p.m., with arrival at the circuit party at 8 p.m., on 11th and 12th, 18th and 19th, 23rd and 24th, 25th and 26th this month. The return will be made at midnight, time enough to enjoy the vigorous program of Castro Alves Square, Municipal Square and the Shrine of Jesus.

Along the trip, the Salvador Bus will be warmed by a Northeastern trio with the distinct sounds of the bass drum, triangle and accordion. Besides good music, all passengers can enjoy the delights and delicacies typical of São João as canjica (a dish made from grated green corn, sugar, milk and cinnamon), coconut and corn porridge. Among the beverages, the highlights are regional homemade liqueurs of genipap, raisins and tamarind. The vehicles will also count on a personalized decoration, typical decoration of São João, with stylized bonfires and more.

Points of embarkation and disembarkation

Pestana Hotels, Mercure, Ibis, Catarina Paraguaçu, Mar Hotel, Portobello, Othon, Atlantic Towers, Vila Galé, San Marino, Monte Pascoal, Marazul, Sol Barra, Vila Velha and Sol Vitória Marina. More information available on the website of Salvador Bus or phone +55 (71) 3356-6425 and +55 (71) 9611-7398.

Departures usually take place from hotels located in the coastline of Salvador. In one of the routes, the starting point is the bohemian district of Vermelho River. There, the Salvador Bus’ customers can contemplate the green sea of Paciência Beach and choose among many options of bars and restaurants to enjoy the night.

It is also at the Vermelho River that are situated the main Bahian acarajé (little cakes made of ground beans, fried in palm oil and served with shrimps, pepper sauce and vatapá – which is a dish made of manioc flour, oil, pepper, fish and shrimp) trays of Salvador (Cira and Regina). These delicacies, which are considered a Bahia’s trademark, are sold in late afternoon and usually attract dozens of people every day, especially during the summer.

Leaving the Vermelho River, Salvador Bus heads towards the districts of Barra and Ondina, famous for their electric trios parades during Carnival. In this course, you can see the sculptures of artist Eliana Kertesz, known as “chubby ones”, and some traditional postcards scenarios of the city as the Barra Lighthouse and Porto da Barra Beach, elected by the British newspaper The Guardian as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The stop at Barra Lighthouse lasts ten minutes, which is enough time to take some good pictures and contemplate the Fort of Santa Maria, one of the oldest buildings in the neighborhood. The traditional Oceania edifice can also be seen and photographed during this short interval.

After visiting the beaches, Salvador Bus goes through Centenário Avenue, passing by the Barra Shopping Mall and the Tororo Dyke. This second place offers a running track, paddle boats, toys and sculptures of Candomblé deities made by the artist Tati Moreno. The dyke park also gathers native species of the Rainforest.

Proceeding with the tour, visitors meet some of the oldest urban landscapes in town, such as Sete de Setembro Ave. and Carlos Gomes Street. Those roads represent the main trading areas in the streets of Salvador. Cruz Caída Square and Lacerda Elevator – which is the main connection between the Upper and Lower Town – are also included in the tour.

After visiting the Downtown, Salvador Bus takes its passengers to one of the best panoramic views of the city of Salvador: from the top of Contorno Ave. they can see the Museum of Modern Art and the beautiful waters of the Bay of All Saints. The architectural structure, plus the natural sculptural design of the hill, result in a wonderful view.

At the same avenue are located the main restaurants of Salvador and Nossa Senhora da Conceição da Praia (patroness of the city) Church.

Also in this commercial neighborhood the tourist can make a small association to the principality of Monaco, once the Bahia Marina and the Nautical Terminal congregate high standard vessels. The light source sculpted by artist Mario Cravo Filho and the Modelo Market, a commercial and handcrafts center in Salvador, add a touch of Bahia’s spirit to the neighborhood that still retains Portuguese ruins and buildings of the nineteenth century.

Before the tour ends, there is still a visit to Itapagipe Peninsula, a place that still retains the air of a small town. Landmarks of Salvador as Nosso Senhor do Bonfim Church and Ribeira Ice Cream parlor are located there. Within this route there are exactly two stops. One at the “Colina Sagrada” to visit one of the major Catholic churches of Bahia and another at the Ribeira Ice Cream Parlor for the tasting of the most famous ice cream of Salvador.

The last two stops Salvador Bus makes is at the Mares’ Plaza, where there’s a Gothic style church, and at Roma’s Plaza, where is located the Sister Dulce Memorial, which keeps many objects and documents that once belonged to this famous nun.

Salvador by night

Besides the traditional route, the Savior Bus also offers night tours, which can happen on demand. Attractions include a tour by the main gastronomic centers and the hottest nightlife and bars in Salvador.

Service

www.salvadorbus.com.br