Rick was born in Brazil and hasn't been on Brazilian soil since he was approximately seven years old. We were married 28 years that May and since I've first met Rick, he has been wanting to show me his home country. So, we have finally arrived!
The Crown Princess berthed in Recife at 7:00 a.m. Our tour began at 8:00 a.m. So we boarded our touring coach at the dock and began our day. On the sightseeing menu was a city drive of Recife followed by a visit to the little mountainous village of Olinda. The weather was already very warm and humid at such an early start. The haze was heavy but eventually burned off as the sun rose higher and the mercury climbed by noontime to about 97 F. A constant breeze blew in from the ocean keeping the heat bearable.
As we drove from the port and over the small bridge linking the town, the tide was out and had receded completely. I saw little fishing boats with their bottoms resting in the mud, waiting for the water to return.
Our first vision of Carnival celebration was in Recife where colorful, shiny streamers were strung above the street.
Concrete statues perched high on concrete podiums were poised in various clownish positions and they lined the main avenue through town at intervals.
Rickety, old, two-wheeled wooden carts being pulled by horse or mule were one mode of transportation. Along the streets were open cafes and places that the locals mingled.
As a sharp contrast to the dry, lifeless, brittle landscape, the buildings were wildly colorful.
The people were patriotic and genuinely friendly and happy.
The steep, narrow road to Olinda required us to leave our large tour bus twenty minutes into our tour and board a smaller van. Our little vehicle chugged up a winding, narrow road wide enough for just one and a half vehicles at a time. When we reached the mountaintop, the small town of Olinda offered us a magical view of Recife below. A wonderful woman I met on the cruise named Sandra (and who was from Australia) joined me in a photo moment.
Olinda's cobble streets led to the center of town where we saw a beautiful old church, which we toured.
We arrived just as the locals were gathering for their version of Carnival. Children were dressed in costumes ranging from super heroes to fairies. Adults wore glittery T-shirts and colorful hats. Shiny confetti sparkled in the cracks of the cobblestones along the streets.
Olinda had it's own charm. It also boasted colorful, local artwork which was displayed in little shops and stalls.
Once we left Olinda, we re-boarded our large tour coach and drove throughout downtown Recife's business district, gardens and parks. There were various displays of impending Carnival celebration throughout downtown as well with lights being strung along bridges and vendors setting up to sell bottled waters and cold coconuts in the husk.
Concrete statues perched high on concrete podiums were poised in various clownish positions and they lined the main avenue through town at intervals.
Rickety, old, two-wheeled wooden carts being pulled by horse or mule were one mode of transportation. Along the streets were open cafes and places that the locals mingled.
As a sharp contrast to the dry, lifeless, brittle landscape, the buildings were wildly colorful.
The people were patriotic and genuinely friendly and happy.
The steep, narrow road to Olinda required us to leave our large tour bus twenty minutes into our tour and board a smaller van. Our little vehicle chugged up a winding, narrow road wide enough for just one and a half vehicles at a time. When we reached the mountaintop, the small town of Olinda offered us a magical view of Recife below. A wonderful woman I met on the cruise named Sandra (and who was from Australia) joined me in a photo moment.
Olinda's cobble streets led to the center of town where we saw a beautiful old church, which we toured.
We arrived just as the locals were gathering for their version of Carnival. Children were dressed in costumes ranging from super heroes to fairies. Adults wore glittery T-shirts and colorful hats. Shiny confetti sparkled in the cracks of the cobblestones along the streets.
Olinda had it's own charm. It also boasted colorful, local artwork which was displayed in little shops and stalls.
Once we left Olinda, we re-boarded our large tour coach and drove throughout downtown Recife's business district, gardens and parks. There were various displays of impending Carnival celebration throughout downtown as well with lights being strung along bridges and vendors setting up to sell bottled waters and cold coconuts in the husk.
We walked around inside an old, three story jailhouse that had been converted into mini mall, each jail cell a store with it's own iron bars for a front door. It was whimsical and vivid in detail. Fun!
Overall, Recife and Olinda wet my appetite for COLOR and the warm, Brazilian charm of it's people. It made me even more curious about Carnival and left me wondering what more I was going to see. I was a happy traveler.
The next day would be a day at sea...and a special celebration I will never forget: South American Cruise 2014
The next day would be a day at sea...and a special celebration I will never forget: South American Cruise 2014
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