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| Old Jail converted into an arts and crafts market |
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| Fortaleza - City of Happioness |
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| Downtown High Rise Canyons |
Canyon City would be an appropriate description of Fortaleza,
as it looks like Miami on steroids: flat land from which rise hundreds of sky
scrapers, before the city fizzles out into low rises around the
colonial/historic sector of the city. It differentiates itself from Miami I
suppose, as in Fortaleza slum areas are freely interspersed with modern and
obviously expensive condo and office buildings.
Visitors usually make their way to historic Fortaleza
instead the ‘modern’ one, starting their sweaty walking tour somewhere near an
old colonial style jail, whose cells are now art and craft stalls, and whose
inner courtyards house a few soft drink kiosks.
From there one may wander toward the central square, with a
relatively modern cathedral at one end, ruins of a fort at the opposite end,
and a giant multistoried Central Mercado at a third. The rest of the
surrounding is made up of sidewalk stores and an overpass, which serves as
shade and sleeping quarters for beggars and homeless people.
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| Lace and Crochet |
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| Home Brews and home remedies |
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| Performers at the entrance of Mercado Central |
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| Sidewalk stores.... |
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| Sidewalk scene |
On the square itself, vendors have marked their daily spot
with crayons – early morning has some of them ready to do trade, others just
starting to spread their wares, and others still catching a last shut eye
before business wakes up.
The Cathedral is open. Its stark neo gothic interior is
magically lit by dozens of magnificent stained glass windows, which glow like
giant jewels in brilliant blues, oranges, yellows and reds as the sun brings
them to light.
The market, famous for Fortaleza lace and plentiful
offerings of cashew and Brazil (Para) nuts, is already overflowing with
shoppers. Dolls, carvings, baskets, every kind of garment – lace or otherwise
-, license plates, t-shirts, shoes, sandals, pots and pans, tacky souvenirs, a
plethora of home remedies made from multitudes of Amazonias secret ingredients –
make up just a small part of the varied goods on sale.
A winding ramp leads to upper stories, which I did not
visit, and food stalls line the outskirts of every floor.
Outside it seemed like chaos to the uninitiated eye –
thousands of people going about their business amongst hundreds of stalls,
where commerce was lively – hard to find a path amongst the throng.
I made it to an arts and culture centre a few blocks away, called Dragoa do Mar, Dragon of the Sea, a man
who was decisive in abolishing slave trade and ownership in Fortaleza.
The centre is made up of a wide collection of modern
buildings amongst a few remnants of old Fortaleza buildings, with multihued fronts
and shady squares. The centre was practically deserted, not a gallery nor shop
open for business, and performing arts venues without advertising posters – it seemed
somewhat out of daily use.
As it was shortly before midday by now, the equatorial sun beat
down mercilessly, no other ‘attractions’ in walking distance, I headed back to
the drop off point of the ship’s shuttle bus, the arts and crafts jail,
previously mentioned.
I imagined that a walk along the shore would be a pleasant
way to return, however, the shoreward road soon finished up in one of the
infamous Favelas, slums, where local inhabitants waved from the murky alleys
lined with decrepit or semi-finished hovels, to indicate that I better get out
of there in a hurry – not wanted here, that was for sure. Caution being the
better way to go, I did just that and made a quick turn about, and trudged
along the hot and broken sidewalk back to Fortaleza civilization, crossing to
the other side of the street when I encountered a ‘gardener’ chopping away at
some bushes with a huge machete.
Crossing the street in Fortaleza, especially this part of
the city – historic – is somewhat suicidal; drivers will not stop for
pedestrians – local or stranger alike.
I found a pleasant shore side park, adjoining the market
jail, which seems to double as a family excursion destination on weekends.
Being Saturday, locals and ship passengers congregated underneath the huge
shade giving trees and filled a couple of hundred tables, which were served by
a gazebo style restaurant with food and drink. Good place to catch one’s breath
and enjoy a real capiringha/beer/snack. A duo of guitar and local ‘mandolin’
played Brazilian music and thus added to an enjoyable couple of hours of
Fortaleza.
I did not visit nor stop in the sky scraper area of Fortaleza,
which may have more similarities with other cities of a million or so
inhabitants. Fortaleza’s beaches are lined with high rise hotels in that area
of the city, however, bathing in this part of the Atlantic is not recommended,
as pollution extends across the width of the beaches.
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| Park Cafe and Restaurant |
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| Slum on a hill side |
So – back to the ship with my haul of Brazil Nuts, which
should suffice as pre dinner snack to accompany a glass of wine? Talking about
wine – Brazil is definitely NOT a wine country, but their local beer is a
delicious thirst quencher when gasping in steamy tropical heat.
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| Statue in Shore Side Park |
