July 29, 2005

Hello, Everybody….

Well, another week has come and gone in Beautiful Fortaleza, Brazil. I had a rather interesting week with lots of great things happening. Because of my wonderful friend, Norman I have included pictures again; this time I went to Mundau. You can either “cut and paste”, click on Photo Archives, then on July 29th or I will include the link to my notification.


http://www.normnet.net/braziltraveler/braziltraveler.htm


Tuesday morning, bright and early at seven o’clock I received a call from Andriana of Ocean View (as I said, I ALWAYS use them) telling me that they would pick me up at seven-thirty to go to Mundau. Mundau is a very quiet, almost uninhabited beach ninety-four miles west of here. The mouth of the Mundau River flows into the ocean at that point and there is a little fishing village located just east of the river’s mouth and a resort area about three kilometers east of that.

The drive out takes nearly two hours; there is a short stop for a restroom break and coffee, food, etc. near the half-way point. A lot of the route is the same as it was to Lagoinha the week before through green rolling hills, lots of agriculture and palm trees of various sorts. It is a beautiful drive, the road is good and during the week there is very little traffic to contend with.

We arrived at ten thirty and were briefed as to what things were available at the resort. The highlight is a two hour trip on a boat that goes up the river nearly five miles before turning around and coming back. I, of course elected to take the trip. Ocean View had all of the tourists for the day at the resort; about fifteen in all and we decided to take the trip.

The day was beautiful and warm, the water pristine and the beach perfect. We were loaded into the back of a truck and driven the three kilometers to the boat where we boarded for our trip. The boat took off and cut across the bay to the river. For the next two hours our guide showed us beautiful jungle islands, various types of fish, wild animals and other things that were along the river. We stopped for a little while to walk around and enjoy the river and the beach. During the complete trip there was no sign of civilization, just water, jungle and beach.

When we arrive back at the resort the lunch that we had ordered prior to starting our trip was ready for us. I was going to eat alone but two beautiful Brazilian women, Valeria and Sarini invited me to join them. What an absolute delight that was; Valeria spoke no English though Sarini did speak some. We had a lot of fun trying to communicate, them with their struggle with English and me with my terrible Portuguese. Anyway, we finished and then went to the beach for the afternoon.

The water was warm and the sky was clear, the beach was quiet and you couldn’t have asked for a more wonderful time. While I was there I got to know everyone in the group and I got to take a lot of pictures of them. Tetiana and Glasia are from Rio, Gabriala and her mother are from Sao Paulo, Valeria and Sarini are from Goiania. (I have to say that Sarina is stunningly beautiful; she also is totally Brazilian in her appearance and attitude; warm, congenial and fun-loving.)

We loaded up for the evening and drove back to Fortaleza where everyone disembarked to their various residences. It was a quiet ride back because everyone was tired from a wonderful day of pristine beaches, warm water and wonderful sun. As always, Ocean View gave excellent service throughout our tour.

Thursday I was invited to my friend, Erica’s Master’s degree presentation of her thesis on the ecological and geographical effects caused by tourism at Praia do CantoVerde, a small beach seventy-three miles from here. If you have never attended one of these presentations it is quite an event and to be asked to be a part of it is quite a privilege. It was held at the University in the Geography Department; there were three professors and Erica. She spoke for more than an hour continually about this project. While I didn’t understand everything, because of her graphs and maps I could comprehend a lot of it. She told me later that she did quite well.

Erica and I along with other people have discussed the situation in this area quite a bit. The Portuguese have come here and invested hundreds of millions of dollars, buying up land and turning the property into huge developments, destroying the landside, throwing out the natives and generally doing no good here. They bring in Portuguese money for investment, hire Portuguese skilled labor such as architects, engineers, etc., use cheap Brazilian labor as they tear up the land and then, when the resorts are built they take their money back to Portugal. The Portuguese still think of Brazil as their colony and treat the Brazilians that way. They are condescending to the natives, they don’t spend any money here and act like they are doing everybody a favor.

