The Rotary club of Fortaleza - Planalto has kept us busy with nice meals and typical Fortaleza activities. Thursday evening, several Rotarians took us to dinner in a "barraca" (pronounced ba-HA-ka) – which is a kind of restaurant in a tent or hut. This particular one is on the beach and specializes in serving crabs. A typical Thursday evening activity in Fortaleza is to go to your favorite barraca, order several crabs, along with your favorite beverage, then crack the crabs with a hard stick, eat, and enjoy the evening. We had a nice time getting to know several of our fellow Rotarians and their families.

 

     This morning we had a brief rain storm. Krista went to the "Mercado Central," or Central Market. I'm told she had a great time helping the Fortaleza economy. At about 10:00 a.m., Rotarian Arthur Azevedo picked us up and, along with his wife, his 17-year-old son, and some business colleagues from Rio de Janeiro, took us to "Beach Park," where we spent several hours exploring the sand dunes and enjoying the beach. We then went to Arthur's nice home, had a delicious home-cooked meal, and then were driven to our respective homes. I'm not sure what Krista will do this evening. We are leaving for dinner in a few minutes (it is 7:30 p.m. Fortaleza time, which is 5:30 p.m. in Edmond).

 

     Sunday I will be going with my Brazilian family to the soccer match between Ceará and Vitória. Ceará, of course, is the home team. Vitória is from the state called Bahia. We are in the midst of the Brazilian championship. Both teams are in the first division. I am told this will be an exciting game. We all hope for a good result.

 

     We will have much to share with you about our trip. We have made some great friends here in Fortaleza, and hope to continue the relationship with the Rotarians of Fortaleza - Planalto.

 

Andy