Brazil
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Visas, Embassies & Border Crossings
The Sao Paulo Federal Police who can provide visa extensions for visa stays are no longer at Avenida Prestes Maia, Centro. Their new address is Rua Hugo D'Antola 95, Lapa, Sao Paulo. It's about a 10 minute walk from Lapa train station. The visa extension procedure is also a little different to that written in my version of guide. On my first visit I was provided with a simple form to complete and instructions to register on the Federal Police website which then generates another form. I had to print this newly generated form out and take it to the bank to pay $R22.50. The bank then give you a receipt to say you've paid (you cannot pay at the police building or via the internet - you have to go through this internet/bank procedure) and you take this back to the Lapa federal police, together with a photocopy of:- onward ticket, entry/exit card, credit/debit card in applicants name. once all this was done my extension was issued with no problem. The new federal police station is airconditioned, has a little cafe, toilets etc. not a bad place to hang around for a day or two.
Gina Cruickshank, UK (Dec 05)
Travel Alert: When we arrived at the Brazilian-Paraquay border, it was crazy. The one bridge between between the two countries was actually being closed while we were crossing on foot. El Presidente order all taxis, and other transportation, and stores to close, on or around the town of Ciudad de Este. We ran with all our stuff across the bridge. I found out that this was due to politics between Paraguay and Brazil. Brazil tried to put a tariff on all the items (tax free) which were being sold in Ciudad de Este in Paraguay. Brazlians would go to this city and buy goods cheap and with no tax, (supply side economics)and return to Brazil. Brazil didn't like the loss of tax revenue; so the dispute followed. Not quite sure how long this will last. Sidenote: 6280 Guarnani to the US Dollar.
Michael Mack, USA (Mar 05)
Travel Tips
More information on changing money in Rio. Banco do Brasil does not do it as I last reported. Today I went to Citibank in Centro. They do not change money, only travellers checks. They sent me to Turismo PM Cambio at 124 Rio Branco. They do change money, but not Argentine Pesos. They sent me to Moedas & Moedas Numismatica (coin collectors). They did change my A$107 pesos for R$74.9 Reals. That is a lot better than the R$32 the Marriott Hotel on Avenue Atlantica in Copacabana offered, the place Chelagarto sent me. Moedas is at R. Sete de Setembro, 88, Centro.
Harvey Schwartz, USA (Mar 06)
Comment on hotel charges: Most of the more expensive tourist hotels will add a "tourist tax" of R$1 to R$2 per night. We learned that this tax is optional. Say you don't want to pay and they take it right off. Also, several times the maid said we used something in the frigo bar when we didn't. This can add a lot to the bill if you're in a hotel for a while. Make sure to check your bill carefully.
Caryl Bergeron (Feb 06)
Moving About
I wanted to point out that I regret not having bought an airpass for Brazil as I wanted to see lots of diverse places in 3 weeks and really ended up spending an enormous proportion of my time on buses. Internal flights can be very expensive and even the bus fares really add up and took me well over my budget. I had thought that I might be able to get an airpass whilst travelling but this is completely impossible and i think it needs to be pointed out to travellers that they should seriously think about organising this from the UK or wherever to save a huge amount of time and money in brazil.
Zoe Fisher, UK (Sep 05)
You might note that TAM now operates international flights, that VASP is gone (and VARIG may well be on its way) while TAM & Gol are filling the void. Mention might also be made of Ocean Air which fly old turbo prop Embraer 120â??s to some pretty strange places.
Richard Huber, USA (Sep 05)
Public buses in Rio are safe, cheap, and adventurously fun! Near the Cathedral, seek out the St. Teresa tram, a little street car half-tourism, half-transportation for locals; it goes through a bunch of different neighborhoods with businessmen, families and kids jumping on an off; plus it's cheap (1.20 centavos).
Joe Fingerhut, USA (Aug 05)
Be careful when travelling by night on the road BR 040 Brasília - Belo Horizonte. In August 2003, we spent the day in Brasília and we caught the bus to Belo Horizonte at night (departure at 9.15 pm and arrival at Belo Horizonte at 9 am). We bought the ticket normally and took our place in the bus - everything seemed quite normal. Around midnight, the bus stopped for eating and going to the toilet. Surprisingly, after the break just before continuing the trip, the driver told the passengers (with the biggest calm as if he was saying: "look at the moon"): "now begins the stretch when thieves attack. If it happens, you should let go away everything they want. If not, they can kill you"... Nobody had warned us about this before!
Happily, this threat didn't become reality. But travellers should get information on the security of this stretch of road before starting the trip or avoid travelling by night between Brasília (the Brazil's capital) and Belo Horizonte. Actually, many passengers confirmed us that thefts in this road are a "normal" reality.
Agostinho Pissarreira, Portugal (Sept 03)
Scams & Warnings
I love Brazil and this trip was my fourth to this fascinating country. Unfortunately, I had a very unpleasant incident at a pizzeria. When I paid with two 50 real bills inside the usual leather binder which they bought to the table, the waiter returned about 3 minutes insiting I had given him a 50 and a 20. We argued but since I had no proof I just accepted to lose the money. He argued the bills were quite similar but that was not at all true. So, just in case something of this nature happens to you, I would show the bills and tell the waiter something like: "I'm giving you 100".
