We're nervous heading into Brazil having heard horror stories about the levels of violent crime, pickpocketing, and general thievery, heightened by the fact that a Brazilian women at the bus station in Punta del Este went to great lengths to warn us how unsafe the bus station in Porto Alegre where we have to change to connect through to Florianopolis is. However, we needn't have worried, its fine, and the only real problem on the trip was at the border, where we needed o fill out another form to say that we don't have swine flu.
Florianopolis is a big island that is fast gaining a reputation as the top holiday destination in Brazil. This reputation is shared by Uruguayans and Argentinians, but its low season when we arrive so not so busy, and we find a room at a great hostel in the central island town of Lagoa, and head out for a couple of beers and a rather good pizza. Next morning, after a fab breakfast - the woman who runs the Casa Bresil bakes her own bread - we walk over to the beach at Joaquina, which takes about 30 mins along the side of the lake and then alongside some of the most enormous sand dunes ever. Its a surfers beach, but still the sun is shining, which is a nice treat after Uruguay, and we're pleased to have the sun cream out and our swimmers on once more. If this is how Brazil is going to be, then we'll be fine.
We've befriended a couple of Brits who have invited us along to a couchsurfing party that evening at a beach further along from Joaquina - although we're there early (typically British) its good crack meeting up with other Brazilians, and sharing a beer with them around the fire on the beach.
Next day we plan to go into Florianopolis city to check out the market, but are up too late, so settle with a boat trip around the lake and some prawns and a beer at a lakeside restaurant. Its al very pleasant around here, the pace of our trip has slowed down substantially, and we're really liking spending longer in one particular place. Only thing to ruin the idyll is a boat load of pissed up Brits turning up disturbing everyone on their little Saturday afternoon trip out, dousing themselves in blue face paints to match the colour of their boat. YAWN.
The family who run our hostel are lovely, even though they speak very little English, and our Portuguese is minimal - however, once we recognise that an 'r' is pronounced 'h' we realise that we are being told about a free rap music concert that is taking place nearby, and although we spend less than 10 mins watching (not really our scene, and a bit intimidating), we feel like we have experienced some youth culture!
Next day we head to the south of the island, and a fabled beach that rates highly on the best Brazil has to offer. Its a walk from the main road through the jungle that is supposed to take 90mins, but after about 45, the path becomes a bit steep and very wet and slippery. Not even knowing if we are definitely on the right track, we head back to the beach where the bus dropped us, and to a recommended restaurant and tuck into an enormous seafood buffet which leaves us only capable of heading home and going to sleep.
There's not much to do in the main town of Florianopolis, apart from sort out our overnight bus tickets to Sao Paulo, and a market that is half fish, half havaianas, so we stock up on flip flops to use as presents on our imminent return to Europe, that is starting to loom ever larger. After a last day on Praia do Mole, another great we have to take a taxi to the main bus station as the local busses are on strike! Its been a great start to Brazil - back on the beaches and some great food. Beer is also easy to come by, and even though its not the hottest time of the year - we're fast approaching Brazilian winter - its still warm enough for us to be on the beach at least for a few hours each day.
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