Parting Words For Recife

Last night I said goodbye to Recife. It was like saying goodbye to someone you met on a plane once and passed the time with idle conversation. There was no emotion except excitement to see Salvador. Granted, I didn’t really take full advantage of what Recife had to offer. I was only there for 1 full day. From the time I stepped off the bus I could tell I wasn’t going to be thrilled with the city. When I finally arrived in Salvador this morning, I realized what it was about Recife that I didn’t like.

Everything in Recife is nice enough. The water is a beautiful blue-green color and it was quite a bit warmer than the water in Rio. There were the usual stands for Açaí, ice cream, and green coconuts. The city itself just doesn’t have personality. It’s like they built it up to be a tourist attraction and now it looks the part. Fortaleza had this old fishing community charm and a strong sense of community. Recife just has hotels and people trying to rent you beach chairs every 30 feet. It also feels very, very polluted to my asthmatic lungs. I got headaches from exhaust every day I was there.

The trip to Recife was definitely a good idea. I think I’m now much more interested in Salvador. My plans today include such activities as: washing clothing, looking for a capoiera school, and finding a hostel. The pousada I found in Salvador is amazing. I’ll post pictures of the view as soon as I get a little more settled in. The only problem is it’s a bit too expensive. I can stick around for a couple of days, but I’ll definitely need to find cheaper accommodations if I want to stay for more than that.