FAREWELL FORTALEZA

  So finally it is goodbye to the sun and sea of Fortaleza, and very nearly goodbye to the 9 month round the world trip.  I spent the morning packing and putting stuff that I will need in readily accessible places.  A spot of work for Charly on the computer, and then I set off down to the beach for a last paddle in the warm waters of the sea.

Then it was an easy stroll back along the beach to the road.

Then it was a last look at the statue of Iracema and it was time to bid farewell to Iracema beach.  My eyesight can just about pick up the statue between the palms

I spent a restful afternoon in the hotel room with the air-cn on and the window open, before adjourning for an early dinner before sunset.  The Sabor Brasileiro on Rua Aracati was virtually deserted at that time of day.  The lunch crowd was long gone and the evening diners were not yet out.  But my man Ceison was there ready and waiting!  He immediately got me a beer and then recommended something on the menu, which as usual I accepted without hesitation.

There was meat, rice, chips and pineapple and as always it was a tasty meal.  By the time I had finished the restaurant was still devoid of customers - Ireckon at least another half hour before the locals rolled in.
And so it was time to bid Ceison goodbye and take my leave of the Sabor Brasileiro and head back to the hotel.

  I ordered a taxi for 4.30am, paid my bill, set the alarm for 4.00am, and keeping my fingers crossed that everything works out in the morning!  It's around a 24 hour round trip door to door.

MERCADO CENTRALE

THURSDAY 28th JULY

  After a quiet morning, I set off for the Central Market.  It was another warm day at 31 degrees, and the walk was quite a long one.  I first went to the back of the fort where I discovered a tiled picture of Our Lady on the back wall.

Behind the fort is a garden which has a large tree in the middle.  This wasa gift from the people of Senegal.  Apparently one of three such trees.  One is in Rio, another here and the third somewhere else.  Quite why these trees were donate is not clear to me, perhaps Abigail will be able to shed some llight on the matter.

  I then did the rounds of the shops in the area, but the bulk were fashion or curtains or bedclothes, so not a lot of interest.  There was one road with some different things but again not of great interest to me.

After that I did the rounds of the Mercado Centrale and purchased several items to bring back as presents for the kids, and then walked back to the hotel.  I nodded off on the bed and didn't get out for dinner until after 7.00pm.  One day left to go!

LAGOINHA

WEDNESDAY 27th JULY

  Again the pick-up coach was prompt, this time I was one of the last to be picked up, and soon we were on our way to Lagoinha.  This resort is about 135Km west of Fortaleza.  The optional offer is to get a buggy ride down the beach, catch a catamaran across a lake and then a lorry ride withe open air seating in the back. 

The buggy driver was very keen to offer to take photos, so I was snapped on a number of occasions.  We drove over to a lake with some livestock on the far side - another photo op.

We then drove over to another lake where the boat was waiting to take us over to the other side, where there was a sort of resort.  There were people from various different groups on the boat.  When we dis-

embarked I followed the people in front of me, and then I realised they weren't from our group.  At this point the batteries ran out in my camera.  I had bought a pack of four new ones with me, but they were not man enough to operate my camera.  So that was the end of pics for this excursion!

  I got a bit worried as I couldn't find anybody from our party and wondered if they had gone on to the next stage without me.  I found a guide from another touring group and asked her if she spoke English.  She shook her head.  I showed her my brochure and gestured "where are they".  She took me to a young chap who in turn took me to the car park and showed me the vehicle that would take us, took me to an armchair and sat me down and told me to wait.  And indeed some 20 minutes later members of our party seemingly miraculously re-appeared.  We drove through the country side back to the beach hotel.  I had ordered seafood spaghetti before leaving and an enormous portion duly appeared with loads of prawns.  We had a locker for our belongings, and I had brought my trunks along, so I went into the sea.  It was another cloudless sky today and the trip was yet again a great success.  Two days to go!

EASY DOES IT

TUESDAY 26th JULY

  What with yesterday's exertions and tomorrow's round 260KM trip, I decided to take it easy today.  Peter phoned to alert me to the fact that the lawyers in Poland had sent me an e-mail (I eventually found it in my Spam file).  Seemingly the Minister of Finance has decided to revoke the decision of last December that turned down my claim, and re-open it in view of the document Peter found in Tarnopol in the Ukraine that confirms my mother's ownership of Swirz in 1939.  Seemingly this review should be underway within eight weeks, so I shall be in Poland available for questioning should this be required.  This means that the appeal process has aborted.

  I worked on the computer, and didn't go out until about 4.00pm.  I then headed for the Ponte dos Ingleses.  Allegedly it is a good lookout point for dolphins.  I looked closely but couldn't see any sign of these mammals.  I did wonder if this chap thought he had a better vantage point for observation.

  There may have been no dolphins but there was an imaginative restaurant behind the Ponte called the "Pirate".

I walked on to the second pier by which time the sun was starting to set.

Over on the shore line there was a boat that looked slightly the worse for wear.  Whether it is being refurbished is not clear.

Out at sea there is some form of structure, its rectangular shape precludes it from being an island, but I must admit I haven't a clue what it is.

And so it came time for the sun to set

With that I headed for my restaurant and adjourned for dinner.

