Jaqueira Park

I talk a lot about the beach. I know this. Recife's reputation and tourism thrives on its very existence and I frequently forget the city offers more than sand and coconuts. The city has its share of museums, markets, and praças (plazas, piatas, squares- whatever you want to call them) along with shockingly large shopping malls, medical empires, and waxing joints.  In efforts to recognize other charming aspects of the city I lured the kids with promises of rocket slide and picnic food to one of Recife's better known parks: Jaqueira Park.  It's an adorable park with canopies of trees offering respite from the blazing sun rays. Jaqueira has four playgrounds, a running path, dirt bike park and skatepark. It has a cement roller rink, spaces for yoga and a new free-weight workout area.  They even have wifi and volunteer security guards. Nevermind that it took me over an hour to get there, when twenty minutes would have sufficed. Traffic is horrific here and the drivers all have a little bit of sass, so it can be a major fun-sucker.  

When we arrived by 8am, the park was already in full swing. Brazilians are good for that. I always see people utilizing these open air gyms- the normal schmos, the gently toned, the juicers. Along the running path I enjoyed watching an absurdly large number of power walkers, joggers, and those people who don Kbands and "sprint" with their human anchor. (Mark calls them exercise cummerbunds.) The kids beelined to the rocket slide with full intention of blasting to the moon for moon cheese. I pretended not to see the rusty metal ladders or slippery wooden bridges that my kids defiantly conquered barefoot. I pretended to not notice my poor choice of wearing jeans when the heat and humidity of the day seeped through. I did notice however, that the kids genuinely enjoyed themselves and by default, I did too. 

Managing distances and milestones.

Deets said this was a swing for wheel chairs.
I think he's right. 

Zip line, purposely made with a swing
that could only fit the ass of a child. 

Shoes? Pffft. Atta girl.