Temperature drops dramatically in Maceió at nighttime and people rush home.
Just kidding.
Temperature does drop but from 33⁰C to 27⁰C. And everybody stays outside because it does feel slightly cooler and breezy.
Right now, if you’re in Europe—apparently colder than usual this year—or in Canada—just regular “fucking cold” winter—you probably hate me. Just remember I’m the idiot stuck in Brazil, eh.
After-sunset activities in Maceió include exercising, like jogging along the waterfront or taking fitness classes right on the sand. Hanging out with friends at the skate park is also an option—no skate, no problem, you can rent one.
If you’re a grownup with responsibilities, you’re probably at the supermarket. Good luck. You’ve just fallen into a spatiotemporal gap—no matter what you need and which cash register you choose, you’ll lose an hour or two. Speedy checkout is not an option and it has nothing to do with COVID, it’s just… the way it is. For instance, there’s never any change in the cash register. You can hand out 100 reais (not recommended) or 50 reais, hell, even 5 reais and the cashier will still need to ask managers for change. I bought water for 1.75 reais the other day, gave two reais… and the manager was called because no one could locate a 25-centavo coin..
At one point after exercising, socializing or shopping, you’ll get hungry. There are plenty of comida por kilo options, including one at the supermarket—with live music!—but the food truck parks are always popular.
They are popular everywhere in the Nordeste, actually. I saw food truck parks in Natal and João Pessoa too. These permanent food truck centres typically open around 6 p.m. and offer tables, restrooms and maybe live music if you’re lucky.
Go ahead, put your mask on, show your arm to have your temperature taken and step in. It’s fun, lively and food is surprisingly food.
You’ll find cheap fast-food options like burgers or pastels (fried square of dough with a filling) but also fancier options like local specialities—tapioca, filling soup, Acarajé, etc.—and world food.
Yes, it looks crowded. But in fact, it’s actually a pretty good pandemic option. Once you get over the fact that there are people around you, you’ll notice on pictures that tables are set apart and everybody not eating is wearing a mask. We’re outside, it’s breezy. As for the two-meter rule… yeah, doesn’t really work in Brazil.
