Don’t be surprised if you see Brazilian and Indian sailors mingling with locals this weekend in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor.

Two tall ships, the Cisne Branco from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, and the Tarangini from Kochi, India, sailed into the Inner Harbor earlier this week and will be in port through Monday, offering free public tours.

It’s the fourth trip to Charm City for the Cisne Branco and the first for the Tarangini.

Onboard the Cisne Branco are five American midshipmen from the Naval Academy in Annapolis who are taking part in a monthlong exchange program.

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“Their navy is very similar to our Navy,” said Thomas Bethman, who will graduate from the Naval Academy in 2008.

Bethman said the most difficult part of life aboard ship is the fact that many of the Brazilian sailors do not speak English. The American midshipmen do not speak Portuguese.

“It’s extremely difficult,” he said. “We’ve picked up basic phrases.”

While in Baltimore, crew members of the Tarangini will attend Orioles games; tour Washington, D.C.; take tours on Ride the Ducks and attend parties, luncheons and dinners. The crew of the Tarangini has also challenged the American Navy to a soccer match on Saturday at DuBurns Outdoor Field on Boston in Canton.

One of the trainees aboard the Tarangini, Ruchir Khajuria said, “It’s our first time out of the country,” he said. “It’s a different way of living.”

Lt. Cmdr. Ashwin Arvind, second in command of the Tarangini, said while the ship’s mission is serious, his crew also likes to have fun.

“It’s not just sail training,” he said. “We have classroom instruction for the cadets every day at sea. … We also have a lot of fun.

“We get to meet so many people, see so many different cultures, so many places-that’s the best part,” he said.

Sail away

The Cisne Branco is open to the public between noon and 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday. The Tarangini is open to the public between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

al.robinson@baltimoreexaminer.com