More Brazil!

So…we’ve been in Brazil for a few weeks now and it amazes me how different each port is. We got off the ship in Fortaleza, Brazil and decided to go to the beach for the day. It was an interesting place. We took a taxi to the beach for the afternoon and the place that was recommended to us was one big restaurant/beach/tourist trap place. It was kind of sad because as soon as we got there and got settled on the beach it started pouring rain. So we ran to the restaurant area with everyone else and sat and had some lunch. We tried a few new things that were really good and a few that I didn’t really care for (I couldn’t handle the shrimp…I can handle peeling them…but the head was still on them and I just couldn’t bring myself to eat one). It turned out to be a good afternoon but the thing that struck me as we were riding back to the ship was how dirty and run down this city was. I was sitting in the cab thinking about all of the little things I take for granted back home. Things like trash cans, traffic signs and laws (the taxi driver scared me a few times), clean sidewalks, and buildings that aren’t crumbling before your eyes. Really…think of the dirtiest city in America you’ve ever been to and it’s nothing in comparison!
The next port was Maceio, Brazil, another beach day, and I was expecting the same sort of experience…but this place was completely different! There were lines on the roads, the hotels lining the waterfront area were decent looking and there were really beautiful parks all along the water. It is crazy how one night of sailing can take you to a completely different experience! It was a gorgeous day, not too hot, and the water was really nice. There were boats that would come right up on the sand and pick people up to go to a sand bar a little way off shore (we didn’t have time to go unfortunately) and there was a market right beside us where people were selling all sorts of crafts and clothes and things. The only thing that was a little annoying was the vendors on the beach. They didn’t have much of a sense of personal space and would come right up in our faces…it got a little old after a while…I guess we just can’t hide the fact that we’re tourists. I learned how to say “no thank you” in Portuguese very quickly!
Today we stopped in Salvador, Brazil. This stop will definitely be one of my favorites. The city had a distinct African/Jamaican feel to it. The city was the center of the slave trade in Brazil for a long time so there is a very high African population. The city was very colorful and the crafts were all really bright and unique. Everywhere we went in town we could hear some kind of reggae music or drums playing. We visited an old cathedral that was extremely ornate and everything inside was made of gold…it was beautiful but they wouldn’t let us take pictures inside unfortunatelyL The people were setting up stages everywhere we went in preparation for Carnival that starts in a few days (we miss it by one day in Rio..sad day!) I took lots of pictures today so hopefully I can get them on facebook or on the blog sometime soon. We’re hoping to find a good internet café in Rio in a few days!
Well…this has been a very long entry! I’m just in awe of this place and how unique each port is. From the Amazon to Rio I’m sure each one will bring something new. I’m trying not to compare them and take each one for what it is…this is a part of the world I never thought I’d see and here I am. It’s crazy!
I’ll have another update after Rio in a few days! I can’t wait!