Seeing the Sights of Fortaleza
Cashew Poisoning
Before I regale you with the sights of Fortaleza, you must know to never eat cashew apples off the tree. Why? Because you could end up like me. A day after gnawing on a random cashew fruit, I awoke with swollen, inflamed lips. I looked in the mirror and said, “I guess I’m dying.” I was disfigured. My lips had ballooned into, well, let’s just say I was starting to look like Angelina Jolie. I had no idea what the hell happened. With the help of a pharmacist down the street, I discovered that I may have had an allergic reaction to the cashew. They are toxic all right. If you go to a tropical country, for god’s sake, don’t be an idiot. Beware of anything you have never eaten before. In my case, it was swelling and inflammation. But, allergic reactions can be a lot worse, even fatal.
Coco Park
One of the largest urban parks in South America is right here in Fortaleza. It used to be a swamp but they’ve made it into a nice refuge for nature lovers. Who doesn’t want to get away from the big city? Roberto and I walked around for a while and I saw the little “soim” (sp?) jumping around through the trees. They are common marmosets and native to North-Eastern Brazil, specifically Atlantic tropical forests.
Door to Door Coffin Salesman
We spent more time talking to a cop who was standing in front of the entrance to the park than in the park itself. He didn’t speak English. This is why you need a guide. So you can talk to people. He became a cop because selling coffins door to door wasn’t paying the bills. Yeah, that’s right a coffin salesman.
I was imagining this guy transporting a coffin in a truck and going door to door trying to sell it. Then I realized that he couldn’t be the only person to engage in this type of business so I looked online. Sure enough, there actually exist briefcases that showcase a coffin seller’s product. My favorite is the little golden casket on the left at the top.
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