Back to Recife

It had been nearly six years since I'd been to Recife, where I visited on my first trip to Brazil. At the time, everything was so new and exciting that I was fascinated by every single place I went, so after living and traveling in Brazil and going back, I was curious to see how'd I feel about the city. I didn't have very much time, but I think I actually liked it even more.

The mixture of the stunning coastline, the incredibly rich history, the beautiful colonial architecture, the food, and the urban center all together gives the city a feel that is somehow distinct from Rio or other historic coastal cities in Brazil. It actually reminded me much more of the Caribbean this time; wandering through the outdoor markets in Centro, I felt I could have been in Santo Domingo. On the other hand, other parts of the city feel more like Miami, with rows and rows of high rises. It's a weird mix, but it works.

I also think that while Rio has had a renaissance in the last few years, you can feel Brazil's growth and development much more acutely in Recife. Not only is the sense of optimism strong, but the signs of construction, new businesses, and the growing middle class are nearly everywhere you look. That's not to say there's no longer poverty; you can see the favelas as you fly in, and there are still people living on the streets. But based on what I've read, this trend of exploding development is all over the northeast. So for those looking to see change and development in Brazil, it's a good idea to head north.

That said, the cult of Lula is strong here, since he is originally from Pernambuco. Dona Lindu Park, named after the former president's mother, was built on the waterfront a few years ago, and now has a theater and leisure area. There park also has this statue of Dona Lindu and all of her children.

The other thing I noticed this time was the Pernambuco accent. It used to sound strange to my ears, even to the point of being a little irritating, but this time for some reason, I got used to it, and even grew fond of it.

Recife doesn't seem to be an obvious destination for American tourists; many of the foreign tourists I saw were European. But beyond Rio and Salvador, for example, Recife is the perfect mix of beaches, culture, and history, with plenty to explore outside the city and along the coast. There's so much to see.

But one of the problems is getting there. I had to fly through São Paulo, three hours in the wrong direction when flying from the U.S. There are direct flights from Miami, but I did quite a few searches using different dates, and only came across them occasionally. Now, tourism officials are in talks to establish a direct flight from Recife to New York, which would be pretty great.

So I guess what I'm saying is that if you've already seen Rio and São Paulo, it's time to head north. It's well worth it.

Comments

[Eduardo]

Nice! Good to see your impressions on cities other than Rio!

[Allan Henke]

Ah cara! Até a Gringa quer tirar onda com o sotaque nordestino? Fala sério!

Oh Man! Even Gringa once looked dislike northeast people accent? Could I say her time in Rio made her absorb Rio's prejudice? Is it not already much disrespectful for us to be mocked by Brazilians from other regions? Enough!

[Elizabeth Shaler dos Santos]

Concordo com Allan. Tal comentario sobre o sotaque pernambuques e a fala me parece muito provinciano e nao tem lugar numa materia sobre o crescimento desta cidade no contexto do desenvolvimento geral do Brasil. Oxe, ta me aperreando!

[anonima]

Esse renascimento do Norte não está presente em toda região, por exemplo, enquanto Recife cresce e renasce outra cidade tb dessa região, Salvador, não acompanha esse desenvolvimento(a cidade está cada vez mais decadente).
Gringa, ao visitar Pernambuco vc se surpeendeu positivamente,mas se vc visitar aqui(Salvador)vc vai se decepcionar.

ps:eu sou baiana

[F.Sousa]

Allan, I think you made a misunderstanding here, just seems to me that Rachel struggled to adapt to the accent, and that in the beginning can make understanding very annoying. I had the same feeling for adapt myself to British English, but then I started to love the accent when it became clear to me. The same seems to have happened to her, as can be noted in the addendum that she gives right after this.

I think it was unfair of you to assume such things ignoring the very sight of Rachel against prejudice and culture stereotypes that she usually discusses here.

[Rio Gringa]

Obrigada F. Sousa. Acho que foi um mal-entendido mesmo, porque o que escrevi foi precisamente o que você falou. A tradução em português seria:

A outra coisa que notei foi o sotaque pernambuco. Ao princípio, achei estranho o som, até um pouco irritante, mas esta vez por alguma razão, me acostumei e ainda comecei a gostar muito.

[V.Robadey]

I completely agree with you F.Sousa. The struggle to adapt to new sounds might be annoying and sometimes frustrating.

My husband and I have experienced that in different contexts. He learned Portuguese in Salvador (northeast as well) and I must say that he can speak perfect "baianês". However, on a trip to Recife he faced the same difficulties Rachael mentioned. I myself experienced the same situation when we moved back to the States. Since I have learned English in Brazil, I was used to hear non-native speakers more frequently than native ones. It was quite shocking how different American accent sounded to me and it took me some time to get used to.

There's nothing to do with regional favoritism or prejudice. That's a phenomenon that anyone who has learned a foreign language will face: the combination of rhythm and intonation you have been exposed to, and what you will hear in the environment you're going to.

Great article Rachael! Congratulations!