On sail in this morning there were ominous clouds over the skyline of Fortaleza. Fortunately, the day turned out to be fabulous... Ann, Cathy and I left the ship as soon as we docked and secured a taxi for a tour of Fortaleza. The driver spoke very little English but we got along just fine, he was very instinctive and was able to show us everything there was too see. We saw a lot of sites and the quality wall art in this city was abundant and amazing. We first stopped at the Mucuripe Lighthouse and Futuro Beach and then Rubens Planetarium on our way to the most important cultural and tourist attractions of Fortaleza. In the center of town stands the 17th century Portuguese fort known as Nossa Senhora de Assunção Fortress...across the street from the Fort we visited the Metropolitan Cathedral of Fortaleza (also known as St Joseph’s), one of the highlights of the city with its neo-Gothic architectural style. We then walked next door to the Mercado Central and did some souvenir shopping...this shopping area is multiple floor and has over 500 stalls. Next we went to Centro de Turismo located in the Old City Prison to have a look around. As well, the driver made brief stops at the following sites; Ferreira Plaza, Mayors House, Obelisk of the Great King, Carmel Church, Lion Plaza, Parque Urbana da Liberdade and the Friday Market called Pinhoes Market. Unfortunately, the English or Metallic Bridge was closed for renovation. We really wanted to see the Jose de Alencar Theatre which was also barricaded and undergoing renovations; however, our determined driver found an opening to allow me to bypass the fencing and get a photo of the beautiful theater. On our return to the ship we stopped at the Iracema Beach with its towering statue known as Iracema the Guardian and a brief stop at the Mercado de Peixes do Mucuripe or fish market. Today, we left the ship with a list of sites in hand...we had a great taxi driver and a fabulous time in Fortaleza to start a new month.
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