U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, met with Brazilian president Lula Inácio da Silva and other government officials in Brasilia last week on an official visit. However, after her business was done, she took a detour to Salvador, Bahia, before she had to fly to Chile for more meetings.

According to Reuters, Rice has always wanted to visit Bahia and to experience Afro-Brazilian culture. During her brief visit, Rice went to Pelourinho, the historic district of Salvador, where she toured churches and museums and watched several musical performances. One of the performances featured Afro-Brazilian spirituals that described the experiences of African slaves who were brought to Brazil.

Rice reportedly said, “What an amazing story. It reminds
me of how faith can help people to overcome anything.”

The Secretary of State also watched street musical performances and a capoeira show. At night, she got into the spirit of Salvador and danced with Gilberto Gil, the Brazilian Minister of Culture and famous musician. She also was photographed wearing a red fita, a souvenir bracelet from the Senhor do Bomfim Church in Salvador that is supposed to bring good luck.

Click here to watch the Globo video footage of Rice’s visit (in Portuguese).