I'M WALKING

TUESDAY 25th JULY

  Booked my flight to Malaga for the 8th August so I'll be spending 10n days with Adam, Karen and Leia. After doing some work for Charly and listening to/watching the last day of the 1st Test against India (what a great victory), I set off for distant parts.  My first objective was the Post Office.  According to the thermometers along the beach front it was 32 degrees.  It seemed a long way in that heat, but eventually I reached it.  The stamps were over a £1 each, not that I begrudge paying the money to sent the cards to the grandchildren.  The one man Post Office took my cards and duly stamped them then and there.  I didn't even have to post them.  Incidentally postmen here wear a uniform of yellow shirts and blue trousers.

I then carried on along the coast line until I reached the Iracema statue which is just before the port.

Just down fom the statue is where the lobster fleet are anchored.  The boats have lobster pots attached on each side and they expect to catch six lobsters in a pot.  There is a beachside market that seems to do a roaring trade.

    I then took a right turn and headed in the what I thought was the direction of the shopping centre I saw on our tour.  It was a long walk and I wondered several times if I had lost my bearings.  I passed a church with a large statue of Our Lady outside.  I carried on and eventually I came to the street quite close to the shop-

ing centre.  It was pleasantly air-conditioned, but still no CD shop.  I stopped to have a coke, and then set off for home.  I passed through Placa Portugal again, and took a shot from another angle.

  It was a long walk back to the hotel right into the setting sun.  The ankles were pretty stiff by the time I got back.  I think I will have an easy day tomorrow.

MORRO BRANCO

  Morro Branco is a small village located on the Ceara coastline about 85Km from Fortaleza.  We spent a good hour and a half picking everybody up from various parts of Fortaleza, and then headed on out.  We stopped at a craft shop for half an hour, but quite honestly I was done within 10 minutes.  It was predominantly all clothes with a few souvenirs thrown in that I wasn't that impressed with.

There was also a rockin' little band playing outside, and I took a listen to their Brazilian styled music.

  We were then given the option of taking a 21/2 hour buggy ride at an extra cost of about £14 or staying on the coach and going to the beach.  As I still have a few hundred reails, I threw caution to the wind and opted to go with the buggy.  We were first taken through a local craft fair by a guide, and here there were some really nice things although most of them too heavy to think of bringing back, seeing as I'm near the weight limit (for internal flights at leat).  However I did buy a selection of small bottles filled with layers of different coloured sand, which I gather is something of a local speciality. I was allocated along with a bunch of three girls, who all spoke a bit of English and told me if I needed any help to just ask!  Our guide then led the way to the Morro Branco rocks.  Enroute there was a spectacular view of the beach, and a quaint little church.

   The girls kept snapping pictures of each other and also offered to take pictures of me with my camera.  It seemed churlish to refuse.

  We soon started approaching the red rocks, which I must admit presented a spectacular sight.

My buggy companies (two of them anyway).

Oops! how did she get it in the picture!

  We then came down to the beach where our buggies were waiting for us.  I sat in the front next to the driver whilst the girls sat at the back looking over the top of the roof and getting blown to pieces.

 We then whizzed off along the beach often going close to the in-coming waves which produced shreiks of horror from the girls.  Fortunately the sea was on the driver's side of the buggy!

 After a lengthy drive we turned right and proceeded inland over vast rolling sand dunes.  Our objective was

an inland lake.  We parked up there and had 10 minutes to look around.

                               The girls were still busy taking pictures of each other!

The driver then drove us down the beach to a point where you could access a cave by wading through the incoming waves.  The girls were all for it, but then they simply took their clothes off and underneath had bikinis on.  I had no such inner clothing, so I proceed as I was.  I promptly mis-judged an incoming wave and got completely drenched.  Well to be fair I think the people in front of me held me up so it may not have been a total mis-judgement, well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

I decided it was time to reciprocate and offered to take a photo of all three girls with their camera.  It was an offer that was accepted.  I'm glad to say I managed to get back to the buggy without getting anything else but my ankles wet.  From  three driver took us to a hotel where we rendezvoused with our guide and the coach.  However we had two hours to spend here so I decided to have my main meal early and went for a filet minion in Rocquefort cheese sauce with rice and mash.  And damn tasty it was too.  I wandered around for the last half hour taking some pictures of the surrounds.

 I won't like to fall foul of one of those, they look particularly vicious!

Just before 3.45pm I reported back to the coach.  People had moved around and taken different seats, so I too moved as mine was taken.  I was immediately accosted by the lady acoss the aisle from me.  Or rather more accurately, her daughter (who spoke some English) asked the questions that she posed. Then the lady in the row behind joined in, her English was very good, so she acted as interpreter.  They wanted to know where I was from, where I had been, what I thought of Brazil.  When the original woman heard of my travels she shook my hand and told me she thought I was very brave!  The guide came round and asked me if I would like to go on any more trips on Monday.  I said no, but I might do on Wednesday.  The good English speaker recommended one of the trips, she had been on it yesterday and thought it was excellent.  I put myself down for it for Wednesday.  The original woman with the daughter then started saying things in Portugese, much to her daughter's embarrassment, and nobody translated what she was saying!  I decided to close my eyes and feign sleep, but guess what I didn't need to feign it - the real think came along quickly enough.  I got off at the Cocal at 6.00pm after saying goodbye to everybody.

Adam phoned soon afterwards, and told me he had booked an apartment in Spain from 8th - 18th August and asked me if I would like to join him and Karen and Leia.  I replied in the affirmative, all I now need to do is to find a flight.