They are buying every bit of beach front property they can for as cheaply as possible; they kick the Brazilians off and leave them to survive the best that they can. This is one of reasons why there is so much poverty in Ceara; the Portuguese, Dutch, Swiss, Germans and Italians pay nothing for the property and leave the Brazilians of the beach villages with no place to live, no income and no means of support. The people come to Fortaleza for jobs and there are none; they spend the little money they have and then have to live from hand to mouth.

The village at Praia do Conto Verde has passed a law that the land cannot be sold to anyone who isn’t part of the village; it has to stay in the villagers’ domain. Of course, the Portuguese are fighting this in Brasilia and the rest of Brazil is watching the results; if the villagers win, then this policy will probably be adopted throughout the country’s beach land; if not, there will be no way of stopping the developers from decimating the pristine beaches of Brazil.

This is the end of the Brazilian tourist High Season in Fortaleza; the Brazilians will now all go back to work and the city will begin to be filled with European tourists. The Italians, the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Germans, the Swiss and some Spanish will begin coming here and swarming the bars, restaurants, beaches and hotels for a month. You can spot the tourists in a second; they usually are dressed differently and if they are a single man they will have a young beautiful Brazilian woman (many times a prostitute) hanging on their arm. They will spend a little money and make a big mess but Fortaleza is a poor city and welcomes the tourist dollar. Unlike the Brazilians that visit here, they will not appreciate the land nor the people; they’re here just to have fun and get away from their mundane life in their European homeland. In a month they’ll go home and Fortaleza will settle down to the day to day life once more.

I love it here; I like the beaches more and more each day. I love the Brazilian people and what they have to offer. Most of my friends are Brazilian and I spend hours talking to them about everything under the sun. They are very knowledgeable and love to hear a different viewpoint. I am continually complimented by them about my knowledge and love of their country. I feel like I belong here.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s BLOG and please feel free to post a comment as always or write me an email. I’m still debating where I’ll be next week; either back to Morro Branco and Praia dos Fontes or to Cumbuco; I’m saving Canoa Quebrada for another day.

John

July 23, 2005

Hello, Everybody…

Well, it’s time for the weekly update of my BLOG and adventures in Brazil. This week I went to Lagoinha, a beach resort seventy-seven miles west of Fortaleza. It is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Ceara. My wonderful friend, Norman has allowed me to include several pictures which can be reached by a cut and paste to the following site:


http://www.normnet.net/braziltraveler/braziltraveler.htm

Click on photo archives, then on July 23, 2005


I was picked up at eight-ten by the Ocean View tour bus, this time with a new tour guide, Sara in charge. She hustled us into the bus, one by one at each stop; there was a long delay as she waited from some people from Belem to join us but outside of that things ran smoothly. We were on our way by nine o’clock, whisking through western Fortaleza. I had been on this trip four years ago but the road out of town hadn’t been completed then; now it is a four lane divided highway all the way out past Cumbuco.

The drive was one of the most pleasant I have had since I arrived; it is beautiful scenery with lots of rolling hills, some mountains, fields, palms, fresh water lakes and rivers along the way. The countryside is much different than the east; much more lush and green with lots of agriculture and palms everywhere. Sugar, carnauba palms, cashew trees and corn dot the landscape. There are several villages and lots of farm houses along the way; everything is kept up and neat.

We arrived at the beach in Lagoinha around ten thirty. Sara had told us some of the things available to us during our stay. The first thing I elected to do was take the side tour that was offered. It consists of three parts; a trip into the jungle on the back of a truck, a boat ride across a fresh water lake and a sand buggy ride back to the resort area. The cost is R$20 or $8.35 US.

We were loaded on a bus and took off toward the lake. We took a well traveled dirt road past trees and little houses; at one point the tour guide pointed with pride to the Lagoinha cemetery. We stopped a few times along the way, finally arriving at the lake about twenty minutes later. We had been bounced along very pleasantly along the way and were beginning to know each other.

Because there were so many people waiting to cross, we had to wait at the little rest stop for about thirty minutes before we were able to take the boat across to the other side. Everyone began to swim in the lake even though the water was cold. I made friends with two couples, Luiz and Ana and Lindomar and Katia. All spoke good English and were lots of fun. Throughout the time I spent there I hung out with the four of them as well as Miguel, Patricia and Aline from Belem.

