Homeland Gringa

February 2009

I confess I felt a bit like a gringa when I landed in Fortaleza on this last trip. For starters, I had to constantly remind myself that I was supposed to speak Portuguese, and it took me about a day to stop greeting people in English. As I looked around, I felt even more like a gringa - I didn’t have a tan and my northern winter pallor stuck out like a sore thumb. Then my outfit… I wasn’t wearing tennis shoes and socks to the beach, but I definitely didn’t have Havaianas like everyone else. And before any of my compatriots throw stones at me for my Havaianaslessness, here’s the reason: Havaianas are perfect for normal feet; mine unfortunately are as flat as a duck’s and the Havaianas-flat feet combination is just painful when I’m on my feet for 9+ hours a day. So far, I’ve found only one beach sandal that makes my feet happy all day – Merrell. It hugs my feet so snugly that it feels like walking on clouds. The only problem is that it has countless straps and since I spend the whole day outdoors when on vacation, my feet get tanned but the skin under the straps doesn’t. And now my feet look like maniacal zebras…

But on other things I fit right back in. I went straight for my favorite drink, something I miss a lot in NY – coconut water. And before anyone says that there is coconut water in the US too, I’ll say, yes, there is…it comes in a can, usually with added sugar. The one in Brazil comes right off the fruit – punch a hole, throw a straw in and that’s it. Doesn’t get any more natural than this.

I chose the northeastern state of Ceará because it reputedly has some of the best beaches in Brazil. The capital Fortaleza was founded by the Dutch in the 17th century and is now the 5th largest city in the country with a population of 2.5 million. It has the typical problems of a metropolis: pollution, hectic traffic and petty theft – not as bad as Rio, but locals kept warning us, “gringos”, to watch out for pickpockets as we photographed around the city.

The most popular beach in Fortaleza is Praia do Futuro, on the eastern part of town. Several beach clubs have taken over stretches of sand, offering food, drinks, chairs and beach umbrellas. The fancier is Croco Beach where you also find a kiddie pool and water slide, a sauna, an ATM, a beauty salon, a massage parlor, the inevitable gift shop and a stage for occasional shows. It’s perfect for families, but unless you like stumbling over endless beach bums and plastic chairs on your way to the water, you’re better off somewhere less crowded. Just watch out for pickpockets.

I’m not into seafood, but there’s one thing in Fortaleza I thought was pretty cool and a must for seafood lovers: the fish market at the eastern end of Avenida Beira-Mar. You pick your shrimp (R$15-30/kg or $2.80-5.70/lb), take it to the makeshift kitchen on the corner and they’ll fry it for you. You can then sit at one of the little tables on the sand and watch waves come and go while savoring your fresh appetizer. Doesn’t get any sweeter than this.