FORTALEZA - A CHANGE OF WEATHER

TUESDAY 12th JULY

  It was still a sunny morning when I woke up at 8.00am.  However by the time I had returned to my room by about 9.30am, the sky was overcast and a heavy drizzle was falling.  Mind you it was still pretty warm - shorts and short sleeve weather as such.  I decided to spend the morning in my room and do some research on the computer.  I came up with the fact that there is a shopping are on Monsehor Tabosc Avenue which runs at right angles to the road the hotel is in.

My room is on the right (1st floor) - The shutter nestling among the palms.

I decided to set off in search of this shopping area around midday which was described "as most important shopping choices from the latest designer boutiques to traditional souvenir stores and craft markets".  Well the first question was whether to turn left or right when I got to Monsehor Tabosc Avenue.  I elected to go right.  A mistake!  All I found was an HSBC Bank and a restaurant or two.  After about half a mile I gave up and retraced my steps.  A quarter of a mile or so in the other direction, I did indeed come across a shopping area.  I walked the length of it and it must have been about half a mile long.  It was 90% ladies fashion shops, a few handbagshops, a number of ladies shoe shops, a few pharmacies, two menswear shops, one mens' shoe shop, several childrens clothes shops and a few restaurants.  Ladies, you would have had a whale of a time.  I didn't find a single shop of sufficient interest to attract my attention!

  There were photo opportunities but I forgot to take my camera, so doubtless I'll walk the length of this shopping area at a future date and rectify that matter.  Right at the start of the shopping area was a cafe/restaurant that I called in on, and had what turned out to be fried prawns in batter coated with molten cheese on a bed of rice.  It was very nice and filling, and washed down by a 600ml bottle of Antartic beer did for lunch and dinner at about 4.00pm.

  I arrived back at the hotel just as the maid wanted to do my room, so I strolled off up the road in the opposite direction.  I came across a very tall building that puported to be the Ministry of Somethingorother, whilst on the other side were small little shops including a bank with three security guards outside.

By the time I got back, the maid was gone and I lay down for a well earned rest!