Recife - Olinda

Somewhere in the middle of nowhere, we were kicked off the bus in Recife.

After finding our hostel, we took a bus to Recife Antigo in the afternoon. There, a pre-carnival celebration was taking place. The streets were full of people in costumes. Drum groups were parading through the squares. Everywhere, you could buy costumes, food, and souvenirs. We wanted to have something to eat right in the middle of the action. However, we were not lucky with our choice, so we ended up eating oxtail with incredibly greasy fries. It couldn't have been more disgusting.

The next day, we discovered a really nice and European-style café where we immediately felt at home and had breakfast. Then, we went to Olinda. Olinda is very touristy, but beautiful. Many small colorful houses are lined up next to each other. After spending about 2 hours there, we took an Uber back to Recife Antigo. There, we had a coffee and then walked to Santo Antonio. We were immediately warned to be careful and to watch our phones and money. Suddenly, the atmosphere changed. People were dressed differently and were walking in masses through the neighborhood. Instead of fancy cafes and stores, there were more bargain shops where it was better not to ask where the items came from. Nevertheless, we strolled around the neighborhood for a while. In the evening, we went to bed relatively early because we had to get up early again the next day.