Recife, Brazil, was our port of call for today. This city of 1.555 million residents is the capital of Pernambuco. It happens to be the fourth largest city in Brazil, and is known for its beaches, restaurants, and nightlife. The name Recife actually means colorful reefs, and being built partially on an island, it has a series of canals and rivers earning it the nickname The Venice of Brazil. The average temperature is 28 degrees Celsius, with the currency being the Brazilian real at 4.08 reals to the $1 USD. The official language is Portuguese.
And it was the Portuguese that founded this city in 1534, and began to import slaves to work the prosperous sugar cane plantations. It was not long after that many colonial buildings were constructed throughout the growing city.
Five miles north of the city is Olinda, a well-preserved colonial site and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1982. We visited this lovely village finding it much safer than Recife, but also more touristy.
There were a total of four ship tours ranging from 3 to 4 ½ hours for $110 to $120.
The Amsterdam arrived before 8am to a very warm and humid day. Our plans were to have breakfast, then go off after 10am. Good timing, because there was a safety drill beginning then, and the sound of the bells ringing was deafening.
There was a mandatory bus we had to board in order to get from the ship to the terminal. That took a while because people can be slow boarding. And even slower getting off. Once at the terminal, we had to negotiate the hike into the building, up the escalator, then across to a ramp, that led to the way out. At this end, were two dancers doing the samba to the music of a band. Along the way, we had been given maps and flyers of the area. One local fellow handed us a baseball cap, which came from Ben Brothers Jewelry. We are sure there will be a follow-up pitch when we come back here later.
Outside the doors, we loaded into another coach for the 20 minute ride to the Caso do Culturo, a former 19th century prison transformed into a handicraft center. This t-shaped 2 story building had small "cells" that were converted into small shops or take-away food cubbyholes. We found the items sold were embroidered linens, laces, Brazilian-style clothing, wood carvings, pottery, and some jewelry. We call it fun shopping, since most everything was reasonably priced. And although we did not bargain, we do know on the higher priced things, they would welcome it. One brightly-colored wooden clutch purse and an embroidered tunic became our purchases.
We had been warned to stay within the area surrounding this shopping venue, because it is an area of crime. There was a strong presence of policemen, and we felt we were well watched. Despite that, we did not wander far from here, mostly because it was so darned hot outside. It may have been nice to see some of the many cathedrals that were in this area, but without being in a group, like on a tour with an experienced guide, it was not advisable to explore further. Our friends Barb, Aart and Ellen did walk a long block from the shopping center to the well-known restaurant, Leite, for lunch, but had the assistance of a local lady who walked there with them. We had previously looked up the menu at this restaurant, but everything was in Portuguese, and we did not recognize any of the entrees. So we did not eat lunch in town.
After about an hour in the "prison", we were back to the ship by 12:30pm. Several buses were running and we did not have to wait long for either run. And like we expected, the jewelry man did hand us an envelope with an invitation for a free ride to their store in Rio. We used to do this with Stern's, and all we had to do was listen to their sales talk on jewelry and loose gemstones. But for some reason, Stern's has cut ties with this cruise line we heard.
This was another time we appreciated the cool air-conditioning on the ship. We had our usual lunch in the Lido, then did some photo work until it was time for the sail away festivities at the Seaview Pool.
Taking the last table near the back end, we relaxed while watching the activity on the dock, as well as keeping an eye out for bird life here. While the ship was taking on supplies, we spotted a bird that stood out from the pigeons and sea birds. Resembling a vulture, this bird was perched on the highest of the cranes, and occasionally took flight down to the water and back up. Getting some clear shots of it with the good camera, we could blow them up later to identify it.
By the time was pulling away from the pier, and actually backing out of the harbor, Henk, the hotel director joined us to chat. Apparently the internet has had its kinks, and they are busy working them out. Eventually Susie, Woody, and Greg joined us, while enjoying the sun setting behind the skyline of the tall buildings of Recife. By now, the wind had picked up, cooling everyone off.
Enlarging the bird photos, we discovered we had seen a crested caracara, a bird common to this part of the world. But it was the first time we ever saw one in the wild like this. It is in the falcon family, and will hunt on land, but also at sea. From here on down the east coast of South America, we shall be on the lookout for more sightings.
Dinner was filled with a variety of dishes from this part of the world. Again, not sure we would like some of it, we opted for the alternate salmon, and one penne pasta with pancetta. Dessert was a shared apricot crisp with slivered almonds and one scoop of vanilla ice cream. Not a bad way to end the day.
The singers and dancers were performing "That's Life", with a mix of songs and dances from the not-so-old days. Even the 9:30pm show filled the show lounge, which is good. Guess we need to enjoy this type of entertainment occasionally while it lasts.
We have a couple of days at sea now to arrive to Rio de Janeiro for a two day stay. The passengers are getting excited about that.
Bill & Mary Ann
