Brazil McMission: Recife

Next, it was on to Recife - Brazil's fourth largest city.
Recife's nickname is "Venice of Brazil" because of its many bridges and waterways.
A major port on the Atlantic Ocean, its name is derived from the coral reefs that are dotted along the shores.
It just so happens that our Temple Recorder/Bishop is from Recife, so we were fortunate to have our own personal guide! Cleto and Ana Marcia Oliveira were great!

We spent our first day at the beach.
Porto de Galinhas is one of the most famous beaches in Brazil. It means "Port of Chickens" in Portuguese. In the late 19th century, "black ships" transported slaves from Africa to Brazil to work in the sugarcane farms around Recife. This, of course, was prohibited, so in order to get around that, when a ship arrived in town, the word spread as "there are new chickens in the port", hence, the place gained its name Porto de Galinhas.

There are a lot of vendors on the beach!

Fish and shrimp for us!

But BEWARE! Recife is known as having one of the top 10 shark infested beaches in the world (according to the Discovery Channel). You'll find many signs along the water's edge warning about the dangers of swimming.

This kind of keeps the surfers away, as well!

The Recife Brazil Temple was the second temple built in Brazil

Before the Recife Brazil Temple was constructed, the closest temple for members in Recife was the São Paulo Temple which was a fifty-hour drive away. The temple was dedicated December 15, 2000 by Gordon B. Hinckley. I think they said that it was a mango farm originally and many of those trees remain today. There are also towering royal palms at the formal entrance to the temple and, of course, beautiful gardens of flowers everywhere.