A Visit to Recife City
Recife is a city and seaport in northeastern Brazil, capital of the state of Pernambuco, on the Atlantic Ocean, near the easternmost tip of South America. The city, one of the largest in Brazil, is divided by waterways into separate districts. Major districts include São José, a commercial and financial district on a peninsula; Boa Vista, a business and residential district on the mainland; and Santo Antônio, a governmental district on Antônio Vaz Island. Its principal industries are importing and exporting, sugar refining, cotton milling, iron working, pineapple canning, tomato preserving, and the manufacturing of cement, asbestos, paper, roofing, and leather goods. Because of its many waterways, Recife is sometimes called the Venice of America.
Informal Sector on the Beach in RecifeBy
Havi Asch Considering
that our stay in Recife was pretty low key and I was sick for the day we
went to Olinda, I am going to write about my experience on the beach. As soon as we walked out of the hotel to cross the street to the beach there was a man asking us if we wanted chairs and umbrellas for the beach. Our first reaction was to say, “não, obrigada” because he seemed to be trying to sell us something. I think that being in Brazil has made me resistant to street vendors. I am almost numb to them in a way and my immediate reaction is to say, “no thank you” whenever they approach.
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The following pictures were taken as we dressed up to participate in Carnaval.
One of our professors was Lampiao, the famous backlands bandit. Some of us were dressed as "frevo" dancers.
Northeastern Culture: Ciranda Dancing in Old RecifeBy
Dapo Akinleye Old Recife was a very fun trip. There are many cultural aspects of Brazil in Recife that I am going to miss. I’ve appreciated Brazil for the unique cultural aspects that have made it an enjoyable term abroad. One aspect of Brazil is the feira. Feiras are open markets where a variety of items are sold. These include, meat, poultry, fish, crafts, carvings, paintings and many other items. Feiras are social events that offer the people a space, not only to sell, but also to congregate, exchange information, and gossip. It offers a more personal form of communication in comparison to our new modern internet and satellite telecommunications.
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A night out in old Recife.
Recife: A Hidden Culture Lies UnderneathBy
Javi Hairston Recife is distinctly different from the other places we visited on our study tour. It almost strikes me as having a different sub-culture within the broader Brazilian culture. I represents an area and group of people who, despite suffering economic hardships, have flourished immensely in other ways. The cowboy and Caboclos Cordel* culture is indigenous to the Northeast.
* Poems/Stories on a String, Little Paper Booklets of the region.
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One of Recife's many historic churches.
Pernambuco: Feeling like a tourist in an area of African descentBy
Aracely Ruiz We arrived at Recife, Pernambuco on November 13th, after midnight. On the 14th and 15th, our days were practically free of academic work so I was able to get some rest and enjoy the Boa Viagem beach. I would ask myself, “Why do some Brazilians say that there is nothing spectacular in Recife?” For me, there was initially a lot there: Our hotel was located in front of a beach, the shopping mall was nearby, the streets were nicely paved and there were many buildings and bars. These amenities made me feel like a welcomed visitor.
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The above two photos were taken of a monument constructed by the human rights group "TORTURA NUNCA MAIS." This monument depicts the atrocity of torture showing a victim of the "pau de arrara," the infamous "parrot's perch" torture rack.
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By Marissa Post Prior to my arrival in Recife, I had heard all this "hype" about how great Recife is. This was about the beauty of the beaches as well as the quality of the food. These are typical traits that a tourist would say are wonderful about a tropical location. For the first two days of my visit to Recife, while I stayed in Boa Viagem Beach, I very much agreed with the prior evaluations. However, in the subsequent days, as I ventured more into the city of Recife itself, I realized that Recife, of which Boa Viagem is just one small part, is very similar to the rest of Brazil. Recife has huge economic disparities. (see pictures below)
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Landless in Recife: Brazil's landless movement, "MST" (Movimento dos Sem Terra").
The landless movement: shacks along a Recife highway.
One of Brazil's landless families
More Shacks
Startling ContrastsBy Chirlie Felix Brazil has been an educational experience and, perhaps nothing more so than the Northeastern region, especially Pernambuco State. Traveling to Recife, the State’s Capital, was all about contrasts. We visited the city of Recife and two other cities located outside of the city – on the coast, Olinda and Carvoru in the interior agreste. In all of these places there were stark differences.
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