Brazil Traveler

August 27, 2005

2005-08-27T21:40:00.000-03:00

This will be my last BLOG from Fortaleza; I leave for Phoenix on Wednesday. What an adventure this has been! I am so appreciative to Norman Morrison for helping me put my pictures on the BLOG which allowed everyone to see some of the sights and get an idea of what life is like here. Fortaleza is such a beautiful city as is so much of the area around it that I‘ve wanted to share these things with everybody. I do have pictures again this week thanks to Norm. Again, you can copy and paste and then click on picture archives, then click on August 25, August 26, and August 27 to see the pictures.

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

This BLOG will cover my last two weeks here; I have been to all of the places except Canoa Quebrada before on this trip but will try to add some information as I go along.

First I went back to Lagoinha. I think it is my favorite beach to visit. Ocean View provided the transportation as usual; this time the tour guide was Edna, one of my original guides when I was here in 2001. It was wonderful to see her again and we spent a lot time talking about where our lives had gone in the past four years.

As I said before, one of the high lights is a series of trips which take you across the beach to a lake, across the lake into the tropical coastal forest and then back to the resort. During the trip this time I was partnered with five year old Fabio, his mother, Adriana and her mother, Regina from Sao Paulo. Fabio was a fun guy; I would have thought he might get scared during the buggy ride but he was ready to do it all over again, especially when we went down the big dunes. I think a smile must have been painted on his face the way he laughed and smiled. After we returned to the resort area we spent the afternoon eating, laying on the beach, swimming in the ocean or pool and generally having a good time. We returned to town at four in the afternoon.

A couple of days later my friend, Howard asked me if I wanted to go up the coast to look at some properties and stop at a friend of his posada; of course I jumped at the chance to get back out into the countryside. We drove to beautiful Paracaru; Howard had never been there so I showed him around the area. Paracaru is quickly becoming the wind surfing capitol of the Western Hemisphere. There are posadas that cater primarily to wind surfers. This time of the year the winds and currents are wonderful for riding the sea. (I wonder if I’ll take the sport up…why not?)

From there we drove back toward Fortaleza to Pecem, a hamlet thirty minutes west of Fortaleza. Several years ago a new seaport was built there where cargo is off and on loaded. We made a left turn at the “Y” and ended up at a beautiful posada on the beach three kilometers west of the port. It’s owned by a Swiss gentleman and has been kept immaculate. We spent the afternoon there and left around three to return home. This time we came into Fortaleza from the southwest instead of the usual route and I was able to see portions of the city that I hadn’t seen before.

Saturday, I went back to Morro Branco and Praia dos Fontes. I had been there several times before but this time instead of taking the Ocean View van through the town of Beberibe, I decided to ride from Morro Branco to Praia dos Fontes in a dune buggy. I was picked up at my apartment by Ocean View at eight thirty. My guide would be Sara again; she was my guide the first time I went to Lagoinha. After I got on the bus we headed out of the city to the beaches to the east.

We arrived at Morro Branco around nine, off loaded and began our tour. A young boy about sixteen lead us down the path through the cliffs and explained what we saw on the way. I paired up with Denilson and Cris, two doctors from Minas Gerais State. After we had reached the bottom of the cliff, we climbed into a dune buggy and went off across the beach. I had never done this before in Morro Branco so it was a new experience for me.

After running the beach for ten minutes we stopped at a cavern that went into the cliff about a hundred fifty feet. At the other end of the cavern was a natural spring that had “sweet water” (fresh water) coming out of the side of the cliff. This is where Praia dos Fontes got its name, Beach of the Springs. Driving a bit further we stopped at a large pipe which had water coming out of it. Our guide explained that it was the Brazilian Spring of Youth; if you stayed under the springs long enough you would become younger. I stayed under for ten minutes and all I got was wrinkled skin…I’m still an old guy…darn.

Later we arrived at a fresh-water lake for a break. There was a lake-side rest stop with drinks available and an area for swimming. Denilson and I stayed at the table and talked while Cris went into the water for a swim. She came out a few minutes later, saying that, while it was cold, it was very refreshing. From there we drove to a cliff where they were doing skibunder, a sport of riding a board down the sand cliffs. The first time you try it, it really is a thrill. We left there and drove to the resort.

The resort was much busier than when I had been there during the week. Ocean View had another bus load of people as well as ours there and several other tour agencies had arrived so the resort was nearly full. I spent the rest of the afternoon lounging around the pool, eating, drinking Guarana and watching beautiful women. Around two the resort put on its show, a comedian dressed as a woman who plays a game called “kissy-kissy”. The comedian selects six couples, puts them in chairs facing each other and talks for a while. Then they play some music and each woman tries to kiss as many men as she can before the music stops. After the women all run around it’s the men’s turn with all the women they can. It’s a lot of fun and everybody got kissed at least once. When the game was done, the band started again and two dance instructors began teaching people how to dance Forro, a local dance performed primarily in the Northeast of Brazil.

I took a walk along the beach around three and marveled at the beauty that surrounded me in Ceara. The water was warm and there were jangadas in the water, animals walking along the beach where sunbathers lay, soaking up the warmth of the rays; it was a beautiful day and I could feel a deepening love for this place. I returned to the resort and took the van back to Fortaleza.

Sunday, Andy, Thieny, Israel and I went to Prainha, a beach village eight kilometers east of Fortaleza. I didn’t know we were going there and unfortunately I didn’t take my camera with me. Prainha is a “poor man’s Beach Park” Andy explained. They have a fair sized water park with a slide and some other things but you can tell that it hasn’t been kept up like Beach Park in Fortaleza. This beach is a somewhere that locals go to; you don’t see the expensive bikinis or the fancy resorts there; the people look like the average Brazilian. The barracas are small, the food inexpensive and there aren’t a lot of hawkers selling their wares on the beach. We spent the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the sun, sand, breeze and ocean. In the background was the skyline of Fortaleza, just a stone’s throw away yet here, on this beach you were a million miles from the city.

Wednesday I made my last trip to an out-beach, this time to Canoa Quebrada. Canoa Quebrada is a district of Aracati where my friend, John lives. Unfortunately he was out of town so I was confined to the regular resort area. I had been there in October of last year when Andy, Thieny and I had stayed at Posada Lua Morena. It’s a nice restaurant/resort area.

Ocean View’s van was at my doorstep at exactly eight-forty, the time that I was told I would be picked up. Again my tour guide was Sara. The bus wasn’t crowed which meant that we had a chance to talk for a few minutes as we drove out to the Beach Park area. When we arrived, we picked up six people; Junior, Vivian, Sergio, Rosana, Menetod, and Sinara. Then we drove through the center of Prainha and on to Canoa Quebrada one hundred forty kilometers away.

After leaving the van, we mingled at the resort area. Sergio was wearing a Phoenix Suns Charles Barkley shirt and I tried to strike up a conversation with him but he didn’t speak English; however, Junior did. We were able to talk and exchange ideas. He said that as a boy he had studied football (soccer) under the great Pele; perhaps the greatest soccer player of all time. We talked a lot about sports and things in the United States as well as in Brazil.

Soon Sara said that the buggy ride was ready so we all loaded into two buggies and took off; Junior, Vivian, Menetod and Sinara were in one buggy and Sergio, Rosana and I were in the other. We zipped across the dunes for a while until we came to another skibunder dune with a little pond at the bottom. Junior and Menetod went down a couple of times while the rest of us watched.

