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-Article Continued From Above - Buzios was a total party experience and completely over the top in every way... outrageously fun, and apparently somewhat dangerous, as was the more infamous Rio de Janeiro (also another conversation). One thing about Rio -- I love Ipanema and could live there in a New York minute if I still wanted to live in a big city. One of the reasons I was curious about Ipanema is its history as the seat of Bossa Nova. Though not one to frequent tourist traps, I spent several evenings at Garota da Ipanema, the cafe where Jobim wrote the famous tune (Girl From Ipanema), and yes, I even bought the tee shirt. My only sad moment in Brazil was in discovering that Bossa Nova is not strongly woven into the fabric of contemporary Brazilian pop music culture. I had expected to hear it everywhere and often, yet heard it hardly at all. Though beloved by many, particularly those of age in the sixties when it was at its height, Bossa Nova, though resurgent from time to time and in its own way, ever-present and ever-loved, has for Brazil's youth culture, gone the way of the dinosaur. The youth are far more enthralled with Brazilian hip-hop, American music, and MPB (Music Popular Brazil). No Brazilian would ever deny Bossa Nova's beauty -- its uniquely simple, luscious complexity, and though Brazilians revere the artists whom brought this musical genre to life -- for many, their appreciation is one of sentiment and national pride -- the stuff of museums. When one considers the contemporary music scene in Brazil, for all practical purposes, Bossa Nova has gone the way of velvet paintings, Bridget Bardot, and Playboy After Dark. One Brazilero in Rio observed that other than in Ipanema, I could probably get Bossa Nova gigs more easily in American and European cities than one could in Brazil. Cruel irony -- like finding out there's not one single chocolate chip cookie to be had in the land of Keebler. "Oh yeah", spat the elf, like a little green David Spade workin' his snotty, "We bake'm and ship'm but nobody here actually eats them." With only six weeks left on my visa, and a non-changeable, non-refundable plane ticket, it was time to go back to Floripa and resume the search for land. Returning to Lagoa, I knew I wanted two things, a real apartment with a kitchen so I could cook dinner at home -- and a car. The weather had started to change -- growing cooler and wetter. I looked at several pousadas all over Lagoa, and as it turned out, needed look no further than next door to Duna Sol -- Tel (48) 3232-6666 www.dunasol.com.br on Rua Veriador Osni Ortiga -- a pousada/resort with cabanas complete with bedroom, bathroom with walk-in shower, kitchen with gas stove, refrigerator, and a cozy, sunlit living room with big sliding glass doors. The kitchens are well-stocked with pots, pans, etc. and whatever you don't have and need, they find in minutes. Being one who loves to cook Italian food and in particular, pasta or massa (MAH-suh) as the Brazilians say -- for the first time since I'd left the USA, I had a big saute pan and a gas stove. Bam! I rented a cabana at Duna Sol for a month at about R$750 (Reis or Reals) which at the exchange rate during May 2005 was about $300 U.S. per month or $10 per day U.S. (including utilities). The cabanas are arranged adjacently on either side of a narrow, European-style street so guests with cars can pass. The entrance is gated and observed from the lobby so only guests or their guests can enter. The single street is like a friendly neighborhood which livens up every weekend when guests fill any vacant cabanas. Given that I was there during the fall, things were a little more tranquil. There were fewer of us living there fulltime which made for a cozy, intimate neighborhood. My Parisian neighbor across the way and his Brazilian girlfriend were entertaining to say the least and the source of many parties and gatherings and fabulous drama. It was through them that I met my love, Patricia. As I write this article, we are applying for her visa so she can join me in the United States. Each cabana has a television, though avid TV watchers will only find American/English language channels in the lobby, which also has a computer, convenient internet access and an assortment of beers, juice, soft drinks and snacks that can be charged to your apartment. There is also internet access available from the rooms. Duna Sol has a swimming pool (which often served as my morning wake-up ritual), a small gym, and party facilities -- a very nice banquet hall which