DESCRIPTION:
Recife, Brazil - http://www.tourist2townie.com/

It's a quiet morning on the beach in the Boa Viagem neighborhood of Recife.

And while you're likely to run into a few fisherman and beachgoers, you won't find many people actually in the water here,

As it's said, this is the most dangerous beach in the world do to the heavy shark population just offshore.

And as much as I'd love to jump in and prove it, I decided to skip the swim and head downtown to see what life's like on land in the Capital city of Pernambuco.

The historical center is lined with colorful buildings and cheerful people.

Frevo music is in the air and signs of carnaval are everywhere.

Recife and neighboring Olinda, host one of the best carnival celebrations in the country and no matter when you go, you'll witness the setup or remains of the year's big event.

One of the main attractions during Carnaval here are the Bonecos Gigantes or Giant Puppets, and I just so happened to followed a guy into the Giant Puppet embassy to see the incredible collection of wood and paper mache figurines on display.

The puppets are usually famous celebrities, athletes and public figures and are carried like floats during the local parades.

They're a little bit creepy but entertaining to say the least.

That afternoon I had the opportunity to do something really special.

A local friend invited me to an after-school program that she's involved with in Recife's largest Favela of Brasilia Teimosa.

The group is called Driblando Crack and it uses sports like soccer to help kids in the community avoid drugs and trafficking.

We spent the afternoon hanging out, talking about life in Recife and of course, playing a little futebol.

After an awesome time with the crew, I made my way over to catch a sunset boat tour through downtown Recife.

Our large pontoon boat cruised through the wide canals and rivers as I took in all my surroundings.

And while I wouldn't consider it to be the "venice of South America" as some have labeled it, it was great to see the city from many different perspectives on day one.

The next morning I was up early to go on a little adventure. I borrowed my friend's car and set out on a day trip to Porto de Galinhas.

The first thing you notice upon arrival in the small beach town, is that the people of Porto do Galinhas or Port of Chickens really love their name.

Besides the tacky bird figures everywhere, the beach itself is long and beautiful, and a natural reef just offshore makes for great snorkeling and scuba diving.

I spent the afternoon just relaxing in the sand before making the hour and a half ride back to the city.

Luckily for me, I made it just in time to meet up with friends for some traditional Brazilian nightlife… Karokee!