Side trip - NorthEast Brazil - Fortaleza

The Northeast of Brazil used to be the poorest areas – 80% of the population migrated to the Amazon or Brasilia in search of a better life between 1955 and 1990. Now the incredible beaches and folklore have been discovered and local people are prospering from tourists from southern prosperous regions of Brazil and foreign countries.
These three fotos symbolize Fortaleza for me - the jangadas cast against a skyline of modern buildings, fishermen team work, and a dad and his son who arrived on the beach by bicycle for a morning of play. They parked the bike in the sand, took off on a barefoot run on the beach, found toys that were "gifts" of the sea, played in the sand, swam and delighted in one another – very simple. No automated toys or fancy vehicles, just a wonderful loving relationship!