In Pelhurinho you will find a charming maze of cobblestone streets that are easy and rewarding to wander around. In addition to the many shops, galleries, and cafes, there are a few incredible old churches well worth a visit, including Largo Cruzeiro de S. Francisco. It gives new meaning to the term “Gilded in Gold.” Almost as impressive as the gleaming gold walls is the wonderful blue tile work near the entry. Next door is the Ordem Terceira de Sao Francisco Church and it’s beautiful facade.

There are plenty of opportunities to shop for everything from jewelry to painting to your usual tourist junk. However, it’s definately not the cheapest place to buy your souveniers. If you’re looking for tourist items, catch a ride from H Stern back down the hill and ask them to drop you at the Market. A short walk along the waterfront from the ship, the Market is filled to the brim with tourist items, and while not the bargain that Fortaleza was, the prices are much better than at the top of the hill.

Be careful leaving the market and walking back to the ship. Walk with others if possible. During our day in Salvador 2 ladies were walking back from the market and right at the terminal building, in front of a security guard, 2 young teenage boys mugged the women stealing their purses. The security guard fired a gun at them and they were caugh by police. But, it’s still not a good way to end your stay in port.

As the story above illustrates, as enchanting as the old city is – the modern area at the bottom of the hill, where the port is, is is not a very nice place. It’s dangerous. Don’t walk around by yourself, and take a taxi – or the the free H Stern bus to get up to the old city and back. While the elevators that run up the side of the hill are intriguing, they’re not worth getting mugged or shot.

Sailing out of Salvador de Bahia is well worth being on deck for. You get a wonderful view of the entire city. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many churches.

After a morning espresso and checking email at the internet cafe we hopped back on the shuttle and head for the beach. The main beach is Boa Viagem, and you will find a similar setup to the beach in Fortaleza, cafes on the beach providing patrons with chairs, umbrellas, and beverages. No food. For food you have strolling vendors that roam the beach, and occassionally stop and join in an impromtu game of football (soccer) or hackisack. There are showers and nice toilet facilites available along the beach.

The beaches in Recife has a reef not far off shore – do NOT go past the reef! As the sign on Boa Viagem states “BATHERS IN THIS AREA ARE AT A GREATER RISK OF SHARK ATTACK”. We’re not sure who they have a greater risk than… but we don’t want to find out either. This is also a great beach to people watch. All of Recife comes here to play.

After our day at the beach, we caught the shuttle back to the ship. As the bus makes its way back across the city to the port you’re afforded lovely views of Recife’s many bridges that connect all the little islands that make up the city.

Sailing out of Recife is well worth being on deck for. In addition to another sprawling, never ending row of highrises backing long strands of beach, you are treated to the view of Olinda perched on it’s hillside overlooking Recife.

An alternate plan for a day in Recife: Not into sand and sun? Prefer a little history instead? Head to Olinda and spend your day wandering its 17th century streets. Located just outside Recife on a hillside, Olinda was founded in 1530 by the Portuguese and in 1982 it’s historic core became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The Mercado Central is one stop shopping, eating, ATM, Bureau de Change, and (if it’s open) internet cafe. If you’re arriving on a cruise ship they usually have a shuttle (for a fee) to the Mercado. If you want to see a little something more than the Mercado and the Beach, the Cathedral is just across the street.

As for shopping – Stock up here, it’s more expensive the further south you travel in Brazil. Ladies – you will find wonderful, easy care easy wear casual dresses in the main market. They’re twisted and then tied in a knot (look for baskets full of them) and run about $5 each – they’re 2 to 3 times that elsewhere in Brazil. You’ll also find all types of emroidery, weaving, and your usual tourist t-shirts and such. If you want there are several little restaurants and coffee bars throughout the Mercado you can get a quick bite at. My advice, have coffee but save lunch for the beach.

When you’re done shopping, head to the beach. About a $5 taxi ride from the Mercado. You want to head toward Praia de Iracema and/or Meireles. Have the taxi driver drive along the beach road, called both Avenida Presidente Kennedy and Avenida Beira Mar and have him stop when you see a beach restaurant that looks good. The beach restaurant you choose will take care of you for the rest of your day at the beach. You get beach chairs, and food and beverage service during your stay at the beach (a completely alien concept to American Beach goers – we really need to adopt this idea, it’s wonderful. Although, the Thais have truely perfected it.). Sometimes there’s a small fee for using the chairs, and sometimes they’re free if you drink and eat. The food’s usually really good, and both the food and drinks are cheap So, relax and enjoy.

The water off Fortaleza is warm, and fairly clean – however, you will find some liter swimming with you. I wouldn’t recommend swimming here after a heavy rain storm. There is one golden rule to follow at almost any beach anywhere in the world: If the locals aren’t getting in the water, there’s a reason… and you shouldn’t get in it either. Our day at the beach, the locals were in the water and so were we.

Toward late afternoon we flagged a taxi down along the beach road and headed back to the ship. The fare was around $10. The sail out of Fortaleza is remarkable. The coast appears as a never ending stretch of highrises backing long strands of golden sand. The view only gets better as the sun set.