I have always hated south-american soap-operas, but this show is better than Dallas. It has an interesting subject, good actors, absolutely gorgeous scenes, and the music... Ah! the music ! Is the best ! It' also nice to see Islamic people presented as human, and not as "terrorist beasts".
The only thing that bothers me is that the show has so many episodes, and I foresee that many more will follow (at his date - Dec '02 - we are watching the episodes where Xande is falsely accused by Maysa of steeling her necklace). I started watching it because at that hour (10 PM, daily) there is nothing else to see on the Romanian TV stations (except for the third re-run of "Married, with Children" and some horrible news about murders an rapes). It's pleasant detachment, before going to sleep, of all the stress accumulated during the day. P.S. In Romania, the show has 10 - 11 % rating.