Sightseeing

We decided to stay at the hostel for another night, even though we had talked about moving somewhere else, just in case the police decided to pull any more pranks on us. Before heading out for some sightseeing, we first went down to the beach, which is a lot like Copacabana in Rio. From sunrise, people flock to the beach to exercise. It’s quite amusing to watch, and a great way to kick off the day. After that, we took a taxi to Casa do Cultura, an old prison that now houses little shops in the former cells. We wandered around a bit but didn’t buy anything before heading out to the street to find some breakfast. There was way more to see on the street than there had been in Casa do Cultura, so it was a good call not to spend more time there. We passed countless markets where the vendors were really eager to sell, making it easy to haggle the prices down. We ended up buying several watches—I got another Hugo Boss watch for 15 reais and two LV watches for 17 reais. Honny added to his Hugo Boss collection with another watch for 12 reais. He also picked up some shorts for 15 reais and a T-shirt for 10 reais. In the afternoon, we took the bus, which cost 2.20 per ticket, to Olinda, an old town that has merged with Recife. The houses here are protected, so they maintain their original look. The streets are very steep and winding, which adds to the town's cozy vibe. From the top of the "Alta de Se" square, there’s a stunning view over the entire city, Recife, and the beach. Alta de Se is filled with little shops, street stalls, and food vendors. We tried a Brazilian food specialty that consisted of a ball made from bean dough filled with shrimp, salad, and some yellow paste. It tasted really good! We also browsed the small stalls, where we bought a hand-carved wooden painting depicting the streets of Olinda—really beautifully done, for 20 reais. I also picked up a skirt for 8 reais, and Honny bought some gifts, which I can’t mention here :) On the bus back and forth, we asked for directions several times, and people were incredibly helpful. They go out of their way to assist, which makes traveling around much easier. But there’s also a downside to the Brazilians. Just as helpful as they are, they rarely say sorry when they step on your toes or bump into you. They just keep going... Next to where we’re staying, there’s an internet café where the owner speaks a bit of English. We went there to ask where we could find a good rodizio restaurant in the area. He recommended two places and even walked out to the taxi with us to tell the driver where we wanted to go. Once again, the Brazilian friendliness shone through! The restaurant was good, but it wasn’t the best we’ve been to. It only cost 50 reais for the buffet, including red wine and water, so it was quite cheap!