Fortaleza, Brazil

I had my first look at Fortaleza from my breakfast table on the 12th deck. Almost immediately I spotted some dolphins in the green water, and as I tried to take in the expanse of beach, buildings, cargo and fishing ships, and a few pleasure boats, I could not believe it was just outside the window. Welcome to Fortaleza. It’s a city of more than 2 million people and is a mere 300 miles south of the Equator.

I made a brief foray into the city via the shuttle busses Crystal provided to transport passengers from the dock to the Central Market, about a 15 minute drive. The mercado was an amazing 5 stories tall, and every level was jam packed with leather bags, purses and shoes, embroidered table cloths and clothing, baskets, beads, and all kinds of trinkets.

It was hot inside. There was no air conditioning. There were open windows, but not nearly enough to provide much relief from the heat.

I bought one postcard and a kilo (maybe about 2 pounds) of cashews.

The shuttle buses were air conditioned so by the time the shuttle returned to the ship, I had somewhat recovered from the heat. And of course back onboard I breathed a contented sigh as I enjoyed a fresh baked cookie. Home again on the Serenity.

We are now headed for Rio.