offers a full breakfast buffet every morning. From the rear of the property's pleasant grounds, one can take a 20-minute hike through the dunes and emerge onto a tranquil section of beach at Praia Joaquina. It's a ten-minute walk up the beach to the restaurants, etc. Duna Sol is also only a three-minute ride to Centrinho and has a great view of the lake. It is also close to Rosen's, Rancho da Jackie, and Velho Tiene Pizzaria... good inexpensive pizza. Another excellent feature about Duna Sol, however, is the owner, Bianca Freitas whom lived in London for a time and speaks fluent English. Her presence made life much easier, unraveling the little mysteries of daily life and making them understandable in English. Accessible and patient, she went out of her way to help guests non-fluent in Brazilian Portuguese. Among other things, she helped me negotiate an auto rental agreement with a man whom spoke only Brazilian Portuguese. His company, Barcellos -- Tel (48) 9982-0173 www.barcellos.net has the best cars for the lowest prices in Lagoa. Several people I met whom were renting cars from other rental agencies were often inconvenienced by mechanical problems. I rented a 2-door Fiat Palio with low miles, for a month. It ran very well and had no problems whatsoever. The rental cost for a month including insurance and all fees was $950 reis or per May 2005 exchange rates, $385 US. Bianca is also a gifted chef with an interest in high end, gourmet restaurants. She showed me several examples of profitable, exclusive restaurants thriving all year round in Lagoa and Florianopolis. A proven and successful caterer of special events in Florianopolis, Bianca is considering partnership with foreign investors on a gourmet restaurant in Floripa. If you have an eye on becoming an expat in Florianopolis and/or making an investment in the Brazilian economy (yielding the eventual benefit of a residency visa), Bianca Freitas is a talented, hard-working entrepreneur with local and regional connections, worthy of your attention. Bianca can be contacted at bibicafreitas@hotmail.com", pousadadunasol (Skype), and dunasol_floripa@hotmail.com" for MSN live chat. Inquiries regarding Cabanas Duna Sol can be sent to dunasol@dunasol.com.br. Ensconced in my new digs at Duna Sol, the hunt for land was resumed with Guga. We visited the parcels he had located while I was away and they were very nice, but either not exactly what I wanted, or outside what I considered reasonable in price. Also it is important to note that there are currently two different types of property deeds in Brasil, particularly on the Island of Santa Catarina. The more desireable of the two is called "Escritura Pública" which is an official deed legally documenting one's ownership of property whether one is a Brazilian citizen or the citizen of another country. There are no loopholes or grey areas. Nobody can emerge from the ethers ten years after you've built your house and claim a historical familial attachment to the land. With Escritura Pública -- you buy it, you own it. The other type of deed is called "Posse". If you're considering purchasing property that is "posse", check its history back to the original survey. Make sure there are no conflicts regarding ownership. If everything is in order and there are no potential problems, the property is considered "good posse". If there are grey areas and potential for conflicts regarding ownership, access or easements, that is considered "bad posse" "Good posse" properties, though a tad more risky, are generally a safe bet and good investment. There is legislation in process to re-designate all "posse"-designated property to Escritura Pública status. Stay away from any property that could be "bad posse". Due diligence is the key. One day Guga and I looked at a parcel in Rio Vermelho (ver-May-yoo) and I commented on the adjacent parcel which was not for sale but had these smooth, rounded, gargantuan rock formations. I had seen formations like this on the coast, evoking images of Pterodactyls and the Flintstones. Some of these beaches, fairly narrow, had thick tropical vegetation on the inland side and hills climbing steeply up and away. Attempting to relax in the sand, I'd keep one eye on the surf and the other occasionally scanning the flora for velociraptors. Having had nightmares following Jurassic Park, I didn't want to fall prey to the creature that ate Jerry Seinfeld's mailman. If you saw the movie you know the one. The spawn of Creature from the Black Lagoon and Caesar Romero's Joker. Be that as it may. I loved those giant rock formations