Viagem Brasileira: The Magic Island

    I don't know where to begin to describe Florianópolis. It is a small city of 400,000 on an island with over one hundred beaches also known as the "Ihla da Magia" or "Magic Island." Almost 50% of the land is conserved and the trails through the forests are breathtaking.
    Right now I just finished napping in a hotel (reservations courtesy of International Study Abroad) and am waiting for the other students to arrive. I am finally about to begin my studies after two weeks on the Island. Carnival attracts all kinds of people. During the two weeks I met countless other travelers from Germany, Argentina, Colombia, South Africa, France, England, Lithuania, and the list goes on. I also met some other students here with whom I played poker and watched films (they knew more classic American films than I did).
    Once Carnival set in all work stopped and the streets were filled with crowds and music. There was a day called Bloco dos Sujos where all the men dressed like women except for the tourists who would remark how interesting the event was and take pictures of passing groups of cross-dressers. Luckily I was with a girl who had a pile of dresses she was throwing away and lent me one (see picture below). Another day just had costume parties all over the city. Of course there were also the many parades from authentic drumming lines and dancing to terrible electronica crowded with too many drunk people to move.
    After a week of staying up until six in the morning I decided to camp out in a hammock on the beach and recover my strength. Keeping my eye out for cobras, I hiked an hour and a half over a mountain, which is the only way to the beach except by boat. During the walk I talked with a nice couple from Lithuania who studied permaculture and were working on a permaculture farm in Floripa that hopefully I will see one day. Finally I arrived, covered in sweat, on the beach and jumped in. I spent some time reading and writing until the sun set and made myself a little fire. I didn't have many options, but roasted some apples which turned out quite well and then fell asleep to the lull of the ocean.