My luck is that while I was in Brasilia, I mentioned that I was going to go to Florianopolis to Gigi's brother at a dinner he hosted. After a quick and secretive phone call, he advised me that his godson's girlfriend, Sara, lives in Floripa and she would likely be able to host me! Sure enough, Sara was a wonderful and graceous host, and Mario, the godson, was even in town visiting and to hang out as well.
We started the visit the afternoon of my arrival with a water taxi ride along the shores of Lagoa de Conceicao, a large lagoon from which lots and lots of shrimp are fished. The water taxis are old wood boats that become jam packed with people trying to access different parts of the island that aren't accessible by road.
We stopped at maybe the third dock to have lunch at a local water front restaurant that serves typical food, namely fish and shrimp. We obviously went for the shrimp platter that featured shrimp prepared four ways and fish too.
Over lunch Mario (27), who graduated with a law degree and is currently studying full time for the Concourso Publico, the tests to gain federal government positions in Brasilia, Sara (25), who recently graduated with a degree in environmental engineering with a specialization in water waste management and is finishing a coop term in Florianopolis before moving to Brasilia, and I talked about politics, careers and life. We paid special attention to the difficulties being faced by educated young people in both countries with relation to access to desirable jobs and housing.
As we took the water taxi back to the lagoa town center, I couldn't help but smile at the beauty of the landscape in which I had once again found myself. There is something to be said about mountains climbing out of the ocean - it makes me feel alive.
Closer to the shore, the kitesurfers were out in full force. My heart raced as I watched them skip across the water and sly into the air. I love the sport and it made me really sad that I do not have enough experience to feel comfortable joining the Brazilian lot that have taken to the sea. But, I have already made plans to come back to play in the waters and sands of Florianopolis - one day.After the lagoa, we decided to walk to the sand dunes on the ocean side of the island. Only a 45 minute walk from where we were, I was able to see more of the beaches, bars, restaurants and hostels en route to give me a better appreciation for life on the island.
The sand dunes were soft and silky. They still had warmth from the day's sun, but were pleasant to walk on after the cement and bricks en route to the dunes. The island has many protected vegetaion types, including the coastal Atlantic-forest we saw along the lagoon and the sand dune vegetation that fixes the sand from spreading and eroding. Sadly, island development is threatening both of these ecoregions. Along the lagoon, we saw many homes which 10 years ago were not present. According to locals, the houses are being built on land that is protected and the government is not properly monitoring this development - basically if a person has the money, they can do what they want in Brazil. Near the dunes you see housing encroaching as well making it difficult for the landscape to shift and change in its natural rythms. It is amazing that bushes, grasses and even small trees are able to exist in a soil that retains essentially no water, and it is sad that these plants will become less and less effective, though they are vital, as development nears. Sara felt strongly, as an environmental engineer, about these facts, but shared that it was the first time she visited the largest portion of the dunes in her six years living on the island.
The sand dunes in Santa Catarina have allowed for sand boarding to become very popular on the island. Apparently one of the slopes on the backside of the dunes is the longest (or steepest) sand boarding vertical in South America. The slopes don't look very intimidating in comparison to even the most mild ski hills in Canada, but apparently, since sand has much more friction than snow, and since you are not fully strapped into your board, sand boarding is much more difficult. The sport basically consists of stepping into a board and bombing straight down a slope without falling. Once I realized this, the slopes looked much more frightening than they had before.
The sand dunes were soft and silky. They still had warmth from the day's sun, but were pleasant to walk on after the cement and bricks en route to the dunes. The island has many protected vegetaion types, including the coastal Atlantic-forest we saw along the lagoon and the sand dune vegetation that fixes the sand from spreading and eroding. Sadly, island development is threatening both of these ecoregions. Along the lagoon, we saw many homes which 10 years ago were not present. According to locals, the houses are being built on land that is protected and the government is not properly monitoring this development - basically if a person has the money, they can do what they want in Brazil. Near the dunes you see housing encroaching as well making it difficult for the landscape to shift and change in its natural rythms. It is amazing that bushes, grasses and even small trees are able to exist in a soil that retains essentially no water, and it is sad that these plants will become less and less effective, though they are vital, as development nears. Sara felt strongly, as an environmental engineer, about these facts, but shared that it was the first time she visited the largest portion of the dunes in her six years living on the island.
The sand dunes in Santa Catarina have allowed for sand boarding to become very popular on the island. Apparently one of the slopes on the backside of the dunes is the longest (or steepest) sand boarding vertical in South America. The slopes don't look very intimidating in comparison to even the most mild ski hills in Canada, but apparently, since sand has much more friction than snow, and since you are not fully strapped into your board, sand boarding is much more difficult. The sport basically consists of stepping into a board and bombing straight down a slope without falling. Once I realized this, the slopes looked much more frightening than they had before.
Mario, Sara and I were all happy with our first afternoon together and the time we got to spend on the water and in the sand.
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