Dec 21

We remained in Fortaleza only until 3:00pm which meant all on board by 2:30.  We had a "Highlights of Fortaleza" excursion for 3 1/2 hours starting around 9:00am.  Fortaleza is Brazil's 5th largest city and the port is the prime one for exports to and imports from Europe since it is closer to Europe than most other ports.  It is known for its beaches which, 8 years ago when I visited here were polluted and unsafe to swim in, are now cleaned up and very nice.  The unusual aspect of the beaches is that they are basically empty during the day but filled from 6pm until the wee hours of the morning.  Obviously there are plenty of bars, restaurants and discos along the beachfronts.  Driving from the port we went through some slum areas and beaches that weren't in good shape.  Crime had invaded the area and restaurants & bars shut down.  They are trying to clean up the area and revitalize them.  Our first stop was at a church which was originally built in the 1500s and has been destroyed a few times and the current version was built in the early 20th century, is made of concrete, is not ornate but uses Gothic styling and has some magnificent stain glass windows.  The church was located next to the municipal market which is a 4 story building filled with primarily clothing & textile booths.  Lace is a big item here.  We didn't visit it this time but have in previous visits.  There are street markets almost on every block and I wonder how they survive with all the competition.  We next visited the Theatro Jose De Alencar, named after one of the major political figures in Fortaleza's history.  It had a very unique architecture and the chairs were cane seat & back since there is no air conditioning.  There were young people rehearsing on the stage as we visited the interior.  Across from the theater was a park with food carts all around, a singer blasting out songs through his portable amplifier and a TV SUV doing some sort of shoot with one of their male personalities dressed in  a little girl outfit (picture follows) but we have no idea what it was about.  We drove around more of the narrow streets to a beachfront to what was originally a single level jail composing 4 buildings and is now a craft market.  We had 35 minutes to wander through it and I bought some cashew nuts.  The cashew tree is originally from this area of Brazil and they roast the nuts over hot coals for a delicious and unique flavor.  We drove along some of the upscale beach areas on the return to the port.  There are a lot of newer modern condos, apartment buildings & restaurants across the street from the beaches.  By the time we returned to the ship there wasn't sufficient time to go back into town.