We crossed the lake; the weather was absolutely beautiful and there was a gentle breeze blowing as the hot sun engulfed us. Everyone on the boat began laughing and joking before the boat was even off; we decided that Ana and Luiz should duplicate the famous scene from “The Titantic” but they declined. There was a lot of teasing each other; when I asked Lindomar and Katia if they were married, Lindomar said “more or less, kind of” so we all took that approach. If they kissed we teased them about having to throw the kisses in the air because they were only “more or less…”

When we reached the other side of the lake we were loaded into several sand buggies for the trip back to the resort area. Miguel sat in the front of mine and Lindomar and Katia sat on the rear with me. Katia said that she got queasy on these so she got a lot of ribbing from me. Luiz and Ana were in the other buggy; he and I teased a lot. When I asked him if he was nervous about the ride, he flexed his muscles so I had to flex mine…this became a joke between us all the way back to the resort.

The buggy took us across about six miles of beach, doubling back and going along the dunes above for a while. The dunes climb and dip thirty to fifty feet so we were constantly being tossed around. The last hill is over one hundred feet straight down and I thought that Katia was going to loose it, but like a good little trooper she survived with a pale smile on her face. Racing across the beach, over sand and water at fifty miles an hour, the sun beating down while the wind is blowing in my face is a thrill that I never can experience enough.

Once we returned to the resort we decided it was time to eat. The restaurant at the resort is wonderful; it specializes in seafood. In Brazil, much of the time the better restaurants will prepare food for two instead of individual meals; this was no different. I ordered fish in a vegetable and cream sauce with whipped potatoes. I cannot even begin to describe how wonderful this was; even though it was prepared for two people I ate almost the whole thing…I had to stop myself. The cost was less than $15 American; it would have cost twice that much in the United States.

After lunch it was necessary to take a dip in the warm Atlantic Ocean. Because Fortaleza is three degrees below the Equator the water is very warm and comfortable; it’s almost like taking a bath. I took a short swim, then Luiz and Ana wanted to take a ride on an ATV so I looked after their things while watching beautiful Brazilian women in bikinis pass by. One could have been the “Girl from Ipanema”, she fit the description to a tee…I called her “The Girl from Lagoinha”.

We loaded back on the bus at four o’clock; my friends from Belem were the last to load on as usual. Driving back I couldn’t help but marvel at the beauty of Brazil. We drove through several little villages. While the streets were cobblestone and the buildings small and somewhat crude by American standards, I noticed that the towns were immaculate; there was no litter or trash, the sidewalks were all swept clean of dust and dirt and the people obviously took a great deal of pride in their homes.

I was let off at my apartment around six in the evening; I took a shower to get rid of the salt air that had accumulated and got something to eat. It was a wonderful day full of laughter, good company and lots of wonderful experiences to remember.

Last night I went out with some friends for dinner at a local steak house. Steak houses here are different than in the United States; they are all open except for an overhead covering. The meat is sold by the gram and is really much better than in the States; it’s Argentinean or Brazilian beef. (Brazil produces more beef than anywhere in the world.) The restaurant had a play area so Andy and Thieny’s little boy, Israel could run, jump and play while we four adults sat and talked. Afterwards we went to a nearby confectionary shop and had ice cream; Brazil has ice cream that makes Baskin-Robins seem like something out of the grocery section.

Tonight I’m taking my friends, Erica and her husband, Vagner to a wonderful French restaurant around the corner from me; it’s her twenty-fifth birthday. Erica was the first person I met when I came to Fortaleza and we have remained friends for the last four years, emailing each other all the time.

Wednesday is my friend, Najla’s birthday; I’ll take her to lunch at Regina Diogenes, an upscale restaurant two blocks from my apartment. It has the most wonderful deserts I have ever eaten in my life. I’m told the governor and the mayor of Fortaleza eat there quite a bit so we’ll be in good company.

All in all, the second half of my week was wonderful; the first half I had a couple of things go wrong but those things happen. I still haven’t figured how I lived before the Internet came along.

