It’s an interesting contrast to say the least—Shopping Recife, one of the largest shopping malls in the country, skyscrapers all around… and the “Entra a Pulso” favela, still standing proud, a perfect example of the people vs. big development.
There are roosters and a couple of horses in the street but my condo’s front door boasts a fingerprint door lock. Well, in theory, anyway, because it’s broken, so you just wave to “a portaria,” the concierge, and hope to be let in.
There’s a long, long beach as well in Boa Viagem, Recife’s wealthy suburb, but it’s plagued by shark attacks.
Recife is an “oh, wait, but…” kind of city.
I didn’t sweat over the Airbnb pick this time. Like pretty much anyone visiting Recife, I’m staying in Boa Viagem, the “easy” suburb with kilometres of beach, relatively modern infrastructures and skyscrapers. There are tons of cheap apartments for rent in Boa Viagem and they kind of all look the same—newish, one room, kitchenette, no balcony, shared laundry facilities in the building.
This is probably the only time I didn’t sweat in Recife, actually, because the city is hot and stuffy. According to the elevator, it was “99⁰C”—even with factoring in the hyperbole it certainly felt like it. Don’t expect air con in most stores, it’s invariably broken. Don’t expect air con in the many buses you’ll take to get places, it’s just not a local feature. Just take off your mask, take a cold shower when needed, and go hang out at Shopping Recife at night where there is air con, that’s what locals seem to do.
Last year, Recife felt gloomy and dark—I had just learned that coming back to Canada was going to be harder than planned, the weather was stormy, and many places were closed.
This year, Recife is lively and the sky is blue. Lucky me.
I had a plan for my four-day stay, the typical Recife checkmarks—Olinda, Recife Antigo, Boa Viagem’s beach for a stroll and people watching opportunities.
I did just that, but on top of it, I was treated to fascinating insights into favela life.
Remember the “Entra a Pulso” favela I mentioned above? Well, I was overlooking a few of the inside alleys, kind of a front row seat into streets where I probably shouldn’t wander around not because favela people are bad people but because favelas are communities with codes I don’t master. I cross the favela’s main street every night to go to the mall but I wouldn’t have suspected there were so many animals roaming around in the inner alleys, for instance.
The first night, I witnessed a long deal apparently involving trading two chickens for… something, not quite sure what. I noticed the many ways garbage is used to generate income, with people taking turns to sift and sort the trash for anything that can be recycled—plastic bags, aluminum cans, cardboard, newspapers, etc. And then there was a long drama involving a sick horse—I thought it was dead but again, the community took turns looking after it and helping it.
Favelas are alive 24/7, people work hard, and there’s a real community spirit. This is what I learned from the living room window.
Four days in Recife was also just long enough for me to figure out where to go next, and where to go after that.
And as usual, the city was interesting to explore, but exhausting enough that I’m happy to pack again and move on.
I liked the Green Day shirt…
One of my favourite bands 😉
Pingback: Brazilian Happiness Advice – “Soak Your Feet in Salt Water”