Off on my bike : Fortaleza

Iracema Beach.

Fortaleza!  I'm definitely not in Europe now... for all that the people here look pretty European, bit of a contrast to Cabo Verde.  So... I have three nights booked here, plan is to buy a bike and any other stuff I need.  This proves hard... Fortaleza is huge, I spend many hours wandering, thankfully it isn't too hot, the constant breeze from the sea helps, but traipsing between bike shops that turn out to not exist, or are shut, gets to be annoying.  Guess I should have realised the weekend was a bad time for this... only bikes I see are in shiny modern malls, and are really out of my price range.

OK, I book two more nights, my hotel is fine, and most cheap.  Odd location, 'central' and yes, this is where the 'centro' signs point to, not a lot here though.  Frankly this is an odd city, seems kind of... distributed, with no real centre at all.  The big malls crop up here and there, and there are plenty of bars and restaurants, but not really a single area with lots of them.  Nearest would be the area around the Dragão do Mar cultural centre where I spend a fun Sunday night dancing away to a free drag spectacular - some kind of pride thing I guess.

Fences and condominiums, welcome to Brazil.

Well I get my bike on Monday, a hundred pounds worth of cheaply built steel MTB, how far it'll get we shall see.  More wandering as I try to find an ATM that takes my card, not many banks here, even on one street that I walk along for at least a mile past endless clothing, shoe and handbag stores, ho hum.  Feels safe enough, but I do notice the many secure condominium blocks that sprout at intervals.  Even the lower rise housing all has barred entrances, I often pass people sat in what look like little cages at the front of their home, hmm.  Shopping done, I get a few beers and a huge pizza near to the hotel, and then on the short walk back I get an idea of what all those bars are for...

I'm accosted by a lady of the night, OK not the first time, but she really will not take no for an answer, before I know it she's trying to get her hands in my pockets - simply for the purpose of theft I'm sure.  Well, I am strong enough to hold her hands away, but she's got a grip on my shirt and this is really not helping progress towards my hotel.  Then a motorcyclist pulls up, asks me if I know her, no I say, and oh my god he is pointing a pistol at her.  At least she lets go of me now.  This guy is just a concerned citizen, OK cool, but then the police turn up in a big 4x4, they chat to the biker and he rides off... and now they want me to get in their car, well, safer than out here I guess.  But then my assailant gets in next to me, what the?

This is where the pizza buffet was.

The officers speak little English, they do mention money, it seems she is claiming I, er, owe her for something.  I summon up all my hastily learnt Portuguese to explain that no, I really don't - meanwhile they drive to the beach, seems that come sundown this is the main stamping ground for the oldest profession around here, and thank goodness she gets out.  Seriously, she was still trying to pick my pocket while sat in the police car.  They then drive me to my hotel, still talking about money.  Do they want some?  Just say so and how much if so dammit.  In the end they look at my passport, the hotel night porter counts my cash for them, but then they go and I've still got it all... not the best end to the night really.  And that pizza plays hell with my stomach, probably shouldn't have had the Mexican.

Hummingbird!

Last day here, safe enough to go out in daylight I'm sure.  I ride around on my new bike, seems OK, and so nice not to have much to do, I just check out the beach and take a few photos.  Back at the hotel, a hummingbird flits between flowers in the secluded little garden, most cool.  I decide that tonight, riding is safer than walking, and my new machine takes me down to an outdoor eatery near the Dragão do Mar, where locals are gathering for the Tuesday 'rodizio de pizza'.  More pizza?  When in Rome I guess.  My dictionary helpfully translates rodizio as 'castor', turns out to mean they keep bringing out pizzas and offering you slices...

I'm pretty conservative when it comes to pizza toppings, but hell if it is on offer I will eat it.  They come topped with chicken (wrong), hard boiled egg, broccoli (really), and finally, cheese, chocolate, coconut and cherry (how can that work, but so good).  Live music plays, all's good, whatever tomorrow may bring.

Photos to go with this post can be found here.