Columbia impressed against a physically superior Ivory Coast, but it wasn't an extremely entertaining game. Neither team controlled possession, and it wasn't end to end; there was a lot of sloppiness but Columbia played more like a team and picked up the win. Greece and Japan battled in one of the most fun (and poorly refereed) games I've seen so far. Greece were absolute warriors, and deserve all the ibuprofen they can find after clearing about 500 crosses. Japan didn't deserve to win, though they controlled the game. Their plan was poor (headers only work if you're taller), and they didn't create too many good chances. As a result, Columbia is through no matter what. Ivory Coast has to win to guarantee they advance, and Japan and Greece need to win to have a shot (but also need help).
The England-Uruguay game was very entertaining, but I was disappointed that England didn't come away with at least a point. Uruguay was good, but not great; I can't put my finger on why England couldn't score more goals. They passed well, defended well, countered well, and created well. They either couldn't finish when the chance was created, or couldn't create when the chance was open. It was really frustrating that the only time the stars aligned was for Rooney's goal.
Fortaleza is a pretty straightforward place. There doesn't seem to be a ton to do here besides go to the beach and eat/drink. I think that's sort of reflective of the local lifestyle, and why it's attractive as a vacation destination for Brazilians. It's also quite handy for watching tons of soccer, because I'm not distracted by art, history, or activities! I haven't explored the beach yet, but I think I'll miss the Switzerland-France game tomorrow to check it out; I fear that if I go any time other than within an hour of sunset I'll be incinerated. We're so close to the equator that I almost don't have a shadow at high noon, which is terrifying for my delicate complexion.
The local population is universally friendly, which makes sense because tourism, along with fishing, seems to be one of the primary local industries. There is a HUGE pop-up market absolutely brimming with crappy souvenirs, and hawkers wander freely through the beachside bar/grills with fake Ray-Bans. However, languages other than Portuguese are almost nonexistent. I was surprised, since I expected that enough European tourism came through here that they would cater to the people with cash. But it's not all bad, I've been working on my miming; you'd be surprised at how many things you can convey with hand gestures and village-idiot Spanish. The most difficult so far has been 'breaking a $20', with 'ice tray' coming in a close second.
All the tourist-y stuff is to the west of our hotel; a bit east of us on the beach is where the fishermen hang out. Even without the vacationers, the same basic elements are there; kids play soccer on the beach, adults drink crappy beer in the shade, and feral cats/dogs chase after snacks on the floor.
Otherwise, it's just like any other place. Things are generally similar in price to America (though peanut butter is $10 a jar), but the grocery store puts a heavy emphasis on linguica
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| Don't worry, it also comes in 10lb bulk packages |
Other than the extreme heat from noon to 3pm, it's pretty much paradise. I can't imagine what it's like in the summertime (it's almost dead winter right now), but the nights are glorious. Speaking of which, time to go see what happens when I order off a menu I barely understand. It can't be more surprising than the entire fried fish we got a couple nights ago... but probably not as delicious either!
