My Brazilian Adventure Part 2

Before heading to Brazil Kristin, Natalie and I decided to try and make the trip as economical as possible. Seeing as it was a relatively last minute decision, we didn't have it planned into our budgets. So we did a little research and seeing as accommodations tend to be the most expensive part of the trip we planned to camp as much as possible. Camping on the beach is illegal, but there are several campsites around the island of Florianopolis where you can pay to camp. The first night however we splurged and made reservations at a hostel in the south part of the island called Costa de Dentro. There we were able to get our bearings and more information regarding the camping options. In order to get to Costa de Dentro and the Alburgue do Pirata, Pirate's Hostel, we needed to catch a bus.

Living in Paraguay we are accustomed to taking buses to get anywhere we can't go on foot or bicycle. The buses in Paraguay are old and rusty, usually imported from some other South American country where they were used until the death, then revived for used around here. In Brazil it quite a different experience. In order to get to Costa de Dentro we needed to take two buses total.

After our arrival in Florianopolis we walked around a bit, checking out some of the shops and eating lunch at a small outdoor restaurant. Then we headed to the terminal to get the first bus headed south. Luckily we arrived just as the bus was getting ready to leave. We quickly paid for the tickets and jumped on the crowded bus, without much time to look around. The bus was crowded to the point of standing room only. Lucky for us the trip was only about 30 minutes. Loaded down with our backpacks we were obviously foreign tourists. The other passengers on the bus were nice, letting us put our bags at their feet.

When we got to the second terminal we found that there are accurate bus schedules posted, something you definitely won't see in Paraguay. The next bus we needed would leave in about 20 minutes. Also the transfers are free there, as long as you stay in the terminal. What a relief, bus trips sound cheap, but can definitely rack up quickly. We looked around the terminal and found that it included clean bathrooms and water fountains, oh how I have missed water fountains. I filled up my water bottle and pulled out my guampa and bombilla to drink some terere while we waited. As the time neared for the bus to leave a line formed, now that's definitely not something you'd see in Paraguay. People here push to get in front of each other and onto the bus. We hopped on with everyone else and headed to our hostel.

The hostel was quaint and quiet. It was also pretty full. There was a small shop down the street for groceries and the beach was just a few blocks away. The sky was overcast that day, but we still went to explore. We walked around on the beach and jumped in the water. Then headed back to the hostel. That night we made friends with some Australians, taught them how to play farkle, and we looked for camping nearby. We were told there is camping in Armacao, a beach we passed on the way down. We decided to head there the next day.

In the morning we started the day with a hike to a nearby waterfall where the water was cool and clean. It was beautiful. Then we packed up our stuff and went in search of the campsite. We waited for the bus across the street from the hostel and when the bus came, stuck our arms out, signaling that we wanted to get on. The bus blew by. What?! We were puzzled by this. Why didn't it stop? Then we looked around and noticed a bus stop sign about 50 meters away. So in this country you actually have to be at a bus stop for it to stop, sounds logical, I guess. We walked to the next stop and waited for about an hour for the next bus to come by. This time we were successful in boarding.

The bus let us off in Armacao and we asked around to find the campsite. It turns out the campsite was merely a patch of grass on an empty lot. There were some bathrooms and pavilions with kitchens, but the tents were packed in, with little personal space. But it did have access to the beach and was just a quick walk from the town. We immediately decided to stay only one night. We set up the tent, locking our stuff inside and headed out to do more exploring. We ate an enormous Brazilian lunch of pan-fried fish, rice and beans, fries, salad and a Caipirinha strong enough to intoxicate after only a few sips.

After stuffing ourselves with food we went to check out a hike we saw on the map, rumored to be about an hour long and leading to a private beach. After walking along the beach, this one more crowded than the first one we'd seen, we found the path and started along it. After going off on the wrong trail a few times we found the right one, but by then the sun was starting to set. We ran into a couple returning from the other side. They indicated that the last boat that returns from the beach had already left and that we should turn around because we probably wouldn't make it back before dark. We continued on for a few more minutes, then turned around. We played on the beach awhile and were amazed by how many people were there drinking mate, the hot version of terere. It turns out most of the tourists in Florianopolis are Argentinian and Uruguayan and they drink as much mate as the Paraguayans do terere, even on the beach. After returning to the campsite we made some guacamole and caipirinhas for dinner and headed out to the beach to enjoy its proximity. We climbed up into a lifeguard station and watched as the other tourists went about their business. Some walking on the beach and others getting more intimate. It was a great first few days in Florianopolis.