The Great Capital: Florianópolis

by Ellen Veiga dos Santos (Brazil)

I didn't expect to find Brazil

When you think about Brazil, the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo must be the first things in your mind, right? Well, today we are going to leave Brazil's southeast behind and head to one of the three southern states: Santa Catarina. Its capital is Florianópolis, where I went this summer on vacation and saw something I didn't expected at all. I am quite sure that by the end of this travel story you will be adding "Floripa" to your travel list! The first thing I noticed was the street art welcoming travelers to the "magical city". I knew at that moment we had arrived! By "we" I mean me and my mother, who joined me on this adventure. That night, as soon as we got there, we head directly to the hotel to rest and prepare ourselves for the next and first day. Since our hotel was downtown, we got to know the market-place and the retail center of the city. Streets were taken by people and a huge building wall portraying one of the most famous authors of Brazil, Cruz e Souza, who was born in Florianópolis. Not too far away was the city's most famous avenue: Beira-mar. Being on that avenue was like being in a movie. Gigantic buildings, the crowded road and the enormous Beira-mar surrounded by the sea. Suddenly, an helicopter from the army lands on an special place at the avenue. The militaries accept taking pictures with the people passing by and then... ANOTHER helicopter shows up and tries to land in. As the reserved place was taken, it lands on water, just for an important - apparently - man take off. That was something I wasn't really expecting.