From there we rode to a small oasis in the middle of the dunes. There was a small restaurant in front of a little pond, all inviting us to join in the fun. The girls took off their outer clothing so that they only had their bikinis on and we all went swimming for fifteen minutes. Because the water was shallow it was very warm. We returned to the dune buggy; it raced across the beach to drop us off at our resort.

We had been gone a couple of hours and were getting hungry. When we arrived back at the resort it took me no time to decide what I wanted, lagosta (lobster) sautéed in garlic sauce. We all ordered and talked and laughed while waiting for our food to arrive. When it came I was really surprised; I had salad, potatoes, rice, four lobsters, desert and two Guanaras for fourteen dollars and fifty-eight cents. I ate every bit of all of it.

When I had finished eating I took a stroll on the beach; it was a beautiful day and the water, sun and sand made for a great walk. I watched men trying to put a jangada into the water as well as pull two out, I saw a couple playing a Brazilian paddle-ball (I asked if I could take a picture but the man said to take it of his girlfriend only), I saw a woman getting makeup on the beach and met a young woman from Canoa Quebrada who falls into the category of one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen. I asked to take a picture of her but she said I had to include her boyfriend, which I did. (The picture really doesn’t do any justice to her beauty.) Later, I took a picture of Vivian and Rosana. I marveled at Rosana’s beauty even though she was the mother of four children, all in their twenties. At four in the afternoon we returned to Fortaleza and a quiet life. What a wonderful time I had.

Four more days and I'll be on an airliner heading north to Phoenix and the United States. I've got mixed emotions about it. Some things were really good, others weren't as good as I had expected. But I guess that's the way life is, too, isn't it?

I did answer questions; I can live here and enjoy it a lot. Fortaleza is really just another big city; there are differences...the traffic, the language, some customs, the girls...however, it isn't really that different from Phoenix, San Jose or any other place with two and a half million people. The weather is a little better than some, the cost of living a little cheaper than any, the women are more plentiful but it's just another big city.

The one thing that really surprises me is that I find that I enjoy the beach so much. I feel like I really belong there though I don't seem to know why. I love riding the dunes, sitting near the ocean listening to it as it kisses the shore, seeing the palm trees and smelling the clean air. I always hated the beach in California; I would take one look at the ocean and think that once I'd seen it I was satisfied for a few years. Here I can't get enough of it; I love going and walking along it.

Who knows what my future holds; I still don’t have any answers to the direction my life is going to take; coming back here is probably where my heart is. For the last three and a half years my life has been up in the air and it probably won't change until I make up my mind which, not what I want. I keep trying to live in the moment but my Virgo personality won't let me. I move in today but my mind keeps asking "What's Next"?

I hope you have enjoyed my BLOG this week; it is the last one that I’ll be writing from Fortaleza. When I arrive back in the States I will write the final entry of this trip. I intend on keeping the BLOG active and will be ready to write the next chapter in this adventure. Please feel free to either send me an email or write something in the comments area of the BLOG. Remember, those famous words of the Great Arnold…

I’LL BE BACK!!!

August 21, 2005

2005-08-21T08:23:00.000-03:00

Hi, Everybody…

Well, it’s time for another week’s entry into the BLOG; I'm getting toward the end of the writing now. I’m coming back to the States the first of September and will suspend Brazil Traveler until I return. (I really don’t think any of you will want to hear the boring live I’ll be living in the US) In the meantime, my wonderful friend, Norman has included pictures from last week’s trip to Cumbuco. As always he has done a great job of setting things up for your viewing pleasure; just copy and paste, then click on Picture Archives then click on August 16th for the first batch and August 17th for the second batch; I will send you links in my notifications.

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

There won’t be as many “wild life” pictures as usual; it was a very quiet day and there were other things of interest.

I had hoped to go to Morro Branco and Praia dos Fontes again last week but there was a mix-up and the only thing available was another trip to Cumbuco. I have already told you about the beach and won’t go into any lengthy details about that.

Ocean View provided me with transportation and another wonderful guide; I think her name was Kati. (It’s actually a longer name but I forgot to write it down.) As always when using Ocean View, I encountered total professionalism with her at the helm. It’s a relatively short trip to Cumbuco; I only had to wait a half hour before reaching the resort.

Once we arrived, we split up into groups for the buggies. I was placed with a young couple, Sabrina from Switzerland and Leonard from Holland and a young boy from France; Sergio. (It turned out that Sergio had been born in Fortaleza, then was adopted and moved to France…this was his first time here since he was six weeks old!) Both Sabrina and Leonard spoke excellent English which made it much easier for me.

We were really lucky…we got the same buggy driver that I had had a week earlier; we both immediately recognized each other and shook hands and exchanged hellos. Soon we were ready to take to the dunes again. Having run them a week earlier I knew what to expect but the others didn’t.

Our driver took off gently, then began taking the first dune. Riding the dunes can really be exciting; the ones in Cumbuco are somewhat unique in that they rise so high. We would find ourselves screaming our heads off as we dove down a two hundred foot Dune. Ten minutes out we stopped at the same lake as we had the week before for some sand-surfing. Because both Sabrina and Leonard were expert snow-skiers, they thought they could use the same principles to sand; they found out that it doesn’t work that way. (Sabrina later told me that anyone living in Switzerland skis every day from morning to night during season.) They took four or five spills apiece before being able to do a passable job of going down the dune. After fifteen minutes, we decided to move on.

From there we went to Banana Lake, a little rest stop a few kilometers from Cumbuco. There you can ride ski boats, swim in a fresh water lake, have a Guarana or beer and relax by the water. There are lots of trees and shade and it’s quite comfortable. We had a drink and left to ride the dunes again. (I discovered that the batteries ran out in my camera; I had some more back at the resort but it didn’t help me there.)

A half an hour on the dunes was a lot of fun, especially when observing the look on Sergio’s face. Fear was the description of the trip. Here he was, out in the middle of nowhere with three gringos, two young ones who spoke a little French and some old guy who kept asking “OK?”, zipping over sand dunes at fifty kilometers an hour, bouncing up and down and getting constantly hit by the wind in his face…why wouldn’t there be a look of total terror? Anyway, for the rest of us it was a lot of fun.

When we arrived back at the resort, our buggy driver laughingly said that he would see me again next week. Sabrina, Leonard and I were hungry so we ordered lunch. As I said earlier, food is generally cooked for two at these places. The food has always been outstanding (Everything that I’ve eaten practically while in Brazil has been excellent.) and plentiful. We ordered fish and shrimp, had two kinds of rice, two kinds of potatoes, vegetables, and fruit. The cost of this was less than eleven dollars apiece.

The West coast of Ceara is one of the best Wind Surfing areas in the world; people from all over the world come here to wind surf and kite board. August through October provide some of the most excellent wind conditions you can ever imagine. My friend, Peter has been doing it for years from Paracaru (see last week’s BLOG). Today, Cumbuco was full of wind surfers and wind kiters. As I walked the beach I saw at least five or six boards and several kites. It’s really fascinating to watch. The kite-boarders will come down to the water, make a run, then flip up in the air only to ride the wind back out to sea, then come down again and do another run. I stayed for more than an hour watching them.

At four we headed back to Fortaleza where things were calmer. It had been another wonderful day in Fortaleza.

