First impressions of Fortaleza

Just a few weeks ago I was working a 9 to 5 office job in Canary Wharf, London. A good proportion of that drab 8 hour routine was spent dreaming of my escape to Fortaleza, Ceará, where I´d be taking part in a nationwide Education project for 3 months. Now that I´m finally here, I honestly feel a world away from my previous London life.

I´ve swapped the sleek, homogenous glass skyscrapers of London Docklands for winding streets crammed with mismatched buildings painted every colour one can imagine. I no longer travel on the stuffy yet smooth London Underground, but on bumpy buses that clumsily negotiate the wildly uneven city roads. The temperature barely drops below 27 degrees – and that’s only at night time. During the day the sun beats down mercilessly on this North Eastern city, cooled only by the tropical breeze from the sea.

The sweeping coastline caressed by turquoise waters is of course the most beautiful sight this city could offer an English girl like me, whose beach life is normally limited to a few afternoons on Brighton Pier every year. The hot air is thick with forró and samba, and the pavement is lined with locals selling handicrafts, clothes and coconut water.

Like London, Fortaleza is a city that bustles – but it is a much earthier bustle than that of the English capital. It is cries from street vendors, sand between our toes, dust in your eyes, the roar of interminable traffic and the heat of a population on the move.

A makeshift church crowns every corner, adorned with proclamations of faith “God does the impossible!” The lettering is bold, but the faith is bolder. Lula´s favoured successor Dilma smiles down from countless billboards – a smile that is likely to grow wider come October. Green and yellow streamers flutter from telephone wires and barefoot children chase each other through the dusty streets.

I´ve already tried several of the local delicacies, and fear plans of trimming down for the photo album won´t be so easy to accomplish. Tapioca is by far my favourite (especially when layered in chocolate) closely followed by skewers of chicken hearts eaten straight from the grill.

After only a week I´m so excited for the discovery and adventure to continue. I was to explore every nook of the city, to stroll along every beach, to learn every dance to every song, and absorb the culture of the North East.