Florianópolis
The month of April has proved a wonderful time to live in Brazil, as the calendar year has yielded three consecutive three-day weekends. I decided to take full advantage of this and headed for Florianópolis, taking four days off from work.
Florianópolis is a large, hilly island just off the coast of Brazil, 10 hours South of São Paulo. It is best known for its beautiful beaches (42 in total!) and beautiful people (supermodel Gisele Bunchen, as an example).
I started the trip by myself and stayed at a local hostel, with plans to meet up with Maria, whose Venezuelan family was visiting and staying just up the coast, as well as Inés and Kristiina later in the week. The over-night bus trip was relaxing and comfortable, although I only managed to sleep for about a half an hour. I found my hostel right away, and was starting to feel good about my decision to leave before all of my friends and travel alone. As I’m thinking “hey, I’m an experienced traveler, I can really do this,” and reaching in my bag to pay for the hostel, my heart freezes. I don’t have my wallet.
As imaginable, a mini-freak out session begins… I had left by purse alone on the bus at one rest stop, and didn’t think anyone would notice as most of the people were asleep. At the same time, it didn’t make sense that my wallet was stolen, as the thief didn’t bother to take my camera or iPod. But, if I honestly left my wallet somewhere, what are the chances of finding it and getting everything (cash, debit card, credit cards, return bus ticket) back???
I sprint to the bus station to try and talk to the driver, and the bus has left already. I talk to the company and have them check the bus, thinking “there’s just no way they’ll find it, oh gosh, I have to cancel everything, what a mess, my trip is ruined.”
Como é o seu nome? E número de paltrona?
Leslie, paltrona 19.
….. Achou!!!! They found it under the seat! So I head the bus garage, fill out some forms, and am re-united with my wallet, with everything inside. Lucky, to say the least. I guess I was more tired than I thought… I go to the hostel, check in, and fall asleep. And that completes my first day in Floripa.
Things went significantly up-hill from there. At the hostel I hung out with a Carioca (girl from Rio), an Uruguayan and two Swiss men.
The beaches in Floripa are marvelous, one special feature is that because there are so many, each beach has it’s own personality. Praia dos Ingleses has been seized by Argentines and Uruguyans, all tan and beautiful sipping their matte tea on the beach. Praia da Armacao and Praia do Matadeiro are tranquil, surrounded by rolling hills and have the perfect waves for body-surfing. And lastly, my favorite, Praia Mole, a surfing beach frequented only by Brazilian surfers and others in their 20s, complete with a DJ spinning hip-hop next to one of the beach bars.
Floripa itself is different than everywhere else I’ve been in Brazil: more touristy and very, very safe… it felt more like Braziltina or Argenzil (a cross between Argentina + Brazil) than Brazil-Brazil, like Rio. Overall a very good time. Next trips: NORDESTE, here I come!!
Florianópolis is a large, hilly island just off the coast of Brazil, 10 hours South of São Paulo. It is best known for its beautiful beaches (42 in total!) and beautiful people (supermodel Gisele Bunchen, as an example).I started the trip by myself and stayed at a local hostel, with plans to meet up with Maria, whose Venezuelan family was visiting and staying just up the coast, as well as Inés and Kristiina later in the week. The over-night bus trip was relaxing and comfortable, although I only managed to sleep for about a half an hour. I found my hostel right away, and was starting to feel good about my decision to leave before all of my friends and travel alone. As I’m thinking “hey, I’m an experienced traveler, I can really do this,” and reaching in my bag to pay for the hostel, my heart freezes. I don’t have my wallet.
As imaginable, a mini-freak out session begins… I had left by purse alone on the bus at one rest stop, and didn’t think anyone would notice as most of the people were asleep. At the same time, it didn’t make sense that my wallet was stolen, as the thief didn’t bother to take my camera or iPod. But, if I honestly left my wallet somewhere, what are the chances of finding it and getting everything (cash, debit card, credit cards, return bus ticket) back???
I sprint to the bus station to try and talk to the driver, and the bus has left already. I talk to the company and have them check the bus, thinking “there’s just no way they’ll find it, oh gosh, I have to cancel everything, what a mess, my trip is ruined.”
Como é o seu nome? E número de paltrona?
Leslie, paltrona 19.
….. Achou!!!! They found it under the seat! So I head the bus garage, fill out some forms, and am re-united with my wallet, with everything inside. Lucky, to say the least. I guess I was more tired than I thought… I go to the hostel, check in, and fall asleep. And that completes my first day in Floripa.
Things went significantly up-hill from there. At the hostel I hung out with a Carioca (girl from Rio), an Uruguayan and two Swiss men.
The beaches in Floripa are marvelous, one special feature is that because there are so many, each beach has it’s own personality. Praia dos Ingleses has been seized by Argentines and Uruguyans, all tan and beautiful sipping their matte tea on the beach. Praia da Armacao and Praia do Matadeiro are tranquil, surrounded by rolling hills and have the perfect waves for body-surfing. And lastly, my favorite, Praia Mole, a surfing beach frequented only by Brazilian surfers and others in their 20s, complete with a DJ spinning hip-hop next to one of the beach bars. Floripa itself is different than everywhere else I’ve been in Brazil: more touristy and very, very safe… it felt more like Braziltina or Argenzil (a cross between Argentina + Brazil) than Brazil-Brazil, like Rio. Overall a very good time. Next trips: NORDESTE, here I come!!
