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Published: December 8th 2012
Surfing in Rio with wetsuit
I tried it for one day - I didnt like it! So I have since worked out (purely through being stubborn) I can surf in at least 18 degree water without a wettie...
My last day in Brazil. It didn’t hit me until I was walking into town from the beach in Florianopolis and was wondering why my mood was down.
I had a nice little surf today (literally 30 mins max!) and now sit here drinking a glass of chilled white wine – my first in over 12 months. I have recently realised I am not the best communicator about my future plans but seem to be a great story-teller about the past. So, for family and friends, this is a quick update for you of my ‘plans in pencil’ of what lays ahead...
After leaving Itacare (insert a little giggle here, as that’s another entertaining story in itself!) I then spent a week in Rio split between staying in Ipanema at a girlfriend’s house and at the surf beaches further South-West of the city. After discovering an amazing ‘secluded’ park in the middle of Rio during a bike ride around, where found well-needed clarity in my head of what is to come – plus some fun (cold) surf sessions on the other days - I then jumped on a 20 hour bus to Florianopolis ...
“hello Cas, you’re travelling again!”. But Florianopolis is a place where I never thought I would venture to in my travels but after becoming a ‘
surfista’ here – it became a must do as it is globally known as the ‘surf mecca’ of Brazil. Well without boring you too much with the surf geek details, I arrived on Wednesday to water temperature a good 5 to 7 degrees colder than what I have been use to, no wetsuit (stubbornness prevails!), no swell (a seriously flat sea!) and onshore winds. Basically the worst conditions for a week of surfing a (trying-to-be) surfer could ask for! Never-the-less, I have found
Colonial style building
At the entrance to my magical garden - 'Christ the Redeemer' is being hidden by the clouds in the background! other things to keep me entertained.....like civilisation......and coffee shops.....and quaint little shopping malls –though strictly window shopping only! And upon my arrival, my first day in this new city I celebrated my 1 year anniversary of travelling and leaving Australia – the happy date being the
5th December...
Which brings me until now – where I am now sitting in a little cafe/restaurant after splurging on a chilli-prawn salad and now on my second glass of white wine ..... tomorrow I leave Brazil. My departure from this beautiful country involves getting on (yet another) 22 hour bus ride from Florianopolis to Punta del Este, Uruguay. Heading south when I always thought I would head north... And here is where I plan (well, I am hoping!!) to stay and work for the busy summer months from December until April(ish??) and live and learn a new language and culture and extend my time overseas a little longer.
Hopefully (and I seriously stress this word!) I will be able to make a little money where i then plan to go to Central America from April forward. Current ‘idealistic’ plans are that I will meet/travel with a one/two/a few?? more surfista friends
and surf the coasts of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Nicaragua.....etc, for a good 4 months and then ....maybe.... I will come back to Oz. But that is all so long away and way too far ahead to plan! For now, I just want to make it through the new Spanish speaking language, summer in Uruguay....and one final night of partying in this beautiful country which I know I will miss dearly in the months ahead!
This has been a big step for me – acknowledging future plans out loud! Apologies for not sharing future details more frequently. A close friend recently asked me,
“What it feels like to have no plans and living day to day?” It became hard to explain that I don’t and I realised this perception is because I haven’t really told anyone
‘out loud’ what I’d like to be doing in the next 6-9 months. So this is my confession 😊 this is my confession after a second glass of celebratory/farewell white wine and a double macchiato to sober me up for the 30 minute walk back up the hill to the hostel! Oh my, life is good...
So thank you Brazil; you have
opened my eyes to a world and life I could never have lived anywhere else and I am enternally grateful for all I have experienced.
Sempre beijos e até logo...
Cas.xx
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