June 10th - Day Eight

At three in the morning we woke up and got onto a boat to take us to a dock in Manaus. From there we took a bus to the Manaus airport where we flew to Fortaleza. We arrived in Fortaleza just after lunch and stopped at a tapioca restaurant for a light snack. After a short break at the hotel, we went on a walk along the beach. Fortaleza is the thirteenth most dangerous city in the world; however, I never felt too nervous walking around.

We spent some time looking for a place to exchange money and eventually found a place that exchanged at a rate of 2.1 reals for one dollar. This was an improved rate over what we had first found back in Manaus at the airport. At this point it seemed that the rate was changing in a way that was beneficial for having dollars.

In the evening we went to a Brazilian steakhouse. The food was fantastic and the steak that was served was some of the best I have ever had. However, this type of restaurant is the epitome of gluttony and waste and everyone there seems to celebrate that.