I’m cutting my stay here short by a month and a half; I’ll be leaving here August 31st and arriving in Phoenix on September 1st. I decided to do that so that I can come back here again before next May if I still have to operate on a tourist visa. I’m thinking of spending New Years here; it is my understanding that Fortaleza has a wonderful New Years with an accented emphasis on throwing out the old and letting in the new.

The jury is still out as far as how much time I’ll spend here, but it gets better and better. I am going to apply for my permanent visa so that I can stay for longer periods or come down more often. I still haven’t given up my homeland but I have to say that Brazil is a wonderful place and the best of the best is Fortaleza.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s BLOG and that you might find it a little tempting to come here also. I’ve included several pictures; I took fifty-two of them so if you want to see more, just let me know. Next week I’m going to Ponta do Mundau, a beach even further west; I’ve never been there before so it will be a new experience for me. Have a wonderful week; write a comment or send me an email if you’d like.

John

July 17,2005

Hi, Everybody….

Well, it’s another week in Fortaleza, Brazil. Life is still good, the sun has begun shining every day and the rain has stopped until next February (I hope). The city is full of Brazilian and European tourists (its High Season here) and is bursting with people and fun things to do.

Exciting news: Norman finally got the Web Page done and I can include pictures with the BLOG from here on out. Below is a link to pictures so that you can get an idea of what I am talking about. Please link to July 17th for this week’s pictures of Morro Branco and Praia dos Fontes.

http://www.normnet.net/braziltraveler/btphotoarchive.htm

As I said in last week’s BLOG, I went to Morro Branco and Praia dos Fontes on Tuesday for the day. I called OceanView Travel Friday afternoon to arrange a trip there; I always use OceanView because I think it is the best tour agency in Fortaleza.

A bus arrived at 8:30 in the morning with my old friend, Alber as the tour guide. (Alber had been one of my tour guides when I was here in 2001; this time his English was much better than before.) After greetings were exchanged, I settled down in the bus; soon it would be filled with people. The bus continued picking up several more people before beginning the journey to the beach.

Morro Branco is an hour and a half east of Fortaleza; it a beautiful protected area now that has several sand cliffs and a trail leading to the beaches below. There are two ways to see Morro Branco, by sand buggy or to walk; I chose to walk. The bus let us out at the entrance to the walkway at the top of the cliffs. Walking for about three kilometers (a mile and a half) among the streets of the village you encounter several little stalls which sell everything from sand-bottles to bikini coverings to lace to refreshments. When I was here in 2001 there were only about a dozen, but now there must have been fifty or more.

In the middle of the area is the Church of Saint Peter; it’s very small and very beautiful. It is large enough for the population of Morro Branco but not much more. The streets are made of cobblestone and shooting off in all directions from the church are cobblestone walkways with houses along both sides. In small villages like this, the church is the center of the city. It is VERY beautiful.

At the far eastern edge of the village the trail down to the beach begins. There is a map which shows the area from Morro Branco to Praia dos Fontes and gives approximate kilometers to each as well as other interesting sights along the way. Then the trail begins.

While you only go down about two hundred feet you encounter a twisty, winding trail that has natural sweet water springs, nine different shades of sand and a wonderfully cross section of the land in that area. It takes about a half an hour to traverse from the top of the cliff to the bottom and you see many beautiful colors along the way. The sad thing is that people have carved things into the walls of the cliffs; this is why it has become a state preserve area today. (It was just moved into this status less than a year ago.)

When you reach the bottom, you walk along the ocean back to the buses at the bottom of the cliff about five kilometers away. The water is warm, the surf is low and the smell of the ocean is your friend. From the bottom you can see how Morro Branco has begun to be built up; when I was here in 2001 there were three small buildings on the beach; today they have houses springing up everywhere. Soon it will be spoiled for the tourists.

We loaded on the bus and left Morro Branco for Praia dos Fontes about five kilometers east. The road lead us past the local school and police station, past clean and well-kept houses, along several fields of agriculture until we encountered a dirt road with a fence between the road and the Ocean. We drove for a kilometer to an entryway and into one of the hotel/resorts of Praia dos Fontes.