Sunday, Andy and I drove up the East coast to Prainha, a small resort community a half an hour east of Fortaleza using the coast highway from Beach Park east. When I was here four years ago the area around Beach Park was primarily barren, perhaps ten or twelve houses in the area; now it is built up and there are resorts, houses and condos everywhere. These are not cheap housing; they are beach houses that are quite expensive.

Entering Prainha, you would never know that you’re only fifteen kilometers from Fortaleza; it has its own personality and doesn’t associate its self with Fortaleza at all. It is full of mom-and-pop stores, has a couple of little restaurant/bars, a bus station, a square, its own school and all the things that would be expected by a self-contained community. On the hill overlooking the village are large houses which are owned by people in Fortaleza who want to get away from the city for a weekend.

Andy and I spent a half an hour driving around and looking, assessing whether it would be a good place for a client of Andy’s. We then decided to return to Fortaleza. Being hungry, we stopped at a restaurant along the way. It was Father’s Day in Brazil, so the place was filled with families. They also had a small group that were playing jazz and bossa nova.

Now, those who know me know that I will take every opportunity I have to listen to jazz, especially bossa nova and Brazilian MPB. Being a musician myself I can expect an occasional flaw in the music; when you’re playing live that can happen. Folks, in my ENTIRE LIFE, I have NEVER heard as bad of music being played as was coming from the bandstand. They were worse than my first band in El Paso, Texas! We had to endure almost an hour and a half of the WORST playing I have ever heard. I wanted to get up on the bandstand and take over the piano but Andy wisely told me that if I started, we’d never get out; they would have me finishing the gig and afterwards, the piano player would probably either bug me for lessons or shoot me for embarrassing him. After an hour and a half of cringing and wishing I were somewhere else, we returned to the car and home. Andy put some nice Brazilian Calypso on to calm the ear drums.

I hope you have enjoyed this week’s BLOG; as usual, I would like to have your comments, either on the BLOG or via email. Have a good week. My next BLOG will include lots and lots of pictures since it will probably be the last one that I write from Brazil. It will contain pictures of Lagoinha, Pecem, Morro Branco, Praia dos Fontes and Canoa Quebrada and will be actually about two weeks coverage.

John

August 9, 2005

2005-08-09T20:19:00.000-03:00

Hi, Everybody...

It’s time for this week’s BLOG; I have lots of pictures for it. My friend, Norman had to do double for all of the pictures to be included, so you need to click “photo Archives”, then click “August 8, 2005” and when you’re done, click “August 9, 2005” to see all of the pictures. They were taken at two different places: Cumbuco and Paracaru. In order to get to the pictures you can “cut and paste” the following link or I will include it the link in my notification as usual.

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

I decided to go to Cumbuco on Thursday. Cumbuco is a small village that is located twenty miles west of Fortaleza; it has a beautiful beach with lots of dunes and sand as well as a calm ocean. As usual, Ocean View picked me up at the prescribed time of eight-fifty. We stopped and picked up some other people; the bus was completely full this time with no room to spare. My old friend Alber began speaking as we passed by downtown Fortaleza and explained all the things that were available at Cumbuco. We arrived at the resort around ten o’clock.

One of the options was a dune buggy ride over the sand dunes and roads around Cumbuco and out to Banana Lake where you can ride on jet skis if you are so inclined. I chose to do that since I had done it before and it was fun. Along the ride you stop at on top of a huge sand dune with a small lake at the bottom. You can rent a board and slide down the dune to the water below. It’s a lot of fun though a little bit scary.

Because of the size of the buggy only be four people can ride in it at a time. I was lucky enough to be placed with two beautiful sisters from Sao Jose dos Campos (by Sao Paulo) and a gentleman from Rome, Italy. We all were loaded into the buggy and away we went.

We drove out to the lake and Ubi and I both slid down the dune; the girls elected not to try it. All along the way the driver stopped and allowed us to take lots of pictures. (I have to say that Sandra and Sabrina were the most wonderful scenery imaginable.) We stopped at Banana Lake for refreshments and spent a half an hour there before continuing. We rode up and down the dunes for another half an hour, the girls screaming every time we took a particularly steep decent or slid around a sandy curve.

We arrived back at the resort at nearly noon; since the girls weren’t hungry yet we decided to lie in the sun and swim for a little while before eating. A walk to the beach is only yards away. We selected a cabana where we put our things and went into the ocean for a swim. The water was comfortable, probably close to eighty-five degrees.

After forty-five minutes or so we were getting hungry and ordered our lunch. As I said last week, lunch in a lot of the restaurants in Brazil are served for two; we ordered fish and shrimp and split the two lunches between the four of us giving wonderful exposure to lots of fantastic food.

After lunch we went back to the beach, tanned (or in my case, burnt) for a little while longer, then swam for another fifteen minutes and prepared to return to Fortaleza. We left Cumbuco around four and arrived back in Fortaleza before five.

I want to take a minute here to tell you about Sandra and Sabrina; they are typical of the Brazilian women that I have met here; warm, fun-loving, happy and very, very beautiful. I think that they are two of the loveliest women that I have had the pleasure of knowing anywhere. Both are well educated (Sandra is a dentist and Sabrina is a chemical engineer), open, intelligent, quite relaxed and sure of themselves. Like last week with Sinara and Valeria, the women were kind enough to include me in their day. I can truthfully say that I felt quite privileged to be a part of their vacation in Fortaleza.

On Saturday, my friend Andy and I went to Paracaru, a small city with the population of around thirty-five thousand people sixty miles west of Fortaleza. Andy was looking for property for some European investors and I was looking at the city with a possibility of staying there my next trip back. Our friend, Peter and his beautiful girlfriend, Susie showed us around for several hours before having lunch and returning to the city.

Paracaru is a located between Cumbuco and Lagoinha; it is a working city meaning that it is not dependent on the tourist dollar to make a living. Mostly agriculture and fishing provide income to the citizens. It terms of the States parts would be considered poor, but I didn’t see any poverty there like I see in Fortaleza. The streets are immaculate and there is no trash or graffiti anywhere in town. The city, like most Brazilian cities is built around the church. It is a beautiful church with a large square surrounding it. Just to the east of the church is a library and if you take several steps down from the square there is a nice French restaurant and the ocean below. The city has lots of music, a dance troupe that is famous throughout Brazil, a wonderful festival and is very civic minded which provides many opportunities for it’s citizens to have things to do.

We rode around town, taking pictures and looking at several things. At one point we saw a house for rent; Peter called the owner and found that the rent was $210.00 American a month! It was a medium sized house; probably around a thousand square feet but Peter didn’t go into details with the owner since I wasn’t planning on renting it at this time. It was one block from the beach and four blocks from the town square. (Prices tend to be higher the closer to the square you are.)

There are several houses for rent or sale around Paracaru; small houses can be bought for as little as $3,000 American; mansions can run close to a million dollars. A large, nice home near the square can be purchased for around $35,000 American right now.

Peter said that the large homes around town are owned mainly by rich people from Fortaleza that want to own a weekend home; they might come out for a while when school is out or during the holidays but mostly the houses stay vacant with a maid and gardener watching over the property most of the year. So far, the Europeans haven’t discovered Paracaru yet though they are buying property in both directions from there.

