Friday - 06 March 2009 - Recife, Brazil
Recife is composed of a number of interconnected islands. It's very hot and humid, and although it is Friday the downtown is abandoned. It is the first celebration of a new holiday which commemorates the local revolution against Portugal. The town square is full of officials getting ready for a parade and speeches including a large contingent of Masons who are wearing their bibs. (Look up sketches of George Washington who wore such a bib at his inaugural. Go figure.)
I enjoyed the very leisurely walking and bus tour mostly because of the amusing guide, who like many guides on such trips never stopped talking but knew a lot without taking himself too seriously. I did get a nice photograph with a small local band and tried to keep the small umbrella they insisted I hold. There were also lots of remnants of Carnival all around town. Carnival is really, really big here. My friend Ellen in New Jersey participated twice at Carnival her in Recife in her women's drum band. So it was particularly fun to be here during the season.
Recife has a huge beach that goes for 20 miles it seems, lots of public art, and unique wood carvings. It also has the first synagogue in America, now a museum but not on the tour.
Had a late lunch with yet another retired doctor (from England) and a US diplomat and Stanford graduate wife who are lecturers on the ship. We discussed Tim Wirth and Hillary Clinton, both friends of them.
Another day here on the ship. Tomorrow Natal up the coast.
No comments:
Post a Comment