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.....