Vila Rica Recife

... help the old people who have to take it.  We were heading for the Boa Viagem district, which Lonely Planet told us was where most of the entertainment was.  We were expecting a nice little area where we could wander and choose where to eat/drink/be merry.  But as we were dropped off by the bus we soon realised we had no idea where we were and it was pretty deserted.  Luckily there were some nice Brazilians who put on on a taxi to the waterfront where we had a delicious dinner and even ...

... we left. Carnaval night felt less friendly from that point on. Having a local nearby means things are explained, strange puddles are pointed out and avoided, the best places to eat with views of the river are found and fabulous food consumed. Also walking through the crowds we were less pushed around, and loi did a good job of protecting us from people barging through our group. It was more fun with him around. So we agreed to call it a night and head home. We got a good ...

... of Olinda, had lunch, laughed, talked, cuddled as old friends do. Last night I met his family and his son at their international Capoeira Angola Encounter.... After the Roda, his son Aruande, fell asleep in my arms as we walked back to my pousada... He is so cute! I love Olinda. It is so lovely, so amazing, such a culturally diverse place. So friendly, everyone smiles and laughs and I~ve found it so easy to get ...

... we asked at the main desk inside.. but no, we had come many miles across town for no reason, and now had to head back to the airport. Which we had no idea how to do. But. we eventually found our way there, and after a few relatively stress free hours, walked away with our shiny new Visas. Success! And another pretty stamp in the passport. So, after 4 pretty busy days (including one evening spent eating about 3 kilos of icecream in our prison room) we continued on our planned itinerary.

... also in Portuguese...quite tough). It made me and the other Americans want to play Scrabble, so we borrowed the teachers set to play. We ended up playing two games and having dinner inbetween. For dinner, I had my first Brazilian hamburger, com tudo, including lettuce, tomato, cheese, bacon, and a fried egg. Yes, an egg on a hamburger. And no, it doesn't compare to those in the states. Later, I said my goodbyes to Jesse, and he left at about 2am ...

... Carlos apparently came looking for me today... Itīs nice to have a local friend. Because he works with children a lot he doesnīt lose patience with me with my portuguese, and he has that gentle manner that I understand. Iīd also like to train with Anderson more. It makes me laugh though because its not because of either of these reasons that I want to stay... its because Iīve got an invitation to train with the ballet ...

... Simply perfect. 30C plus, calm with spectacular beach view from our pousada terrace. In true Brit style, we took our towels down to Gaibu & Calhetas beach first day, slopped the sun tan lotion on and sat back - our sleep only interrupted by occasional dips in the warm blue sea to cool off. Just what the doctored ordered. This bliss came to an abrupt end however later on that afternoon. As we walked off the beach, we ...

... from the area... there were even multiple chastity belts on display. Man, am I glad I wasn't raised in the 1700-1800s... metal underwear with 2 strategically placed holes and a padlock? Not my idea of style or comfort :) Anyway, he constructed a castle to house it all, and it's now a public museum. We met back up with Marisa at home, who had been at an appointment to ...

... nao pode ser exatamente considerado conhecer alguem, comentou que estava para se inscrever em um programa de voluntariado. Por uma coincidencia, ou nao, o programa era exatamente o mesmo que eu antes havia obtido algumas informacoes com aquele meu amigo de alguns paragrafos atras.

Dessa vez as coisas ja eram bem diferentes. Eu de fato tinha um pouco mais de diheiro guardado do que da primeira vez que analisei a ideia, o que nao eh nada dificil, ja que naquela outra vez ...

... and very hilly town. We chose to stay in a place recommended in Lonely Planet, called Pasado dīOlinda. Room a little on the basic side but friendly staff who spoke English plus it was cheap ~ 20GBP per night including breafast. My budget is starting to get back under control after a few weeks in South America! My body is falling to bits this side of the Inca Trail experience. My knees are still ...