Floripa New Year´s Eve

The champagne would soon flow into eager flutes and unsteady hands. The crowd was streaming in, like a funnel pouring people down the steps onto the sand, in anticipation of the fireworks and celebration. The beach was buzzing with people, suffocating, intoxicating with joy and delirium. DJ Leo and his family - complete with grandma, baby, cousin who's studying to be a priest, and stepmom - were gathered when I announced, "OK, champagne everyone, we've got 5 minutes until the- " KABOOM!!! A fireball erupted right next to us and terror took over the revelry; people began trampling one another to move away from the flaming colors, which from far away would be just another pleasant fireworks display.



The mob mentality, like bewildered animals, is a greater danger than the fireworks, I figured; if I caught fire the ocean water was 50 feet away. I just kept my eyes covered low, and my back to the flames, noticing the red and green eruption had not ceased in 45 seconds, which was only 10 yards away in the sand. The fun was over - it was time to rejoin with my hosts and make sure everyone was OK. Back at the street, lightning up the mood after our brief scare, we began pouring champagne freely, to strangers, passerbys, and whoever else had a glass or paper cup. The exuberance in the air was uncontrollable; I had the feel that even if people were injured and bleeding they'd still be laughing.

A moment of numerological coincidence back at the car; the time/date digital display read 01/01/07 00:17. This unwittingly brought our merrymaking to a heightened frenzy, and as I the driver kept the vehicle at a steady pace, DJ Leo the champagne server offered the bubbly satisfaction to whoever dared - including a moving motorcyclist, who somehow produced a glass made out of glass and held it out as DJ Leo poured and I drove. No one was hurt.

DJ Leo's father is a true Gaucho - a southern brazilian with a reputation for churrascos, yerba mate, and rough manners - so he had no problem starting the barbeque at 1AM. Within an hour the fillets, lamb, and chicken heart, heavily seasoned in salt, were being scarfed down. Around 3AM I took a night on the hammock. Luckily the mosquitoes were biting my feet so I woke up, so we jumped into the stepmom's Citroen and sped off towards Praia Mole.

Besides the lightweight carnage with the fireworks, we were witness to various displays of violence during those early hours of 2007: a fist fight at the gas station with girls crying on the ground; a drunk was run over by a bus; a guy ran off with our $30; a gang on the beach chased off an irritating fellow by hurling stones; then broke a glass bottle over a guy's head (which broke the lifeguard's attention - it was 9AM by that stage). Chaos and disorder not withstanding, I contemplated the new year with a dip in the ocean, then found a lovely bonfire with other folks keen to watch the 1st day of the year unfold.

Rainshowers kept us huddled at times under towels or beach umbrellas; then sunlight was burst through the clouds and light the green hills and our awed faces. Beer continued to be consumed by the rowdier types, while I made an attempt at a healthful breakfast by ordering an açaí smoothie with granola. By noon we were properly fatigued. Without resolutions, we welcomed the new year devoid of any particular hopes or fears or projections - living in the fullest despite the violence, magnifying the joy, meshing together and carrying on as one hopes to live during the ups and downs of life.

Floripa New Year´s Eve part 2

"This is IT! This is paradise!! Electronic music on the beach, waves and caipirinhas!" DJ Leo has a contagious enthusiasm, although it fizzles as we approach the bar with loud music. Indeed, there are good tunes with a crowd on the sand; indeed, the surf is firing right in front. But on closer inspection, we realize there is a large population of clean cut, military style Europeans with massive biceps, clad in small Speedos..... hugging one another. Even our gay friends later mention that the left side of Praia Mole is "a little too much". We relocate to the center of the beach where the demographic has increased bikini lines, and much more pleasing to the naked eye.


Praia Mole, the nucleus of Florianópolis' beach scene, in southern Brazil, the setting for our 2007 New Year's Eve. Jam-packed with good looking people... famous even in Brazil for incredible quantities of beautiful women.... to the point that the traffic literally comes to a standstill. A hellish effort was at times required to cross the narrow roadways due to the island's unique geography: forty miles long, connected to the mainland with a Golden Gate look-alike bridge, intersected by a mountain range with lakes and extensive sand dunes keeping things REAL tight. Gorgeous to look at from far away - an unforgettable view from the top of the mountain pass.

The traffic hassles were a factor but quickly overlooked since days were spent in a daze, recuperating for the timely midnight opening time for clubs scattered everywhere. No place for Cinderellas here - 12am to 7am is prime time. Mind you I came under the impression we were on a family trip, to relax at the beach, etc. But DJ Leo is a vicious beast when alcohol and music combine, and even traffic jams became another excuse for blasting electronic tunes and guzzling Skol brewskis - contrary to our U.S. education, that is a perfectly legitimate complement to driving in this country. In fact, slight inebriation is almost a necessity, to negociate the potholes, wacko drivers, and just flowwww.....