This resort area is open to the public; I visited it the last time I was here also. When you walk in, to your right is a very nice small water park with slides, a man-made stream and other things to have fun in the water. Ahead are several stores where you can buy shirts, swimming trunks and other memorabilia to remind you of your stay here.

There are three pools and two very nice restaurants that serve everything from hamburgers to full meals. Around the main pool are several cabanas with lots of chairs and tables. The main pool is very large and the water is warm. Across from the pool is a large restaurant where you can get food luncheonette style. Your food cost R$2.95 per 100 grams (about $1.25) and you have a huge assortment of meats, vegetables, pastas and other good stuff as well as twelve to fifteen types of dessert. There are also cans of coke, guarana and other soft drinks, beer and bottled water.

If you cross the pool area you can walk down the cliff to the beach; there are several areas along the descent where you can stop and rest or take in the view of the ocean as well as wonderful cabanas along the way. The view is spectacular and you can see for miles in every direction. Once you have reached the bottom and the beach you can walk along it or take a swim or just relax in the sun. The water is very warm and not too salty in that area. The surf is not high and it’s really a lot of fun to play in the water.

At three-thirty Alber gathered up everybody and had us pay our bill as well as the transportation to and from the beachs and our entry into the resort area. The entire bill, including all transportation was $22.00 American for a wonderful day of fun in the sun and sand. The bus transported us all back to our doorstep; I arrived back at my apartment at 6:20 in the evening.

OceanView, along with other tour agencies provides several day-trip packages like this; costs are between $12.00 and $15.00 for the day. It’s much better than driving; the buses are comfortable, the tour guides are very knowledgeable and you arrive rested and ready for a day of fun.

This week I think I’m going to Laguainha for the day; I’m saving Canoa Quebrada for when my friend, John is back in town. All in all, there are a lot of other things to do that make a vacation/living in Fortaleza a wonderful experience.

Last week two friends and I went to Dragona del Mar for pizza; the pizza in Fortaleza is wonderful if you don’t care a lot for tomato sauce. Pizzas here have a lot more cheese than tomato sauce and the crust is sometimes filled with cheddar cheese.

The weekends are a time to play in Fortaleza and you don’t have to be sixteen to have fun. There are block parties in every neighborhood, several dance clubs and night clubs galore. Half the city shows up for fun somewhere on Friday and Saturday nights; the dance clubs are filled with people ranging in age from fifteen to seventy-five, all to have fun.

Daytime means beach time in Fortaleza; the east beaches are filled with people. You might run into a friend or someone that you haven’t seen for a year while there. Thousands of people flock to the beaches to eat crab, play in the water and lie in the sun. Because there are more women than men in Fortaleza it is a wonderful spot for all of us single guys to watch the best bikinis in the world.

Anyway, this is life in Fortaleza; a life of fun, sun, sand, gentle breezes, excellent food and a life completely different than anything I ever experienced in the United States…for a third of the price. I’m thinking that I might NEVER come back!!!

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s BLOG; please write and let me know or write your comments at the bottom of the page. I hope you all have a wonderful week; I know that I will.

John

Saturday, July 8th

It’s twelve-thirty Saturday afternoon; the sun is shining brilliantly in a bright blue sky, a freighter is about to enter the harbor, sailboats are skirting the surf, people are walking along Beira Mar, automobiles are hurrying to and fro to destinations only the drivers know and it’s a beautiful day. I’m in my new penthouse apartment observing another scene in the daily life in Fortaleza.

I didn’t get my BLOG done last week because I was working on my article for Escape America which I’ll send a link to when it comes out. It was long and tedious work even though I did some “cut and paste” from earlier BLOGs. It will reach over one hundred thousand people; about ten percent will actually read it.

It’s been two interesting weeks here. I changed apartments the first of the month to a wonderful location; while it’s in the same building, I now reside in one of the penthouse apartments with one of the best views of the Atlantic Ocean in all of Fortaleza; I joke that I can see the Gold Coast of Africa from my apartment balcony. For this wonderful view it costs me $550.00 a month furnished with all utilities paid. What a deal!