We were all getting hungry and Peter and Susie suggested a little restaurant that had grilled chicken and steak for lunch. We ordered both and had rice, beans, and Feijoada, a Brazilian dish consisting of pork, chicken rice and beans in a delicious sauce. To drink we split a two liter bottle of Guarana. The whole meal cost ten dollars; two dollars and fifty cents apiece; you couldn’t buy that meal in the states for fifty dollars!

Andy and I left around one-thirty and drove back to Fortaleza, enjoying the beautiful countryside and the cleanliness of rural Brazil. Ceara’s western coastal area is quite beautiful; much more green and rolling that the area to the east of Fortaleza. It could be anywhere in Eastern Oklahoma, the wine country of California or Southern Canada. The last of the Brazilian coastal forest is in Ceara; it has mostly been destroyed and turned into farm land in the rest of Brazil.

Saturday night Andy and I went to a Rodizio for dinner. Rodizios originated in Southern Brazil, and moved north and east. There is a large table full of several salad ingredients and another area that has pastas, potatoes, rice, and several kinds of cooked meats in sauces. The highlight of the restaurant is the grilled meats that are served from a large spit. The waiter brings a skew with a type of meat on it and a huge, sharp knife. At your table you have a small plate with tongs; if you elect to have some of the meat that he is offering he will slice a piece for you to which you take with your tongs. There are generally ten to fifteen types of meat including roast beef, pork ribs, chicken, filets, sausages, lamb, roasted pork, tri-tip as well as bread and grilled pineapple. You can eat as much as you want and really get your fill. (The ribs are wonderful!) After a delicious meal we topped things off with dessert and coffee.

I am enjoying my time in Brazil very much; it is a wonderful place to visit or live. Every day I see wonderful things and experience new things in life. My strongest impression is of the Brazilians themselves. They are wonderful people; they show hospitality to strangers like myself that I would never experience in the United States.

I still believe that the Brazilian women are the most beautiful in the entire world. Not only are they physically beautiful but they have a wonderful attitude toward life that makes me have to rethink my own attitudes and feelings. All the women I have met have been warm, loving, caring and have kept a smile on my face.

I hope you like my BLOG and pictures; as you can see, Brazil is treating me wonderfully. Friday I’m going to revisit Morro Branco and this time ride the buggy; I’m sure I’ll have lots of pictures, as usual.

Please write or add a comment to the BLOG; I always like hearing from everybody and your comments are appreciated.

John

July 29, 2005

2005-07-29T19:31:00.000-03:00

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

2005-07-23T18:55:00.000-03:00

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

2005-07-17T21:23:00.000-03:00

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

2005-07-09T14:46:00.000-03:00

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.

June 19th....Observations

2005-06-19T08:07:00.000-03:00

Hi, Everybody...

Norman is fine-tuning my web site which should be up by the end of the week; at that time I'll be able to include pictures in my BLOG...but this week I think I won't send out any pictures to you with my notification. I thought I might take this week's BLOG to include a couple of my observations so far.

THE BRAZILIAN PEOPLE:

All of the Brazilian people that I have met have really been wonderful. Many speak English and are very willing to carry on a conversation in English or, as I attempt to do, a combination of English and Portuguese. Their English is always much better than my Portuguese. They never laugh at my lack of Portuguese; they always try to help me correct what I say and teach me a little more.

The Brazilians that I have met are much more aware of world-surroundings than most Americans. They read more and almost all have traveled to Europe and the United States. They like Americans but really don't care for our International politics. While they are focused on their own country's problems, they know what is going on in other parts of the world. The United States still plays a big part in Brazil and the Brazilians are disappointed that we have moved in our present direction Internationally.

Middle-class Brazilians are usually much better educated than we are; the requirements to get into the University are very stringent and young Brazilians take it very seriously. There are three or four weeks of intense testing before an applicant can even be admitted and many who apply don't make it. For those who do the unfortunate thing is that even after they receive their degree the pay isn't anything like it is in the US. Pay in Brazil is very poor and most people don't make anything near what their US counterparts make for the same profession.

THE BRAZILIAN WOMEN:

Brazilian women are beautiful; there is no arguing that. While there are beautiful women throughout the world, Brazilian women have a special sensuality that isn't found anywhere else. It probably is a combination of genes, health and packaging.

Genes: Most Brazilians are a mixed race consisting of Europeans, indigent Indians and sometimes Africans. The depth of the mixture will determine the basic features of the person.

Because Indian genes are found in practically all Brazilians, the women tend to be more petite, darker in skin color and eyes, have high cheekbones, dark or even black hair, and smaller bodies than North Americans. Their features usually combine the best of all the mixes which create beautiful women. I have a friend who has the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen; they hold a sensuality to them that is indescribable.

Health: Brazilians try to be healthy. They eat right, they exercise and they take care of themselves. The women are very aware of their bodies and want to keep it in good shape. Brazilians eat their main meal at mid-day; this allows them to burn off calories in the afternoon. Their evening meal is usually small; a cup of soup, a small sandwich, a waffle. Very little food is fried and if it is, it is usually fried in olive oil. I have another friend from Sao Luis, a city north of Fortaleza who has a beautiful figure; she said that if she gains five kilo's she starts dieting and exercising...she has to look good in her bikini.

There is a academia (gym) on nearly every corner and the cost is very little to join. Women go there every day to exercise and keep their weight down and their figure in control. Most walk a lot, especially to close places. Dentists are available and inexpensive so the women have their teeth cleaned and taken care of two or three times a year; that explains those beautiful smiles. A woman will shower more than once a day if she finds that she becomes sweaty or doesn't feel clean.

Packaging: OK, here's the big one!!! Women in Brazil look like WOMEN!!! They don't go to the market or to a restaurant looking like they crawled out of bed thirty seconds ago; they wouldn't go to the front door looking like that! If you see a woman in work-out cloths it's because she IS going to the academia or out to exercise. They spend time at the beauty parlor getting their hair correct and I don't think I have ever seen a woman in public who's hair isn't in place; many of the women wear their hair long.

Most of the time, the women (and I want to point out that this is not age-restricted...I've seen 50 year old women who would put US twenty-year-olds to shame) wear cloths that are tighter and reveal some of their body. Brittany Spears DID NOT invent the mid-rift blouse. A lot of the time women wear a shoulderless, mid-rift tops and jeans or a skirt or even pants. However, the difference is that it usually looks like it just came of the rack...no holes, no tears, no dirt. The women like to wear high heels a lot which accent their legs.

Posture is important; if you were to take a line and draw it straight down from the top of the head to the ground, either frontal or sideways, a Brazilian woman would fit perfect. When she walks, she doesn't sway more than a degree either way; her body is perfectly straight from the head to the pelvic area. There is no bobbing of the head; you can draw a line where she will walk and her head will always be in the same place along that line. Because of this, the rest of her body moves much more sensually; I always refer to it as a sailboat gliding across a calm sea. If there is anything that sets her aside from other women, it's that.

All in all, Brazilian women have something that isn't found elsewhere. They are aware of it and don't try to shy away from their beauty. A model once asked her mentor how she could become a top model; her mentor told her, "Watch the Brazilians". I think that says it all.

Well, this was a longer BLOG than I had intended; I hope you enjoyed it and perhaps learned something different. I'm still enjoying my time here while I've evaluating things. Brazil is a wonderful country and the people are fantastic. They are always helpful in showing me customs, language and experiences. I haven't lost my love for Fortaleza though I'm REALLY GETTING TIRED OF THE RAIN!!!

