He Did It His Way in Fortaleza

 The sea days hadn't healed Karl's gimpy knee so he was determined he was going to do something about it in Fortaleza, our first stop in Brazil on December 26.  He did some homework to find an orthopedic clinic there, pulled up his medical records and brushed up on his rusty Portuguese to say what he needed to say.  Multiple people, including me, had encouraged him to go to medical on the ship and have them arrange treatment for him in port but he was adamant he was going to get the issue worked out himself.

We had an appointment at the lovely Fortaleza Temple to do sealings at 10 a.m. the morning we arrived with our friends Laura Christensen and Bob McCullough.  Docking was supposed to be at 8:00, and since the temple was supposed to only be about 15 minutes from port we figured we'd have plenty of time.  We didn't count on the fact that Serenade was the first cruise ship to stop here in ten years so immigration officials were a bit rusty and it was 9:55 before we could even get a cab.  Karl negotiated with our new friend and cab driver, Luis, to drive us around for the day, gave him the temple's address, and off we went, despite Laura, Bob's and my objections that we really needed to get that knee taken care of first.

The workers at the temple were so kind and understanding when we arrived, letting us in the the security gate, and assuring us we could still serve despite how late we were.  There were only a couple of workers who could speak English and they were so helpful as we arranged for clothing and then they showed us where to go.  The sealing session was all in Portuguese, I could pick out words here and there that I recognized, but there was a wonderful, sweet spirit there and we were all so grateful we'd been able to go.

When we came out Luis was faithfully waiting for us, we really weren't sure if he would be, and Karl gave him the address to the clinic he had called earlier in the day.  Three of us were dubious that a doctor would see him and give him the cortisone shot he wanted in his knee but the patient was undeterred.  He managed to communicate with the receptionists, with a little help from their Google Translate, they charged us 500 reals in cash, about  $100, and told us to have a seat.  So the four of us sat there alone in the large waiting room of the modern medical office and after about 20-30 minutes Karl's new best friend, Dr. Jonatas Brito, who spoke excellent English (hooray!) came to get him.  He took the two of us to his office while Laura and Bob continued to patiently wait while the moment of truth came, would the doctor be willing to give Karl the injection or not.  Turns out when he heard the story and saw the medical records he was more than willing to give Karl the injection he'd been wanting, hoping it would give him relief from the pain.  Dr. Brito was extremely thorough and kind, and within a few minutes Karl had the cortisone in place, some anti-inflammatory tablets to take, a bill for another 470 reals ($96) for the injection, and an address of where to get some crutches so he could get around while keeping the weight off the knee for now. We all had a whole lot of gratitude for this nice young doctor and everyone else in the office.

Luis then drove us to the medical supply shop where a pair of crutches and a knee brace were procured and stowed in the back seat across the laps of Bob, Laura and I.  I have to admit we were all still incredulous that Karl was able to get the injection.

Once all the medical issues were resolved it was off to the long awaited visit to a real Brazilian churrascaria for lunch, something Karl had been anticipating for months.  He had asked Luis for a suggestion and invited him to come in to eat with us.

The Sal y Brasa did not disappoint with its delicious salad bar, barbecued meats, attentive waiters and live piano music.  Laura and Bob had never been to a Brazilian barbecue before, nor had they tasted our favorite Brazilian drink, Guarana.  That last tastes better in Brazil!  They enjoyed the experience and the meal, as did Luis who piled his plate high and ate with gusto.  Everything was delicious.  I think my favorite moment of the meal was when the piano player started the notes of Frank Sinatra's "I Did It My Way".  I just started laughing and said, "That certainly sums up the day!"

Following lunch we were ready to head back to the ship, via a stop at Mucuripé Beach so that I could get a bit of sand for Heidi's collection.  Karl was walking a little better, especially with the crutches, but we wanted to get him off of it.

On the left is the view looking down the beach looking south and to the north on the right.  Hotels and apartments lined the street along the beach, as they did in each of the port cities in Brazil.  A little bit of history to share, this area was claimed by the Portuguese in 1500 and settlement of northern Brazil began around 1603 but only in the coastal areas due to battles with the natives when the Portuguese tried to go inland.  It was actually the Dutch who built the first fortress here in 1649, a place they called Fort de Schoonenbrorch.  Just five years later it was captured by the Portuguese who ousted the Dutch and renamed it Fortaleza Noosa Senhora de Assuncao, then shortened it to just Fortaleza as the city began to grow. Later on during Brazil’s fight for independence this northeastern state of Cearà was a rebel stronghold and eventually became the first state to abolish slavery.  Today it’s known for its 34 km (21 mi) of sunny beaches, delicious food, and friendly people.

Just a little note, Fortaleza is located in the equatorial tropics, only three degrees below the equator so it was definitely warm weather in this state capital of Cearà.  One source I read said the city, one of Brazil’s largest, is also one of the most beautiful and underrated places in the country.  If it's going to become a cruise destination they will need to revamp the area around the port, besides buildings looking like the photo above, the road leading into the terminal was dirt and potholes, not very inviting, although we enjoyed what we saw of the city itself and the people were friendly and terrific.  We were grateful for Luis's safe and helpful driving, wishing him well with some extra reals as we waved goodbye.

Glad to be able to lie down and rest, to let the cortisone do its job, Karl was sleeping as I got this colorful sunset shot of Fortaleza at our departure.  Truly a day to be grateful for how everything fell into place.