I’ve been down here two months and have lost over fifteen pounds; it’s from the eating and exercise. By cutting down on the size of my meals and concentrating on having the main meal for lunch and by walking everywhere I’m much healthier than I was before. I think that many people who come here experience a rejuvenation of their health, both physical as well as mental.

I live three blocks south of the beach and the ocean; it’s a five minute walk north to reach it. During the day, Beira Mar is filled with people enjoying the beaches, the barracas and the drinking cerveja, agua de coco or Guarana and carrying on animated conversations with their table partners. Children are everywhere running and laughing and teasing each other and their parents. At night, Beira Mar becomes a mass of humans, all taking advantage of the openness of the beach walk. There can be more than ten thousand people on Beira Mar at the same time walking, strolling, running, riding a bicycle, sitting, chatting. Each is in a world of their own. Street hawkers are selling their wears; children are everywhere looking at the toys being sold. In the middle of Beira Mar directly north of me an open market sits to attract the local inhabitants; everything from cashews to cloths to hand crafted items are sold there for prices that are far less than you would pay at one of the shopping malls.

Three blocks to the south are the twin malls of Aldeota and Del Paseo. These are similar to the malls of the United States only nicer. Both have large food courts; the difference being that the food sold there is good, healthy and more substantial that the fast food courts of the US. During the weekend, in the afternoon you can hear a live jazz trio or some live Bossa Nova being played throughout the mall. People are everywhere shopping or eating; you wouldn’t know that you weren’t in a mall in Phoenix or San Jose by the scene; the difference is that signs are in Portuguese and you are in Brazil

Looking out my balcony, I can see more than thirty skyscrapers. If I lean out a little, I can see Praia de Futura and the ocean to the east. Between me and the beach are several residential areas and a favela. To the west I can see new construction building more and more apartments and hotels; Fortaleza is growing every day.

A gentle breeze blows through my apartment cooling down the rooms while Brazilian music plays in the background. My mind drifts with the music; I can feel the energy that is Brazil. I feel at home here; I’m glad that I came.

Of course, Paradise isn’t perfect; there are problems here as everywhere. I see the poverty, the starving children, the anguished, the needy. The streets are filled with thousands of cars but were designed to take far less; graffiti is everywhere as is trash. No matter how hard they try to clean these things up the next day they’re back. Fortaleza is a South American city with South American problems; far too many with far too little money.

Next Tuesday I will take a trip; I’ve taken it before and know what to expect. As I leave Fortaleza and head into the countryside, graffiti becomes less obvious; by the time I’m out of the city there is no more graffiti, hardly any trash and few signs of actual poverty. Going east to Morro Branco the road narrows to two lanes beyond Washington Soares but still is one of the best in Ceara. It is well traveled and a beautiful drive.

Heading southwest toward Cascavel and Beberibe the road skirts along tropical jungles, fresh-water lagoons and open grasslands. At Beberibe, a left turn will take me to either Morro Branco or Praia dos Fontes, a resort beach area with a large hotel, a large pool area and a couple of good restaurants. Morro Branco, I think is one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Ceara. The sands of the cliffs have been used to fill glass pottery with scenes of life in Ceara; lace weavers are along the trail between the top of the cliff and the beach below. A little village is at the top of the cliff with many little craft stores and open stalls for selling everything from lace to bikini covers.

My trip will take me to Morro Branco for a couple of hours then on to Praia dos Fontes where I will spend the day lying around the pool, watching the tourists and soaking in the sun. Food is done cafeteria style and the price depends on the weight; about thirteen cents for ten grams. If I choose, I can walk to one of the cabanas or continue down to the beach and enjoy the ocean. It’s a relaxing day filled with sun, sand and ocean breezes.

Around four the OceanView van will load up for the return trip to Fortaleza; by the time I get back to my apartment the sun will be in it’s final stage before night falls. Since Fortaleza is only three and a half degrees below the Equator, the sun comes up fast and goes down as quickly. By six-thirty the sun will be nothing but a memory and the evening stars will be out filling the sky. Clouds will be drifting on shore; possibly there will be rain around four the next morning. Beira Mar will be full of people and the evening will be starting.

Ah, another day in Fortaleza.