You’d think I’d be used to it by now considering I’ve been backpacking for two decades but I always get a bit stressed out the night before travelling to somewhere else, next door or far away. It’s just a series of many, many steps—and a big jump into the unknown.
I’ve been to Recife last year, I remember the city very well. I liked it but it won’t be as relaxing as João Pessoa—it’s much, much bigger, more urban, traffic is hell with many bridges, rivers and islets. I’m actually cheating, I won’t stay in Recife—the old town—but in Boa Viagem, the southern neighbourhood along the beach.
But first, laundry. I found a completed automated self-service laundry and by some miracle, the unit unlocking both washers and dryers offers an “estrangeiros” button for stupid foreigners like me who can’t log in with a “CPF” and need to insert banknotes instead of using their bank card.
I got a haircut too—I know, living dangerously.
And then I hauled two plastic bags of clean laundry back to the Airbnb and folded, bagged, sorted out, and arranged everything until it fitted just fine into the backpack. I may be the only person travelling with dish soap, clothespins and rope, detergent, and dozens of other useful items like chopsticks or instant coffee. I’m basically my own convenience store.
I left early the next morning because the rodoviária was inconveniently located across the city.
It was about 40⁰C and João Pessoa doesn’t believe in air con, just fans. Mark and Feng would have complained, for sure. Even I was sweating and I rarely sweat.
I had bought my ticket online and the bus was pretty empty when I picked my seat so I was expecting a quiet ride like the Natal-João Pessoa trip. Not a chance. Everybody and their mother had apparently decided to take the 11 a.m. bus to Recife. The bus was packed and my seatmate was a leg spreader. The guy in front of me reclined his seat as much as it could. “Virus! Pandemic!” I wanted to scream. “Are you asymptomatic by any chance? When was your last COVID test?” I wanted to ask.
But what was I going to do? After all, basic measures were respected—our temperature was taken before boarding the bus and we were all wearing masks, yes, nose in.
It was only a two-hour ride, after all.
May as well just sleep through it and wake up in Recife.







It’s funny how you don’t look like you in the mirror profile picture.
Selfies are weird. Either I’m doing it wrong either it’s another person I’m seeing.