From: Sherman Rootberg
Date: Fri, Feb 15, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Subject: 2/15/2008
2/15/2008
Fortaleza, Brazil
We were here a year ago and saw everything worth seeing then. In fact, a lot more then was worth seeing.
They give this place names like, the Paris of Northern Brazil. The French should be highly insulted. It is mostly a big, dirty, poor city. About four million people they say. There is one small area along the beach, near the harbor that has the upscale high rise buildings, restaurants, and shops. However the water is polluted. They tell us a swimming beach is ten minutes away.
They also say this is a vacation place. Vacation from what? Garbage dump?
There was a free shuttle going to their Central Market. It is a huge round building. I assume it must be full of stores. I don’t even like nice malls back home. Why would I go to one when I need not? Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Because Bobbi says we have to.
Darn, darn, darn. When we got down to the shuttle bus the line
was just too long. We were too far back in the line and the bus filled before we could get on. They said it would be half an hour before another one came. Oh yeah. Waiting in the sun three degrees south of the equator is one of my favorite things to do. Its right up there with running head first into a brick wall.
There were a few taxis there, so I went over and asked how much it would be for an hours ride around without getting out. US money was very welcome and $20 sounded ok. He said the air in
the car was good. He spoke almost no English. Perfect. The problem was, we were third in line to get on the next bus.
Bobbi wouldn’t give up her place in line. I hollered long and loud enough that she finally got in the taxi. The car looked okay if a bit small and they promised there was good air. All was true. It was a VW. I have never been in one since the original beetle. They ride very well for a tiny car, however, I forgot to ask a very important question. Does it have a muffler? The answer is, of course, yes it
does. Only it is in no way connected to the exhaust system.
Just a little loud. What? I SAID IT IS A BIT LOUD. Again no problem. Our rocket scientist driver fixed that right away. He turned up the radio speakers, which were right behind our heads. TO FULL VOLUME. You ever heard yadada, yadada in your head at glass breaking volume? Oh, good for your hearing.
These suckers speak Portuguese. I am of the understanding that
they can understand Spanish pretty well too. So I hollered, NO MUSICA, at the top of my lungs, into his ear. Rocket scientist turns around completely, no longer looking at the crowded street in front of us, and says something that I took for, what. This time I said, even louder, if possible, with ill sounding intentions, SHUT OFF THE FRIGGEN RADIO. The word I really used was not friggen, but I think you get the idea. This our genius understood right away and we were able to then listen to the beautiful drone of the engine, and not much else.
The city was pretty much just as we remembered, very dirty. Empty lots were garbage dumps. This time we were taken to local areas with narrow streets and tons of people everywhere. This was terrific.
Almost all the hundreds of stores we drove by were open air. Unbelievable, all the different things they were selling. Many I could see no possible use for, but of course someone must be buying them or they wouldn’t be there, maybe, I think.
As usual, this ride with a local in a small car was far, far better then the expensive tours with guides. I am sure it was not politically correct. Tourists are not supposed to see this stuff. That’s wonderful.
Those buses could never fit down these crowded narrow streets. We had to go around one obstacle after another where even our tiny car barely fit. This was some of the most interesting stuff we saw the entire cruise. I was almost sorry I hadn’t taken a longer ride.
I might have, were it not for the fact that I could no longer feel my legs from being cramped in this wheel barrel for an hour. I had to look around. I thought they had fallen off. I had to lift them out of the car with my hands one at a time. It was not a pretty sight. Then they still wouldn’t work once I did get out. The driver didn’t care. He still wanted his $20. I even tried having Bobbi carry me piggy back. Still no sympathy. I had to give him his $20. Okay, I made up the part about Bobbi carrying me piggy back.
It is always windy here and there are windmills all over the harbor area. Last night as we were coming in, it got very rocky. The same was supposed to happen on the way out. It didn’t. Maybe later.
We had a great day.
Date: Fri, Feb 15, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Subject: 2/15/2008
2/15/2008
Fortaleza, Brazil
We were here a year ago and saw everything worth seeing then. In fact, a lot more then was worth seeing.They give this place names like, the Paris of Northern Brazil. The French should be highly insulted. It is mostly a big, dirty, poor city. About four million people they say. There is one small area along the beach, near the harbor that has the upscale high rise buildings, restaurants, and shops. However the water is polluted. They tell us a swimming beach is ten minutes away.
They also say this is a vacation place. Vacation from what? Garbage dump?There was a free shuttle going to their Central Market. It is a huge round building. I assume it must be full of stores. I don’t even like nice malls back home. Why would I go to one when I need not? Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Because Bobbi says we have to.
Darn, darn, darn. When we got down to the shuttle bus the line
was just too long. We were too far back in the line and the bus filled before we could get on. They said it would be half an hour before another one came. Oh yeah. Waiting in the sun three degrees south of the equator is one of my favorite things to do. Its right up there with running head first into a brick wall.There were a few taxis there, so I went over and asked how much it would be for an hours ride around without getting out. US money was very welcome and $20 sounded ok. He said the air in
the car was good. He spoke almost no English. Perfect. The problem was, we were third in line to get on the next bus.Bobbi wouldn’t give up her place in line. I hollered long and loud enough that she finally got in the taxi. The car looked okay if a bit small and they promised there was good air. All was true. It was a VW. I have never been in one since the original beetle. They ride very well for a tiny car, however, I forgot to ask a very important question. Does it have a muffler? The answer is, of course, yes it
does. Only it is in no way connected to the exhaust system.Just a little loud. What? I SAID IT IS A BIT LOUD. Again no problem. Our rocket scientist driver fixed that right away. He turned up the radio speakers, which were right behind our heads. TO FULL VOLUME. You ever heard yadada, yadada in your head at glass breaking volume? Oh, good for your hearing.
These suckers speak Portuguese. I am of the understanding that
they can understand Spanish pretty well too. So I hollered, NO MUSICA, at the top of my lungs, into his ear. Rocket scientist turns around completely, no longer looking at the crowded street in front of us, and says something that I took for, what. This time I said, even louder, if possible, with ill sounding intentions, SHUT OFF THE FRIGGEN RADIO. The word I really used was not friggen, but I think you get the idea. This our genius understood right away and we were able to then listen to the beautiful drone of the engine, and not much else.The city was pretty much just as we remembered, very dirty. Empty lots were garbage dumps. This time we were taken to local areas with narrow streets and tons of people everywhere. This was terrific.Almost all the hundreds of stores we drove by were open air. Unbelievable, all the different things they were selling. Many I could see no possible use for, but of course someone must be buying them or they wouldn’t be there, maybe, I think.
As usual, this ride with a local in a small car was far, far better then the expensive tours with guides. I am sure it was not politically correct. Tourists are not supposed to see this stuff. That’s wonderful.Those buses could never fit down these crowded narrow streets. We had to go around one obstacle after another where even our tiny car barely fit. This was some of the most interesting stuff we saw the entire cruise. I was almost sorry I hadn’t taken a longer ride.
I might have, were it not for the fact that I could no longer feel my legs from being cramped in this wheel barrel for an hour. I had to look around. I thought they had fallen off. I had to lift them out of the car with my hands one at a time. It was not a pretty sight. Then they still wouldn’t work once I did get out. The driver didn’t care. He still wanted his $20. I even tried having Bobbi carry me piggy back. Still no sympathy. I had to give him his $20. Okay, I made up the part about Bobbi carrying me piggy back.
It is always windy here and there are windmills all over the harbor area. Last night as we were coming in, it got very rocky. The same was supposed to happen on the way out. It didn’t. Maybe later.
We had a great day.
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