March 10, 2023

Norm was pretty tired of Brazil after our last tour, so he decided not to go on the one we had scheduled for today – Catamaran and Casa da Cultura.

Before the tour, we could see the massive food delivery being loaded on to the ship. This is our last major port before we cross the Atlantic to Africa. The huge crates of pineapples caught Norm’s eye first.

Recife is the fourth largest urban area of the northeast region of Brazil. The city has a population of about 1.5 million. Its name is an allusion to the stone reefs that are present by the city’s shores. Our guide, Blayton, told us that the city is below sea level and the reefs were built up by the Dutch when they were in control of the city. The city also consists of many small islands and over 50 bridges.

We boarded the catamaran for the trip on the Capibaribe River. We were served a drink with the alcohol and juice of the region as we boarded.

We passed under several of the bridges including the yellow one that is the site of their Carnivale when 2.5 million people are out partying in the city and on the bridge! The boat captain blew the horn as we entered and exited under the bridge. Apparently people jump from the bridge to the boats and it is often a suicide attempt. We didn’t see any of those thank goodness. We did see lots of colorful fishing boats.

We passed a sculpture garden, this building with a painting of one of the famous city residents on the side of it, a sailing class, a small fort and lots of reefs. The guide from the other bus was doing the traditional dances to the music and our singer, Laura, joined him. The guides thought she must be Brazilian, she was that good!

After the catamaran tour, we went to the Casa da Cultura which is in a former prison. The cells now all hold small shops with all kinds of merchandise, including some nice jewelry shops and leather shops. I didn’t buy anything but enjoyed seeing the uniqueness of the building and imagining what it must have been like as a prison. The original bathrooms are still there and in use. The building is shaped like a cross. Here is a model.

It was a nice day – and then a relaxing pre dinner drink in Martinis topped it off!