Fortaleza, Brazil

            Saturday, 20 Jan 2018 – Since our ship wouldn’t be docking in Fortaleza until this evening, this was mostly an “at-sea” day.  As we have been doing, we swam for a half hour after breakfast.  From 5:45 to 6:30 PM, there was dancing in the Horizons Lounge.  Since this was the only dancing scheduled for today, several couples were already dancing when we arrived there – most unusual.  Choppy seas still caused extra, unplanned steps.  And then we had our dinner.
            Due to a strong head wind, it had been announced earlier today by the Captain that docking at Fortaleza would be even later than previously estimated.  The ship didn’t actually dock until 9:00 PM.  About that time, we joined a line waiting near the ship’s exit.  Right outside the ship, we were ushered onto a waiting shuttle.  One shuttle had just taken off; we waited for 5-10 minutes before ours left, taking us through the dock area.  After getting off that shuttle, we walked only a few yards before boarding another bus, which took us to the central market of the city.  Although it was after 9:30 PM by then, a huge crowd of people were in the downtown market area of Fortaleza.  Some visitors might have been shocked to see people in the streets so late.  However, we remembered from our 2011 cruise around the southern half of South America that the Brazilians who boarded at Rio de Janeiro had wanted the dining staff to serve them dinner at 10:00 PM (which they refused)!  Also, this was Saturday night in Fortaleza. 

Fortaleza's Central Market

            Our bus stopped in front of a hotel, where we had been instructed that we could board a bus (marked “Insignia”) at any time, in order to return to the ship.   We saw many rows of stalls set up across the street, where all sorts of items were being sold – food, drinks, bags of popcorn, clothing, tablecloths, artwork…. For perhaps 10-15 minutes, we walking, looking at some things, without approaching too closely.  Although Jesse had considered shopping, we didn’t have local money and he would not have handed over his credit card in that dark environment.  Because it was so dark and we were not walking as part of a tourist group, Sally was frightened and hung onto Jesse’s hand!
            Soon, we walked back to the corner, crossed the street, and boarded a bus that other Oceania passengers were also boarding.  (One woman who boarded the bus after us said that the sales person wouldn’t accept U.S. money.  However, we heard from someone else later that apparently some sellers did.)  Jesse had tried to take a few photos but it was much too dark for very good photos.  We were back on the ship by 10:45 PM.  Later, someone told us that she had taken the bus right back to the ship, without even getting off!