Please send comments, whether on the BLOG or email me. Have a good week and I'll write more as things happen.

John

Wednesday, June 8th

2005-06-08T13:54:00.000-03:00

Hello, everybody...

Well, I've been here for over a month now and am settling in nicely. It rained ALL last evening well into the morning hours but the sun is now shining and it's a beautiful day. The weather is forecasted to dry out and we're supposed to be moving out of the rainy season; however, it wasn't forecasted to last this late to begin with.

It's been an interesting week; a movie, a couple of meetings with a special friend, a trip to the beach, driving into the countryside to look at two houses...all of these have given me new perspectives of Fortaleza and my time here.

Last Wednesday I went to the movies with my friend, Howard. The movie theaters are similar to those in the US except probably a little smaller. They play the sound at maximum volume which means that you have a headache and can't hear anything for at least ten minutes after leaving the theater. However, I have to say that watching Star Wars and The Crusader you felt like you were in the middle of the wars. (It is interesting watching the two back to back...One a thousand years in the past, the other a thousand years in the future, yet war is the same...scary thought.)

Saturday afternoon I received a call from a friend to meet for lunch; I had only met her one other time and I was very happy that she called. She had been an exchange student in Knoxville, Tennessee several years ago and speaks excellent English. It was wonderful to listen to her slant on things here; I learned quite a bit about Brazil and Fortaleza. She's an extremely nice person to talk to with a beautiful smile and a warm personality; I think she personifies the beauty of Brazilian women.

We met in one of the shopping malls along with my friend, Andy and had an extremely pleasant afternoon. This particular mall has musicians in the food court that play MPB and Bossa Nova as well as some jazz on Saturday afternoons so I got a little bit of live entertainment. I had met the keyboard player, Luciano the Saturday before and was able to chat with him for a few moments.

The malls here are very upscale and nice. They are in a par with the nicest malls in the States; however, the products found there are also equal in price to the States. All the stores have excellent, knowledgeable people as help; the interesting thing is that when you go into one of these stores there are several people right there to assist you; you, the customer is number one in their eyes and they are there for you.

After we left the mall, we drove into the countryside about fifty miles looking for a house. (More on that later.) While it didn't rain on our trip out and back, the clouds hung low to the ground and we could see off into the distant south rain falling in torrents. (That rain arrived in Fortaleza later that evening.) We drove through the center of a little village looking for the road that would take us to Caponga Beach but never did find it. What struck me was the cleanliness of the village. While it had a very South American flavor, the streets were immaculately kept up. This is something I have found throughout Ceara; once you get outside of the city of Fortaleza, people take exteme pride in their villages and keep make them very livable.

Sunday, Andy and I went to the beach and met our friend, James. James has spent many years in Brazil and Fortaleza and is quite comfortable in the surroundings. He speaks excellent Portuguese and is able to interact with the local people in a way that most think he is from here. He was with his lovely lady friend, Rosemary which made the afternoon quite enjoyable. Being surrounded with good friends, sun, sand, beach, ocean breezes, the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean, good food and drink along with beautiful people made for a wonderful time. (I know, some of you are wondering what I was doing there with beautiful people...lol.)

That night Andy and I walked to Beira Mar (the beach walk) where Andy made some calls and I watched the people. Beira Mar becomes a city within it's self after the sun goes down; there are thousands of people who walk, jog, stroll, talk and interact every night there. The city has set aside a part of it for an open market and you can buy just about anything there; leather goods, cashew nuts, cloths, hand made items. About a block to the east there is an open gallery for artists; some of the pictures are so beautiful that they would be scooped up in seconds in the United States.

Andy and I have found a deli/restaurant a block from us that we go to each morning for breakfast. For around four dollars we can get an egg and cheese sandwich on a French roll, a large glass of orange juice and two cups of coffee. It's a place where a lot of the important people of our area (Meireles) meet and discuss the events of the day. We've met several interesting people there.

After breakfast we met Helia, a salesman and drove twenty minutes into the countryside to look at a house there; it is a beautiful four bedroom house located on a lagoon. It's about 3300 sq. ft. on a large lot. All the materials are first class and the construction is top rate. You can see the pride that was put into the house. It is brand new and has never been lived in; the price is about $145,000 American for the house. (In the States it would sell for $350,000 or more.) I will include one picture of it but have several more if you would like to see them.

Yesterday, after breakfast Andy, Thieny and I drove to Caponga Beach (about an hour east of town) to look at Neil's house. His home is right on the beach; looking out all of his windows to the Northeast you can almost touch the Atlantic Ocean. It is on a HUGE lot that is all landscaped with a large pool; the total size of the house is over 4200 sq. ft. It is absolutely beautiful and would cost close to a million dollars in the United States. He's asking around $110,000 American for it. Again, I will include one picture but have several if you are interested in seeing what $110,000 will buy in Brazil!!!!

After we saw that we drove to a house that belonged to someone that Andy has been corresponding with for a while; it's supposed to be the largest house in Fortaleza. I haven't seen all of the houses, but this one is definitely HUGE. The main house is over 10,000 sq. ft. in size with an elevator, two large master suites, a kitchen that is larger than my apartment as well as many other amenities. There are four other buildings in the compound, three of them having large two bedroom suites. The entire complex will cost close to a million dollars when completed; if built in the US it would probably cost nearly ten million dollars.

After we came back I relaxed and ate dinner but around eight in the evening received a call from my friend inviting me out for dinner. Since I had already eaten, I wasn't hungry but joined her for coffee. It was a delightful time with very stimulating conversation. It is really interesting to talk to her; she is very well educated and extremely intelligent, has excellent insights both about Brazil and the United States and where we as two different peoples are going in respect to each other. The other wonderful thing about her is that she has excellent taste in music and knows all the good spots around the city to listen to MPB.

Normally I try to write my insights and observations but this time decided to give you and idea of a typical week here. I'm sure that it will be different as time goes on, but you can see that I'm keeping busy. I haven't had as much of a chance to work on my books as I would like, but I'm still at it.

My maid is here right now; I want to say something about that. I think some people feel like a maid is a "second grade person" because they do the work for you; I don't!! My maid is wonderful...not only does she keep my apartment immaculate and does the other things such as washing, ironing and cooking, but she does all of it with a smile and a wonderful attitude. It is really a pleasure to have her here and I try to treat her with the respect and caring that every person is entitled to.

Coming here is a wonderful experience for me. I love Brazil and Fortaleza; this was definitely the right decision for me. I never thought that I would have such a fantastic time as I'm having now. There are some things that I don't care for, mainly the rain, but it's great.

Brazilian people are wonderful; they have a spirit and an attitude that is different that Americans do; they are positive about almost everything and seem to be able to see the positive almost all of the time. I have found that most are "glass half full" people. I am treated with smiles and nice laughter where ever I go; I don't see sour glum faces on people.

I still feel as though we all have to follow our dream and do what we don't dare do; it is the only way that we can feel truly complete. Once that experience happens, the world looks different.

Anyway, so much for my philosophizing for today. I will include three pictures as usual but I hope to be able to have a link to my pictures after this BLOG; my friend, Norman in Cowchip, Alabama is working on it. (He is that unknown genius who lives just outside of town and associates with Doc from "Back to the Future".)

I always appreciate any comments that you might make, either on the BLOG or emailing me direct. I try to answer them all but sometimes don't get a chance.

Until next time....

