Highlights of the Day:
The little town on Olinda
The colorful statues
Kids dressed up for Carnival
Science Class:
We docked in Porto de Recife and it lies in the vicinity of the estuary formed by the mouths of Rio Capibaribe and Rio Beberibe. The port is protected by an extensive detached breakwater built on Banco lights. Recife is surround by rivers and is dotted with islands and mangroves.
The Long Summary of My Day:
Olinda and Recife were such amazing little towns! The temperature today was a balmy 87 degrees, which means it was really hot and really humid! We drove to the colonial city of Olinda, which is an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The town is bound by historic area zoning rules and regulations that restrict redevelopment and therefore the remaining colonial lattice and heavy doors have all been preserved. Everywhere you looked there was something colorful to see. The town is made up of pastel and brightly colored stucco buildings and homes with intricately carved doors. The little houses are adorned with delicate balconies (that I would not walk out on) that overlook the narrow streets. We traveled up the cobblestone streets to Cathedral Square where you got an outstanding view of the town and Recife Harbor. There was a small market that was filled with brightly colored masks, statues and figures. Small children in brightly colored outfits would gather in the market and perform cultural dances. After they were down, they turned a colorful umbrella upside down to collect tips. We walked in the small stores which were filled with all different types of laces, hand painted plaques and figurines. We strolled along the streets there, went to another market and found another lookout point to have another great view of the city. We found the first synagogue in the area which was turned into a market and the court yard was turned into an outdoor cafe. It was full of colorful bird statues and a statue of a guy with sunglasses and a flower in his mouth. I have to find out what the meaning is with this guy!
After spending the morning in Olinda, we went back to Recife. It is known as the Brazilian Venice, because it is divided by waterways that separate the districts. When traveling around Recife you cross many bridges which sit very low to the water. It is interesting to see the boats pass under the bridges because the people in the boat have to duck their heads. We saw the Governor's Mansion, which is now home to administration offices, as well as many other buildings. As in Olinda, Recife's buildings are also very colorful. We then went to Casa da Cultura, which is a former prison that was turned into a handicraft market. Each of the cells in the prison are occupied by local artists that sell their handmade jewelry, art, collectables, etc. The prison is set up like a cross so therefore there are four long wings of cell shops as well as two floors! There is so much to see and, of course, buy!
We then traveled to Boa Viagem Beach. On the street alongside the beach, there are giant high-rise condominiums and some of them sell for over 1 million dollars. The water at the beach was a perfect blend of blues and greens. Local vendors were selling hats, sunglasses and coconut water. They would take a machete and chop the coconut off the stalk, edge it to create a hole then pop out the top so that you could drink from it!
Our day in Recife and Olinda was very very nice! We both loved the town of Olinda with its colorful houses, interesting markets and talented dancers. Casa da Cultura could have you shopping for days. Although there were some parts of the towns that were not well developed and somewhat run down, but there were also many charming parts!
We got back to the ship in time, good thing, for the sail away party on the Lido! Just as we were pulling away from the dock, fireworks were set off the reef barrier! The ship had to pivot around in order to safely make its way out of the barriers surrounding the dock! We had a lovely view of the towns all lit up at night as we sailed away!
When I got back from our day today, I had chilled rhubarb soup at the Lido, to tide me over until dinner, so therefore I opted for the cream of chicken and artichoke soup at dinner tonight! I also had baked macaroni and cheese, yum! A really nice day!
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