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Florianopolis was our destination of choice over the Carnaval period, as Rio was going to be far too expensive for us even to stay there, and also our first destination in Brazil!
We arrived in Florianopolis over the massive metal bridge connecting it to the mainland, on an overnight bus, and feeling slightly dazed and confused at the sudden change in language from now-pretty-much-understandable-spanish to basically-incomprehensible-portuguese, we opted for a taxi to our couchsurf host ruben's house! We spent the day in Floripa town trying to sort out mundane things such as a Brazilian sim card for my phone, then attempted to get the bus back to Ruben's house alone (he had come into town with us on the bus).
However, we realised that although we knew where the bus station was, we had forgotten to ask what number bus we needed to get back! We decided that rather than guessing, we would ask a group of bus drivers that were hanging around how to get there. This involved me speaking in Spanish to them with the odd Portuguese word thrown in 'which bus do we need to get to this road, near the university?' and the drivers looking confused and then replying very quickly in Portuguese and wildly gesticulating towards one of the buses and over into the distance, and us not understanding at all! This resulted in us getting a bus which didnt stop near Ruben's house, but at another bus station (it turned out what they'd said was to get the bus there and chane onto another one). We then decided that as we didn't know which bus to get, but we knew we were going in the right direction, we should carry on by walking... After half an hour of walking we reached a shopping mall, now not being so sure anymore we were going right we thought we'd stop and get a drink then get a taxi back from there!
Our experience in the mall was what some may call strange.. we managed to find ourselves inside a 'sound and light museum' which involved 7 rooms, the first of which we sat on a seat in the dark whilst light beams were moved around on a screen in front of us and doctor who style music was played... disconcerting! Then followed the other rooms, all dark and all involving strange lights and sounds. I think it was supposed to be more for children really but me and Ben enjoyed it a lot, and at least returned in higher spirits (although slightly confused!) than when we'd been lost on the road!
The next day we went with Rubens to Joaquina beach and spent an hour sandboarding on the sand dunes there, which was great once I remembered how to do it (although neither of us were brave enough to go down the massive dune on the other side!) The following days we moved to Lagoa, another part of Santa Catarina island, to stay with Regis and Lilu. We spent a couple of days drinking and partying on Praia Mole, where the music and partying went on all day, and I had never witnessed so many men in tiny speedos before! One night we ventured to downtown Floripa with Regis and Lilu and Rafael to see the carnaval street parties and join in with them! We also went down to the sambadrome, where we didn't actually go to watch the show, as it costs a lot, but all the samba schools and floats from the parade line up outside to wait their turn and they play music and sell food. So we just went down to join them and drink and take photos and pretend to be part of the parade! All of the costumes were pretty impressive!
We also experienced the most dangerous taxi driver in the world on the way back that night, who had clearly decided that even though he was working it wasn't going to stop him celebrating carnaval! I suspect he was drunk, and he cranked up the dance music super loud, then swerved in and out of the cars at breakneck speed as if we were in a video game, sometimes speeding up to about 2 inches away then suddenly breaking!
Our last day in Florianopolis we went to the North of the Island to Praia Jurure, where there's also an old Portuguese fort, and spent the day on the beach, then wandering around the VERY expensive neighbourhood (its lie the OC of Santa Catarina!) and looking at the massive, and usually very untastefully designed, houses!
We left the next day almost missing all three of our buses and giving myself the worst blisters on my feet I'd ever seen (there was no time for being slow wearing flip flops and the ground was burning hot!) but just managed to catch the final one and get outta there! So far Brazil we like you a lot!
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