I arrived in beautiful Florianopolis late morning. The surrounding was totally different than what I expected. The city itself is actually set at the entrance of the massive island of Catarina. Originally I thought it was a city with beautiful beaches but instead it is an island with it main city being Florianopolis. This complicates things because the island is so big that it is virtually impossible to visit it all without a car or a motorbike. I spent the first night in the usual hostel recommended by my book guide and it was a good choice. The hostel was clean and very convenient in the central part of the city. However that is not where you would like to stay for too long because the best beaches and bars are north or east of the island or even better closer to the main lake or lagoon within the island itself.
The first night was pleasant. I went and had dinner with a Brazilian guy who was sharing the hostel room with me. It was a first god impact with the Brazilian culture and with the Portuguese language. I found it quite easy to understand being myself Italian and with a strong Spanish background. I returned to my room, spend few minutes chatting and then I felt asleep with the book I am reading right on top of my nose...
The following 4 days in Florianopolis have been spent in a new hostel which became a sort of second home. The place is located in Lagoa de Conceicao, inside the island and next to the Lagoon. The hostel was suggested me by a Brazilian girl I met for a drink and coffee in town. She was right. The place was full of international travellers and for 4 days I spent the most entertaining and funny days of the last weeks, including of course those spent in Buenos Aires. Clubbing, beach, walking, boat trip, lots of capirina and fun with lively and happy people sharing travelling stories, different tips and recommendations. I shared my room with other 5 people and we barely managed to sleep before 4am. The hostel became a sort of big family house where every day and night there was always something going on and with new people coming in and enjoying the group.
The only downsize was the weather which was constantly grey and raining. I started thinking that Florianopolis could be considered from a weather perspective the London of Brazil...
I managed to plan my next destinations and finally booked a bus to Posada in Argentina and from there crossing the border with Paraguay. Fortunately there was a direct bus which really helped to earn some time before going to the Iguazu Falls. I left Florianopolis with a bitter taste in my mouth and with the certain feeling I would have come back sooner or later. On the way to the station, I missed the bus because, despite telling the taxi driver I was in a hurry, he smartly decided to change, right in the middle of the ride, the oil to his car! Something like this can only happen in South America! Fortunately I managed to jump into another faster bus which allowed me to take the one I missed, in another city. The trip was ok, nothing really special except a very green landscape all around. I am here in the night bus now, writing these few lines trying to figure out how many miles I have crossed so far... Quick glimpses of places and people are crossing my mind; images of Asia, Australia and New Zealand are coming back to my mind very strongly. Images that I had temporally forgotten and that now reminds me even more, what a huge trip I am undertaking. It is a great feeling.
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