Moving to Brazil...

2005-06-01T18:50:00.000-03:00

Hi, everybody...

Usually I try to wait a week before writing anything but I thought I'd pass this along while it's on my mind; it may cause someone to rethink their options.

I have spent a lot of time the last three weeks with ex-pats from several countries but particularly North America. Like most people they hear about the cheap prices and how wonderful the weather is, etc., and think "Maybe I'd want to move down there..."; as you know I'm here for that very reason.

First rule...if you don't have money, don't move. A lot of people think that they'll come down here and get a job teaching English to live or they have computer skills that they can use or something like that. DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!! My friend teaches English twice a week; for four hours of work he gets R$25.00 or $10.62; the guy that works on my computer spent four hours on it for R$30.00 or $12.21. A college professor I know makes R$1500 or $610 a month. The English teacher has one student because of the competition; the computer wizard has two big accounts as well as several smaller people like myself to keep him going; the professor had to compete with more than 100 other people for his position.

Jobs here pay next to nothing; I have a friend who is a lawyer who is working in an office trying for a position as a judge; if she gets it she will have a job for life. In the meantime she's had to work as an interpreter and is now working as an assistant lawyer because of the job situation. The unemployment in Brazil is 18% and in Fortaleza is even higher; if you are a woman it is terrible.

Is it true that your buying power is greater; that depends. If you are living off an American funds you're tied to the exchange rate. When I came down here an month ago my apartment rent was $$385; when I drew out the money to pay this month's rent it was $420 and today it would be $407. International money exchanges play a huge part in your buying power. When I was down here in October I could have bought my apartment for $38,000...today it's $48,000 and might be less or more in a month.

I have some money in the bank and a decent retirement; I could probably make it...however, if I didn't have that there is no way that I could afford to move here to live. Brazil is a mixed country; while there are areas that are 100 years behind the US there are also areas that are equal to the US in technology or even more advanced. You see wealth next to poverty and both are different than what we are used to. Remember that five percent of the population control eighty-five percent of the wealth; there is a very small middle-class in Brazil. If you want to live like you were used to living in the US, stay in the US unless you have a good amount of money and just want to try a different lifestyle.

Don't try "get rich schemes" here; they've all been tried and believe me when I say that Brazilians are much better at them than North Americans. Your new idea is probably an old idea here that has already been tried and been found to not succeed or is being done already.

So much for the lecture; I wanted to pass this along because I've been hearing so many people complain that they need to find a way to generate money here; even people who are living on an inheritance or other income are complaining that their money is depleting faster than it's being replenished.

Anyway, as always, your comments are appreciated, either via email or on my BLOG. Hope to hear from you...

John

Tuesday Morning

2005-05-31T08:35:00.000-03:00

Hello, everyone..

Well, it's another day in Fortaleza and things are moving along quite well. I've had a touch of the flu so I didn't write anything during the weekend. Also, my computer was down Sunday night.

It's cloudy over the Atlantic this morning; it rained most yesterday and was very cloudy Sunday but Saturday was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!! We went for breakfast in the morning then walked to Adeota and Dos Pasea malls in the afternoon. We walked all around both malls and had lunch there. Later we had ice cream. Believe it or not, I'm three blocks from the ocean and the humidity isn't as bad as it is in Oklahoma today...lol.

There are no cloths dryers here that I know of; most people hang out their cloths on a rack and let the sun and the breeze dry it; it works except when it rains all the time. If it's a nice sunny day here the cloths will dry in a few hours. When it rains I bring in my cloths and at night I bring them it because it's been raining every night.

The ice cream here is fabulous!!! They have more flavors that Bascom-Robbins and the types they have are really good. There are several fruit-flavored kinds (fruit that normally isn't sold in America), they have at least five different kinds of chocolate as well as the usual types; two scoops in a waffle dish cost about $1.25.

On Saturdays all the malls have musicians in the food court area that play music; in Aldeota they usually have a group that plays jazz and MPB (Bossa Nova, Samba, etc.) The music of this area is primarily Ashee, Brazilian Calypso and Forro. There are several local concerts every Friday and Saturday nights; thousands of locals go to these concerts and usually over-fill the clubs. Very little of the Brazilian music that we are familiar with in the US is played here; that comes mostly from Rio and the Sao Paulo area and is considered the music of the rich and snobs.

This morning, for a change there are no ships in the harbor waiting to come in. There are two harbors that service Fortaleza; one about three miles from here and the other about 25 miles west; I'm told that the one to the west is not the main port for the city. Usually there are several cargo ships that come in and out of the one close to me each day. The harbor has seven sailing boats that I can see; when I walk to the pier there are hundreds of boats moored there.

I'm going to send three pictures of my apartment this time; it will give you somewhat of an idea of what a normal apartment looks like. Of course there are larger as well as a lot of smaller ones here. This is normal for this area and is about 650 square feet with two bedrooms, two baths, a living area, a kitchen and a dining area. I have tried all sorts of methods to either make my pictures smaller or include them in the BLOG, but nothing seems to work for me, so I apologize in advance. If you are on dial-up you might just ignore the pictures.

Anyway, this is this weeks report. The jury is still out as to my long-terms plans; I haven't really been here long enough to make any real decision but I'll keep you informed. Drop me a line or add a remark to my BLOG.

Until next time...

John

Two and a half weeks in Fortaleza

2005-05-20T18:56:00.000-03:00

Hi everybody...

Well, I've been here two and a half weeks and am settling in; it's been fun but really a new learning experience. I find that for the most part I'm able to function normally even though there are some things that are different.

I think that anyone who loves long hot showers or hot baths would have a problem here; the water comes out at room temperature which is around 70 degrees. You can buy a heater which will warm it up by ten degrees but it isn't like the US; there are no hot water heaters to store hot water except in the expensive hotels. (My son would never survive.)

Brazilians do things to the minimum; nothing is bigger than it needs to be and that includes bedsheets. They are so small that when sitting on the bed let alone lying on it causes the bottom sheet to come up. I got tangled in mine several times until I decided to take two sheets and put them both on the bottom; one at the head of the bed and one at the foot; now it works OK. I'm having some real sheets sent from the US.

Prices can be very high, especially for electronic goods; because of the high tariffs and shipping costs those items are unbelievable and there aren't any "deals" like in the US.

Drivers here are CRAZY...and I'm not kidding. If you walk, you take your life into your hands; crosswalks mean nothing. The most dangerous thing is cars making right turns; they don't care whether or not you're there; they will make the turn anyway and see how close to you they can come then prove that their horn works! I think it's against the law to let another car be in front of you for more than ten seconds; you HAVE to pass him which means that the speed limit really isn't effective.

Bureaucratic nonsense is at the maximum; you have to buy something from one person, then go to another for a slip, a third to pay, then take the slip back to the second person, then go to the first person who gives it to a fourth person to package for you; I'm not sure whether it's to give jobs or cut down on theft but it sure is aggravating.

Those are some of the "down sides"; on the other hand there are lots of up-sides. The weather, while humid and hot right now (it's the rainy season) is really not bad at all. It's quite tropical with rains in the morning and sun in the afternoon. A breeze generally pops up in the afternoon and while humid is quite bearable, especially if you stay out of the sun.

The food is cheap and excellent. Brazilians' main meal is the mid-meal which is plentiful. The evening meal is light and just enough to let your stomach know it's stil there; this has taken some adjustment to me because of the way I'm used to eating. However, I'm finding that I'm not eating as much. I've lost about five pounds and hope to loose even more by the time I get back to the States.

