Blogs from Ceará, Brazil, South America

What American has ever heard of Fortaleza, Brazil? I sure hadn’t! Well, Brazil's 5th largest city was our port of call on Saturday, February 25, 2023. It has a population of slightly over 2.7 million with a metropolitan area population of over 4.1 million people. Fortaleza, Portuguese for fortress, is the capital of the State of Ceará and is an important industrial and commercial center in Northeast Brazil. According to the Ministry of Tourism, it is the fourth most visited city and tourist destination in the country, and the most important highway in the country, BR-116, starts in Fortaleza. There is typically a tropical climate, with high temperatures and relative humidity throughout the year; however, these conditions are usually mitigated by pleasant ocean breezes. The average annual temperature is 80.6 °F with the relative humidity at ... read more

High antics on the high seas yesterday as we crossed the Equator. We were not thrown in the pool, nor covered in cream, baked beans or spaghetti as some were! Mostly new officers and cadets were introduced to King Neptune to undergo the ceremony but also the Captain literally threw himself into the fun too. We got our certificates without going through anything more difficult than sitting by the pool watching all the action. There was an amazing 3 miles of water beneath us at that point. Today we are in Fortalenza, Brazil. A large sprawling city the 5th largest in the country. It reminded me of India with fewer people. I was told all the graffiti and dilapidated buildings etc. are typical of South American cities. There was a very pretty theatre, and newly constructed ... read more

Après avoir retrouvé Martin et Ana, nous partons tous les quatre pour 10 jours de folie dans le Nordeste. Nous démarrons notre voyage par la découverte de Jericoacoara, un petit village de ruelles de sable sur la plage au creux des dunes, à la cool ! Le soir, nous montons sur la dune pour observer le coucher du soleil et tenter de voir le rayon vert ! Il paraît que Jeri est « un des rares endroits de la terre d’où on peut l’apercevoir » d’après le Lonely… Mais c’est un échec… Nous regrettons un peu Saint-Lu ! Nous profitons ensuite du barbec et des petites gargottes de caïpi. Nous nous énervons contre le sale chat de l’hôtel qui nous pique une grande tranche de viande mais dégustons le reste de la bonne pièce de bœuf ... read more

Mit einem Bustransport über 4 Stunden von Cumbuco nach Jijoca de Jericoacoara und der anschliessenden Fahrt mit einem kräftigen Pickup durch die Sanddünen habe ich mein Ziel Jericoacoara erreicht. Jeri wie es genannt wird, liegt inmitten von Sanddünen. Neben diesem touristischen Dörfchen gibt es keine anderen bewohnten Gebiete in der Nähe. Für diese Woche mietete ich mich im Hostel América do Sul. Alles was man sich unter einem netten, tradionellen Hostel vorstellt ist hier anzutreffen. Da gibt es die typischen Lagerbetten, viele Hängematten, eine einfache Küche und chilligen Sound der den ganzen Tag leise läuft. Ebenfalls sind Leute aus aller Welt hier und mit den verschiedensten Hintergründen. Da habe ich Italiener getroffen die von Fiat aus geschäftlich unterwegs sind und einen Abstecher hiering geplant haben. Da sind etliche Brasilianer und Argentinier die wohl schon Ihr halbes ... read more

After eating breakfast at the hostel me, Jorge, old Chris, and another Uruguayan walked to the nearest bus stop and took the #49 to Croco Beach. The bus just happened to drive through the industrial and port part of the city, which is the most dangerous and which we were warned to stay away from. But the bus didn't stop, so that was good. We walked from the bus to the beach and the first thing I noticed was the amount of palm trees. More than SC, Florida, or even Hawaii! There were coconuts all over them. At one point that day I saw a coconut fall from the tree and split on the pavement, which reminded me when someone once told me that falling coconuts kill people every year. The second thing I notice was ... read more