Sunday Bloody Sunday (minus the part about the blood)

Just had my first weekend here in Floripa (affectionate term for Florianopolis). Sundays are very slow indeed here. I slept most of Saturday still jetlagged but started my day Sunday at 5:45AM without an alarm, ready to go. I wanted to makeup for Saturday when I slept in and took my time figuring out what I wanted to do and ended up going to Centro (downtown) just in time to see the street vendors closing up shop. So today I was determined to go somewhere early and go places. First thing I did was put on a P90X video; compliments of Joel Lemaire (deliberate shoutout... I hope he reads this or it will all be for nothing... NOTHING!!!). ANYWAYS, oups caps-lock... no time for backspace or to filter inner monologue... so I was doing the P90X and it was getting hard so I stopped after about 15 mins, but I felt good about doing it. Next I made some eggs and had some breakfast including milk from a box that was on a store shelf. WEIRD! but it wasn't so bad so I kept moving. Hand my shower and answered some emails and other online busines then headed out. I was approaching 8AM by that time. The streets were deserted! Then I realized that it was Sunday. So I walk to the bus station and try to figure out where I want to go. I had always concerned that I will not have time to get back before dark up until now (which is around 6pm this time of year), but this was not an issue as it was still very early. I decided to head north! Carnasvieras it is! I waited a while for the bus but that was not a problem... it seems to be the way of life here. The bus arrived around 8:45 and left around 9. I got to see a bunch of nice sceanery along the way and I got an idea of what traveling around the island is like. The part of town that I am in (Conceicao) is comparable to Wakefield for those Ottawa readers. Lots of waterfront on a big lake. Lots of relaxed people and an upperclass lifestyle compared to surrounding towns. So I take this bus right to the Carnasvieras bus terminal, but I don't see beach even though I know there is a big one here. So I start asking around for a map of the bus routes. They don't seem to exist. So that becomes my mission. I talk with a vendor for about 10-15 mins and learn very little as neither of us spoke each others language, but I did manage to find a bus that goes to Centro where i would have a better chance to find my map. So I go.... OK this is too much detail. lets take it up a notch or 2. I go to centro. I find signs with maps of the bus routes. I want to take pictures but left my camera at the Pousada. I see another person taking pictures of them. His name is Salvador and is he is a Catalonian on sabaticle from his engineering job in Barcelona. We talk and I find out he is looking for a pousada in Conceicao. I recommend mine and offer to show him where it is as I am dying to talk to someone who understands english. We take the bus back. He sees it, likes it and books it. We grab a quick bite at a local restaurant and head our separate ways. The waiter there is Californian and I get his contact info in case there is an opening in his building. I get on another bus and go to Barra de Lagoa. Nice spot! I hear another english voice. Its a surfer from Ireland named Vince. We discuss economics and travel for about 15 mins. We are both obviously tired but make an effort to keep the conversation going. He misses his stop then gets off. I then realize that I just did the entire circuit and am back where I started. No worries, I saw what I wanted to see and am now ready to go home. So I walk back and that brings us to now. It was a long day in retrospect but I didn't get much done. I will have to go back to Centro and take a pic of those maps and also I need to get a watch if my work doesn't give me a cell phone with a clock. That's all for now. Stay tuned.

Arrival

Well it's been a while coming but I am finally here (Florianopolis, Brazil). For those of you who are clueless and didn't realize that I was even going to Brazil (that right!... I'm looking at you imaginary ball of tumbleweed that occasionally rolls across the ground behind me when I whistle songs fit for cowboy gunfight duels) I have come here as part of a program at the International Institute for Sustainable Development. I'll have another blog for them which I will reference here. Those who are interested in the cool going-ons of my daily work can check that blog, but I want this one to be more for people who just want updates about me and are willing to put up with endless TV/Movie references and any ridiculous thought that goes through my head. For all my fans at Facebooks' "People Who Can't Get Enough of Mike's Crazy Antics" I will generally send out reminders to keep you guys in the look but to avoid duplication I will likely just link you to this site.

As for my first post I will take a few pics to give you a visual on what I'm dealing with and to extinguish the idea that this has all been an elaborate hoax. In retrospect I probably shouldn't have started that rumour in the first place... I really don't see how that could have possibly worked in my favor (single tear) ;(









I also added this non-interactive movie for you to not interact with.

I think that that is more than enough for today. I'll explain to you how I got here later when I am less hungry and tired. Now I hunt.