The women here are really outstanding; while they come in all shapes and sizes, colors, heights, weights, etc., for the most part they are extremely attractive. Most are typically Latin and have dark eyes, dark hair, high cheekbones, dark skin, very nice shapes and white teeth. I can't say that every one that I've seen would make a Playboy model, but most are very nice looking and FIT. There are very few that are heavy and I have only seen ONE who was obese!! There are 150,000 more women than men in Fortaleza and they are everywhere. Most of the time they wear a halter-top and either shorts, pants or a short skirt that shows off their nice tan legs. It seems that when they smile they light up; they really look beautiful. All the women that I have met are very friendly and will talk if they speak English at all. I can truly say that being here is a pleasure for me!!

I'm getting used to my apartment and finding that it really is comfortable; by American standards it's small but it's very functional and meets all of my needs. It's interesting how much we think we need but when faced with it, we really can do well with less; my TV is a 12" and works quite well; I bought some computer speakers that I have set up to a little travel CD player and have music playing all the time; I have a little table/desk that my computer is on as well as printer and other things and it's really good. I'm in about a third of the space that I was in when I was in Phoenix yet am just as comfortable. I don't have a car but I sure am doing a lot of walking and it works. It's really made me take a second look at my life and my priorities.

Most things other than electronics are inexpensive; Andy and I split a pizza the other day for $5.50 that would have cost $15.00 in the States; my maid costs $6.12 for a half of a day or $12.28 for a whole day and she starts at 7:30 and leaves at 4:30, mopping the floors, washing and ironing all my cloths, cleaning all the cabinets, fixing me a noon and an evening meal, changing the bed, cleaning both bathrooms, cleaning all the mirrors and windows. She's very pleasant and attractive.

There are three malls within walking distance from me and they are really upscale; the prices are quite comparable to the US and the prices would fit US prices. I can't see myself shopping there; there are lots of places in Fortaleza that normal people shop that aren't anywhere as high.

If I had this to do again I'd do it the same way; while I have encountered some frustrations there hasn't been nothing that I haven't been able to deal with. Every morning at 6:30 I get up and start the coffee and look out of my patio door onto the Atlantic Ocean and I have to say that the view is as good as my view was in Coyote Lakes. I watch the ships come in and out of port during the day and see them as they settle waiting for a place to dock; at night they're lit up like a Christmas tree and it's really wonderful. (I just looked out the door and there are THREE ships waiting, all lit up and really need to see.) I can look out and watch the storm clouds over the ocean and watch them make landfall; one minute it's clear, the next it's raining buckets, then five minutes later it's clear again.

I haven't been out to take any pictures so I'll put in a few more from my apartment; I hope you like them. Write me and let me know what you think and if you have any questions.

Until next time...John

2005-05-15T16:00:00.002-03:00

I finally got my email up Friday night around 8:30 and spent Friday night and Saturday morning going through and answering the 95 emails that I have received since I've been here. Now I can communicate through something other than smoke signals.

Well, I'm here; it's different living here than visiting, that's for sure. The biggest hurdle is the language; while Spanish is similar in the written form, in the oral form it's totally different. I had hoped to be able to at least communicate a little but the words are spoken completely different and I'm not understood most of the time and can't understand a word that is being spoken.

Everything is done "whenever"; whenever I want to, whenever I can get around to it, whenever there isn't something else to do, whenever somebody more powerful doesn't want it first, etc. Because of that I have been spending a lot of time at the apartment waiting for "whenever"; whenever I can get the lease signed for the apartment, whenever I can get the telephone in, whenever I can get connected to the Internet, whenever I can get cable TV, whenever I can get the shower fixed, whenever I can get the bottled water, whenever I can get the maid here to do my laundry, clean, iron my cloths and cook two meals ($7.00 a whole day!!!)...you get the picture. You had better stop thinking like an American and expect things to operate on "Brazil time"; another word for "whenever".

It's the end of the rainy season so there's been a lot of rain, mostly at night. Thursday and Friday it rained later than usual; usually it ends by 7:00 or so. It can rain very hard but there doesn't seem to be much wind associated with it; it almost comes straight down. Not only that, but it isn't a cold rain; it's almost shower temperature. The weather is great this afternoon; the wind shifted and has dried out the air some.

I've been eating good though differently; mostly I have been eating very light compared to what I eat in the US. The main meal here is the mid-day meal; that's one of the reasons why Brazilians remain so slim. The dinner might consist of a couple of pieces of cheese, a little meat and perhaps some grapes and that is about all. I think I've lost three or four pounds so far; I'm noticing that my cloths are fitting looser than before. The pizza here is so good it's unbelievable. Almost everything I have eaten has been wonderful except that most of it has chicken and I'm not a big chicken fan; I prefer beef or fish.

My apartment is nice; I knew what it would be like because I stayed one floor below when I was here in October and they are all exactly the same. It's around 650 sq. ft. with two small bedrooms, two really small bathrooms, a kitchenette, a dining and living area and the bedroom air conditioned (a real plus). Because I don't need a dining room table, I'm going to rent a keyboard and set it up there. The living room is really small, but it has a little TV and such. I've hooked up my portable CD player to some nice speakers I sent down as well as power and have music. (I brought down 130 CDs from Phoenix.) All in all, it's pretty comfortable and I'm surviving quite well.

Fortaleza is big; old but big!!! They're building apartments like crazy and, by American standards they are inexpensive though not as much as a few years ago. (Real estate inflation has hit EVERYWHERE!!!!) I had hoped to look at a penthouse condo here but it had sold by the time I got here. That's kind of good because I wasn't sure I wanted to let loose of the money and buy anything until after I made a decision as to my future. Most of the city consists of older buildings and is definitely "third world". You see an awfully lot of poverty here and even the people that are middle class are not as well off as you see in the US. The only thing that I can say is that after living here, I never want to hear about how poor people have it in the US; they don't even know what it is like!

Because people eat

2005-05-15T16:00:00.001-03:00

2005-05-15T16:00:00.000-03:00

First night in Fortaleza

2005-05-04T08:23:00.000-03:00

Hello, everybody....

Well, I finally made it!!!! Boy, it's a really log trip; about 20 hours of flying before I finally arrived. Andy was at the airport to pick me up...I sure was glad to see him!!! I'm getting settled into my apartment this morning; I've unpacked everything and now have to go shopping for food and some items that I need.

It rained this morning for a short while; unlike Phoenix and places in the US, the rain seems to come down at a light to moderate pace and comes STRAIGHT DOWN. My windows were open and I didn't even know it was raining until I looked outside.

Because this is the rainy season and because it rained it's humid today! I can see an average of two changes a day during right now; I'm sweating a lot more than I usually do. (Perhaps I'll lose some weight...lol.

I've gotten settled in my apartment; I'll post my address later when I get a phone. I unpacked this morning and have everything put away already. (My Virgo personality...) I still have to get some things so that I can set up my CD player and get music as well as get my computer up and running. (Right now I'm on Andy's.)

Anyway, I'll tell you more at the end of the week; hopefully by then I'll have everything up and running and ready to go. See you in about six months...

John

SORRY

2005-05-01T14:09:00.000-03:00

Hello, everyone...