whose gargantuan beauty dispelled any preoccupation with predators of primordial origin. They weren't like the sharp, rugged coast of Maine with occasional highlands that make you want to put on a sweater and eat mutton. These were rounded and benign, easily traversed, sculpted smooth by aeons of insistent surf. Now ancient and majestic, their shapes have long since passed from harbingers of carnosaurs, to smooth stony bellies of supine, laughing Buddhas. "Aahhhhhhhhhh, Brad", said Guga, "Garopaba (GA-roh-PAH-buh). You'll want to check out Garopaba." A less developed, somewhat reclusive cousin of Lagoa on the mainland approximately 40 minutes south of Centro, Garopaba would have the big rocks and better prices. Internationally renown as one of Brazil's finest surfing destinations and like Lagoa, offering some of the country's best wind-surfing and kite-surfing, Garopaba has etched its quiet reputation as a popular travel destination, with three primary beaches, and several smaller ones -- one of which is at the end of Garopaba's main avenue. A resting place for fishing boats and a stroll beneath rolling hills crowned by an ancient church. The beach opens up onto a broad inlet and the Atlantic ocean. One friend of mine whom visited Garopaba commented that it was what Santa Barbara might have looked like 60 years ago. The main avenue offers some restaurants and cafes with casual ambience and good food. Other tourist amenities can be found including cybercafes. New development is on the way, including a small, intimate shopping destination with cafes and a multiplex. The town of Garopaba is a ten-to-fifteen-minute drive from the only highway, BR 101, linking Porto Alegre in the south, to Florianopolis due north. When the renovation and expansion of this highway are complete, the trip from Garopaba to Centro should take considerably less time. The most famous beach in Garopaba is Praia da Rosa (HO-suh), which draws many surfers and young people. The atmosphere is festive and casual, with a restaurant/bar overlooking the beach. The surrounding area is a rolling hive of curvy gravel roads dotted with pousadas, cafes and amenities geared toward the surfing crowd. Reggae, raves and their associated cultural amenities are part of the local culture. This area is also home to Brazil's leading manufacturer of surf gear, apparel and accessories, Mormaii. Mormaii owns and operates a very cool cafe next to its retail store on the main avenue in Garopaba. Patricia and I set out one fine morning to explore Garopaba. We both immediately liked the quaint though up-and-coming, progressive vibe of the town and drove around until a synchronous event -- an apparent "coincidence", gave us pause at the entrance to a place selling parcels of land, with water and electricity ready for each lot. Compelled, we turned into the entrance until our car's passage was blocked by a gate. Nobody was in sight so we parked and walked up the road, climbing a hill, until we stopped and surveilled the valley and lake below. This was very promising so we wrote down the phone number and continued on through downtown Garopaba, past Garopaba Beach to the most upscale neighborhood in the area, a promontory overlooking the Atlantic with a few small parcels and more expensive-looking homes. Though this area was both quaint and beautiful, it was also expensive -- Garopaba's answer to Tiburon. Returning to where we'd parked and climbed the hill, we continued on by car to Praia Ferrugem about 7 minutes up the road. Ferrugem was large and open, fluid and changing with the tides. There were meandering nooks and crannies. Private places and beautiful, giant rock formations. We climbed a large one and observed the surf crashing below. It was poetic -- a great place to set up an easel or write Hemingway's next novel. We stood there silently for some time, holding hands. It was pristine but the sun was going down and we wanted to see Praia Silveira so off we went. Praia Silveira is just over the hill from where we'd parked and climbed the hill earlier in that day. It was more of a neighborhood beach tucked in between a pair of promontories -- narrower than Ferrugem, with more traffic. Houses dotted the hills surrounding the beach. Though not even remotely Tolkienesque, it felt a little Shire-like (but with clambakes and internet access). This was getting interesting. Back in Floripa, I gave the phone number we'd written down, to Guga who spoke (in Portuguese) to Emilio, the seller's agent and manager of what is actually a low-key gated community with a clubhouse for parties and community