Porto do Galinhas (aka the Port of Chickens) is a domestic tourism hot spot and Fabi's dad was adamant we should see it. Everyone decided the weekend was the best time to go and we had it organised in a few hours; he quickly bargained some good accommodation and freed up his driver. The drive from Recife was pretty enough, but I was tense the whole time because of how fast the driver was driving.

Porto do Galinhas was a typical beach-side town with only a few main roads and lots of accommodation options. We settled into our hostel room quickly so that we could find some lunch - a prawn grill for two. Most excellent!

On our one full day in town we hit the beach. We wandered along the waterline searching for a nice looking umbrella/deckchair man and quickly ordered a few drinks. You can not go past a fresh coconut or nice cold beer on the beach. We swam, we sunned ourselves and we ate lobster. I bought a packet of cashews at some point - they were very good.

There were lots of different handicrafts on sale on the beach: t-shirts, statues, jewelery, wind chimes, perfume, bird feeders etc. I enjoyed watching the Brazilians shop us a storm from the comfort of their shade, but was not compelled to buy anything myself. Overall, it was a relaxing day.

Our last dinner in town was at Beijupirá seafood restaurant. I remember the seasonings/sauces to be different from the usual fare; my fish sauce was sweet with cinnamon and banana. Dinner was followed by caipirinhas, while listening to live Jazz. Luckily for us, we had arrived in town during a Jazz Festival and the whole town was out enjoying the music.

Local boys spent the evening trying to sell flowers, grasshoppers and all manner of things woven from reeds. The children seemed to have more imagination than I did at their age. Maybe it is because the poor have to find their own way to survive and gain an income.

It was a short trip, but certainly worth it.

Location