I'm sorry, I thought that this would work so that you could view my photos, but I guess I'll have to go back to the drawing board. I'll work on it down in Brazil.

John

Last BLOG from the States

2005-04-30T14:26:00.000-03:00

YEAH!!!! I FINALLY figured out a way that I can get pictures to you all; just click on the link below and it will bring up another site which will have pictures on it. I can say that I used all my computer skills (which aren't many) and unknown help from my friend, Andy who has been through this before me. Anyway, these are four pictures from my first trip there but will give you an idea of what I am looking forward to. Please let me know if you have any problems opening them.

Click here: Webshots My Photos - Edit (first trip to Fortaleza)

Well, tomorrow morning I will be shutting down my computer until I get set up in Brazil so it will be a few a while before you hear from me again; when you do, I'll be in Fortaleza, Brazil fulfilling a part of my dream. If you had asked me ten years ago whether I would ever go to Brazil, let alone live there I would have answered "no"; now here I am going to live there for a while and see if I'm willing to move there. It goes to prove that you can do anything you want to if you put your mind to it and are willing to make the sacrifices necessary.

I hope to use this BLOG the next six months to not only tell you about what is happening with me but to (1) spark your interest in Brazil or other places, (2) show you that it isn't as hard as you think to take a chance, and (3) share my experiences, loves, fears and happinesses with you all. You all are my friends as well as my family and you all mean a great deal to me; some of you have been with me through thick and thin and have watched me grow through the years; now it's my turn to share my life with you.

Please feel free at any time to add comments to the BLOG; also I will still have regular email and my address won't change so you can write to me as normal. Until I know what kind of a connection I have, please DO NOT send me long downloaded stuff; right now I'm using the telephone line instead of a high-speed connection and some things take forever to download. I'll let you know when I have the high-speed lines.

I look forward to hearing from all of you and hopefully you all will enjoy my experiences there; I will be back, but who can say for how long?

John

Fourth Post

2005-04-27T12:07:00.000-03:00

Hello everybody...I MIGHT have figured out how to attach pictures to the BLOG, if not I'm going to figure out another way to get it done even if it's setting up a separate account just for pictures. If that doesn't work then I'll attach pictures to my notification to you.

Well, I've only got five days before I'm on an aircraft heading south to Brazil; I can't tell you how excited I am. Even though I've been there before this is still new and exciting to me. Fortaleza is one of the most beautiful cities in all of Brazil; while Europeans and Brazilian have been familiar with it for years as an exciting place to vacation, Americans haven't discovered it yet. I think one of the main reasons is because it takes so long to get there! From Phoenix it takes almost 20 hours of travel time; first flying to a point of departure from the States (Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Dallas, New York) then flying into Sao Paulo as a point of entry then on to Fortaleza. But of course once you get there it's well worth the flight.

Fortaleza has some of the most beautiful pristine beaches in the world. It is the capital of wind surfing as well as many other beach-type sports. It's as big as Phoenix (greater Fortaleza has a population of nearly 3.4 million people though there are very few Americans there) and is very similar to a major US city in most ways, having hi-speed internet, TV (with several US stations), major highways, large shopping malls and lots of wonderful restaurants. (If you go there you have to go to Jeppo's...best pizza I have EVER tasted!!)

My friend, Andy and his wife, then will be picking me up what I finally arrive. They have arranged for my apartment which is six floors down from theirs. I stayed there the last time that I visited. Andy will be celebrating his birthday when I get in town even though it is the day before. I know many of you haven't read the articles that he has written for Escape America so I am including links to both. Take a minute to read them; I think you will find them quite interesting and informative.

Click here: Brazil Or Bust: Making A Change ~ by Andy Neill

Click here: Brazil Or Bust Two: More On Moving To Fortaleza, Brazil ~ by Andy Neill

While many of you have read the article that I wrote for Escape America, many of you haven't so I am also including a link to it; I wrote it after the first time I visited. I plan on writing another article after I've been there for a little while to give a perspective of what it is like moving there. (Escape America is probably the best written and managed expatriate online magazine out there.) I hope you enjoy the article.

Click here: Traveling Through Fortaleza Ceara ~ By John Mueller

Let's see if you get a picture attachment on the BLOG page; if not, I'm sending just one picture in the attachment portion of the notification. By the way, if you want to comment on anything I have written, you can do so by going to the bottom of the post and click on comments; it will be posted along with my BLOG.

Hope this works.

John

Third post

2005-04-25T11:48:00.000-03:00

Hi, everybody...This is my third post; the BLOG seems to be working though I still haven't figured out how to attach pictures. I might have to use a different method to do that. I'm attaching a couple of links; a friend of mine who lives in Fortaleza sent them to me. If you follow the directions you can see the exact location of my apartment there. As you can see, it's pretty close to the beach and to Beira Mar, one of the main areas in Fortaleza. It's got a wonderful view of the ocean and surrounding area as well as being convenient to most things; there are three shopping malls within walking distance as well as American Express, McDonalds and Pizza Hut (if you need them) and at least a dozen excellent restaurants. Because it's so close to the ocean, the sea breeze is constantly there cooling things down.

Click here: http://img102.exs.cx/img102/1509/at15nk.jpg Find the pools in the right side of the picture...go right about 1/2 inch to where you see two orange roofs running perpendicular to the street; count up three buildings until you see a big white building...count up 13 floors on the right side of the building facing the ocean. Let me know what you think...

Click here: http://img102.exs.cx/img102/4369/at23lf.jpg

This is a larger picture....

I hope to hear from you all soon...feel free to post a remark on the BLOG.

John

Second Post

2005-04-21T12:49:00.000-03:00

Hi...it's John again...

I'm doing a second post just to see if everything is working OK...I'll be sending you all a notification that I have posted. Let me know if you get it. I haven't figured out yet how to attach pictures, but I'll be working on that later this week and will send out a few of my last trip to Fortaleza when I do.

I'm still here in Phoenix and have a week and a half to go before I'm out the door; I'm really enjoying this retirement thing, let me tell you!!! I'm getting a chance to visit friends and have good lunches and dinners and relax. The condo that I'm staying in is REALLY nice; I think that I might look for something like it when I get back.

Anyway, as I said, this is more of an experiment than anything. If it works, then I'll be almost ready to go.

I hope you all have a wonderful day....

John

My first posting

2005-04-19T12:24:00.000-03:00

Well, this is my first post. I'm not sure if I can make this all work but if I do I think it will be fun. Welcome to my BLOG and history of my long term visit to Fortaleza.

Just a real quick history: I have always wanted to go to/live in Brazil; it actually started when I was eight years old. I waited until I was 58 before I actually visited it and immediately fell in love with Fortaleza. Fortunately, I went back last October and found that I loved it even more the second time than the first time. I made up my mind that I would spend six months there and see if it was where I would spend the last years of my life.

I will leave for Fortaleza on May 2nd and return on October 12th. My wonderful friend, Andy has been helping me rent an apartment and get started. Fortunately, he will be living six floors up from me and I hope to see him and his beautiful wife, Thieny a lot while I'm down there.

In the meantime, I retired, sold my house, put my furniture in storage and am ready to go! To say that I am excited is an understatement. I'm so hyped up over this that I can hardly contain myself. I spend hours on-line looking at the places I have been and the places I hope to go.

If this works, I hope to include pictures of friends and places I'll be going while I'm there. SOOOOO...let's see if this works...

John