gatherings. Guga arranged a meeting and off we went to Emilio's home office onsite. Greeting us at the gate, we followed Emilio in our vehicle way up the hill (well past where Patricia and I had walked) on nicely paved roads, to the highest road on the ridge, upon which were several 1/2 acre lots for sale with amazing views of the valley and lake below. It was awesome. Emilio pointed out a lot with a gentle slope at the top, fairly easy to build on and that was that. I knew this was my land. We settled on a price and set the deal in motion. With a little paperwork and Guga's help, I acquired a Brazilian CPF number which one must have to execute any type of financial transaction in Brazil. It is similar to our social security or Tax ID number. It requires a trip to the Brazilian Receita Federal, then Banco do Brasil to pay a minimal fee, and then back to the Receita Federal to complete the transaction and apply for a CPF card. Even without the card, just having an assigned CPF number gives one the ability to buy or sell property in Brazil. The details of our deal went quickly and smoothly, resulting in a trip to the local Cartorio to meet Emilio, transfer the deed and pay the requisite fees. I am now the happy owner of this beautiful land high on a hill overlooking the valley and Lagoa Encantada (Enchanted Lake). Behind me, up and over the hill, and a couple of minutes south, is Praia Silveira. Though my lot is only half an acre (2000 sq. meters), it will easily accommodate a nice sized home and studio, terraced vegetable gardens and fruit trees, with room for a small pool and churrasco. The topography is such that no matter how high my neighbor below decides to build (within height restrictions of the community), I will never lose the view of this beautiful valley. In spite of the lot's minimal size, the vastness of the views make it feel really big. The transaction was completed only days before my return flight to the USA and I wait now for Patricia to join me here. We will remain here in the USA awhile so I can grow a media publishing venture -- music, animation and video-based. As things progress, I hope to start building a home and studio on our hill in Garopaba and spend significant time there every year. I must share that I could not have done this without Guga and paid him a commission accordingly. He has since gone on to help other aspiring expats with real estate forays in the area. For $50 per day US, against commissions, Guga is available to assist with real estate acquisitions in Florianopolis and Garopaba. He is also a native son of Sao Paulo and familiar with that market. His fee includes finding properties within your criteria and desired locale; accompanying you to look at those properties or other properties you may have found on your own; conveying questions to the seller and/or seller's agent; negotiating your deal; helping you acquire appropriate permits, bank accounts, CPF number, etc.; and transferring your documents at the Cartorio (car-TOR-ee-oh). I highly recommend his services to anyone thinking about real estate in or near Florianopolis and Garopaba. Guga can be contacted at (48) 8822-4212 or realestate@brturbo.com.br Brazil is growing and developing its economy. The good news is that though the country is developing its infrastructure and seeking its place on the world economic stage, the Brazilians, culturally, don't obsess 24/7 about "to-do" lists and work work work.... They don't define themselves solely by their careers or assets. They know how to slow down, set work aside, enjoy friends and family and live the life tranquillo. Brazil is edgy, spicy, overt, and at times totally in your face. I saw passion and ferocity -- humor, warmth and solidarity -- unbridled sensuality, and much love and kindness. Brazil and her people look to the future with wonder and enthusiasm. So go see the beautiful state of Santa Catarina, the Island of Santa Catarina, the city of Florianopolis, the town of Lagoa da Conceição, and just off the beaten path, the little surf oasis of Garopaba. These areas offer promise to the entrepreneur and adventurer. It's about finding your niche here and making a life. Now is the time. © Brad Leigh 2006. All rights reserved.
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In
preparing for this trip, there were flights, hotels, pousadas, B &
B's, shuttles, taxis, and other details to coordinate, all of which I entrusted
to Guga's girlfriend, Camila Cintra who co-owns and operates an event planning
and travel agency in Florianopolis called América do Sol -- Tel
(48) 3224-7707 
