“Juliette? To Recife, right? It’s gonna take about 40 minutes, buckle up!”

Forty minutes from Porto de Galinhas? With Friday morning rush-hour traffic? Either my Uber was planning to fly or he was delusional.

Of course, I didn’t say that out loud in Portuguese. It was more like “wow, that’s fast!” because that’s what you’re kind of supposed to say as a woman every time a guy explains how fast his car goes.

“Yeah, no traffic. It’s the Data Magna de Pernambuco.”

He shrugged as if it explained everything.

It explained nothing to me.

“The…?”

“Yes, it’s a holiday. Did you know that the state of Pernambuco was once a country?”

I did not, but it explained a lot more than the explanation, because I really, really don’t get the state of Pernambuco. It’s very… foreign to me, despite countless stays in the capital. In fact, I wasn’t exactly looking forward to my four-day stay—I had to be here for logistical reasons, namely the convenient airport, period.

“Are shops open?”

“Oh yeah. It’s just… a holiday. We party. We celebrate.”

We did make it to Recife in record time, despite the bumpy road.

And I was greeted at my Airbnb building by a bunch of very lively 80-year-old residents dressed in Pernambuco colours, heading out to party.

“I celebrate everything,” one of them confessed.

Gosh. Their Carnival must have been wild last month.

My Airbnb apartment was better than expected.

I looked out the window. It was very sunny, not a cloud in the sky.

Damn. I’m going out as well, grocery shopping and other chores will wait.

I’m not a huge fan of the place, for many reasons. When it rains, it pours and streets flood. It’s hard to get around because it’s a city of mostly water and bridges. Boa Viagem beach is plagued by shark attacks, so it’s not safe to swim. The stinky canals running parallel to the beach kind of ruin the mood. It’s very hot and humid. Boa Viagem is a sea of skyscrapers, but the downtown core can be very dodgy.

I’ve had good or interesting experiences here, but most of the time it’s just so-so.

Where to go?

I took an Uber straight to Marco Zero, aka Recife Antigo, the old town.

Much to my surprise, the streets were closed to traffic and the area was lively. I visited the Paço do Frevo, dedicated to the city’s unique music and dance style.

And this is when I discovered that the weekend would be sunny and fun, with plenty of parties planned for International Women’s Day—and probably also just because. Carnival withdrawal, anyone?

I went back to Recife Antigo on Sunday for some music, drumming, a fair, and more.

I spent Saturday in nearby Olinda for the splendid views over the city’s skyline and the many, many churches.

And of course, I walked along Boa Viagem’s iconic beach—no swimming though. The sharks don’t scare me much, but pollution does.

A fun weekend here. Wow. Lucky me.

And here I am, packing for a very, very early flight… because from now on, I won’t be travelling alone. A special guest is coming.

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