Males preen and flex, females twitter and flutter. Then there is the parading option of moving up and down certain sections of sand. Then there is the Adonis option where the young males stretch and pose and stand in the one position for what seems eternity looking just "perfect". Then there is also the boy meets girl scenario, a friendly meet all the while still showing the physique off to its best to any other potential catch. Then there is the sporty type who will start up a game of soccer or a game of volleyball. I have never seen anything like it.

Then throw in the vendors who spend hours trudging up and down with their wares, anything from sarongs, Guarana, beer, numberplates, hotdogs, icecreams, and camarones. It is a shoppers paradise and all not moving an inch from your staked out patch of sand, because it can get mighty crowded. It really is great place to relax whilst having all the action you need in front of you.

Then when the sun goes down the action moves up to one of the local bars where they quite literally take over the pavements and the whole road. I think that sometimes the locals don't have a choice but to wait until late to go home as parking Rio style means literally with the bumpers of each car touching. All are parked in there until someone decides to leave and then the attendant rolls the main car (sans handbrake obviously) blocking the rest of the line down a bit and so on until the lucky person who does want to leave is able to. Very innovative where parking is at a premium.

Make sure you do spend some time on the sand as it really is the best place to see the locals engaged in one of their national pastimes.