André Gauvreau, Canada (Jan 06)
Rio de Janeiro: We were mugged at knife-point in Santa Teresa. We were fully aware of the risks and noted your comment that Santa Teresa's streets were to be treated with caution. Immediately upon leaving the safety of the tram with its accompanying policeman, we attracted a lot of attention, despite only wearing casual clothes, and the whole area felt very unsafe. We were mugged within 10 minutes of leaving the tram to begin the walking tour. In addition the square at which you recommend leaving the tram was very lonely indeed and it was on Rua Da Oriente that we were mugged by two young men who drove past us on a moped, stopped around the corner and then came back. Since we immediately handed over the money we had, we were not harmed. Even after the mugging and whilst going to the police station in Santa Teresa, we noticed further young men riding in pairs on mopeds looking at us to see if we had anything worth stealing - and I think this is a common tactic. Upon reporting the mugging at the tourist police station in Leblon, the policeman said that, although very beautiful, Santa Teresa is a "very dangerous place" and that even though he carries a gun, he would still not go to Santa Teresa. If visitors really want to see Santa Teresa they should stay on the tram where there is a policeman. I do not think it is sensible to go on a walking tour in this area.
Philip Aiken, UK (Mar 05)
When leaving Belo Horizonte for Rio on an overnight bus, I was robbed. A man offered me a beer in a cup. I went to the bathroom and threw it out. About 4 AM I woke up with another man's 2 hands in my front pockets. He ran, but didn't get anything. The first guy made off with my day pack, camera, etc.
The police tried to help and brought 2 guys, but they were the wrong ones. The beer I threw out must have been the second dose. The police told me that when the guy bumped against me, that he probably had drugs on his long sleeve shirt and they were absorbed through my skin. I thought you might want to warn others about this technique. They also put the drugs on paper and rub that against you. Never a dull moment!
Clem Vetters, USA (Mar 05)
Gems, Highlights & Attractions
My wife and I were in Brazil for a couple of weeks recently, mainly on business, which included a couple of days in Bento Gonçalves. and the Vale dos Vinhedos. This is Brazilâ??s answer to the Napa Valley and is immensely popular as a tourist destination for Brazilians. There are a couple of dozen wineries offering tastings and a number of restaurants, some actually quite good. Nearby Garibaldi also hosts a number of wineries and is renowned for its sparkling wines.
We also spent last weekend in Diamantina. This is again an immensely popular destination for Brazilian tourists. Twice a month the town hold a vesperata in which musicians posted in windows & balconies around a quaint square, Beco do Mota, play old favorites while tourists sit at tables and enjoy drinks and snacks.
Richard Huber, USA (Sep 05)
Rio de Janeiro: New Year's Eve on Copacabana beach ranks alongside Sydney Harbour for a way to see in the New Year in style. Live music on four stages until 4am, half an hour of fireworks from four barges in the ocean at midnight, and a waterfall of fire off the top of one of the beachfront hotels are simply snapshots. Superb. Oh and make sure you mention everyone dresses completely in white for the evening!
The Favela Tour is also a must do - the tour is very professional and the guide spoke perfect English and was very interesting and informative. The favelas weren't at all as we were expecting and this is the only way to see the other side of Rio. Not unsafe at all. Would recommend to anyone!
Antonia Cobb, UK (Jan 04)
Yarns, Fables & Anecdotes
Food prices in Brazil: It is incredible how cheap the food can be in Brazil. In Foz the Iguacu we found a place where you pay R$5 for an all you can eat buffet with juice and chicken. But we still managed to find something cheaper. When we were waiting for a connecting bus in Curitiba we left the bus station to find a place to eat. We had to walk a little as most places were closed (it was 5pm). After a while my friend said: "Look! There is a Buffet 200 over there!" We got closer, thinking what 200 could mean. Then we saw that the sign actually said Buffet 2.00R$. An all-you-can-eat place for just R$2! We could not believe it. We entered and asked the owner. He confirmed the price. Then I asked about meat. He said that we could have a piece of beef. I was glad to hear that, because I thought the beef would have an additional price. But no, the beef was included in the price of R$2! I discussed with my friends if we should take the risk of eating there. In the end we decided to do it, just to have one more travel experience. The food was not the most delicious we had in Brazil, however, none of us had stomach problems afterwards!
Ralf Hempel, Germany (Jan 06)
I thought I would start this third, and final, newsletter from Brazil by making what I might ( somewhat pompously ) call "cultural observations"! Rather than simply describe my movements from one town to another, I thought I would write down some personal observations. Here is a list of some things I have noticed:
MATE After spending time in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay it can come as quite a shock to visit a country where people are NOT constantly drinking mate!!! I have seen a few people strolling around with the equipment necessary for drinking mate, but here in Brazil mate consumption is greatly reduced. As you might expect in Brazil, coffee is king.
LANGUAGE Whoever said that Portuguese and Spanish are similar.... was lying!!! I think there are considerable differences, and I have found very few people who can speak English, or who claim to speak Spanish! Interestingly, most people in the tourist information centres only speak Portuguese. Very helpful!
COSMETIC SURGERY It could be that liposuction has reduced the weight of many people. I say this because one clue to the origins of the physical perfection that(generally)surrounds me might be found in the magazines I have seen in the newsagents. I have noticed two titles concerning plastic surgery.... "Plastic & Beauty" and "Plastic & You"! I can't believe there would be a viable market for such titles in Britain. Are these Brazilian beauties cheating?
SHARIAH LAW Shariah Law is the extreme Muslim code of conduct that some Muslims want to impose on Britain. I found myself thinking about the advance of fundamentalist Islam for two reasons. One is that South America seems happily removed from the religious and military turmoil afflicting other continents. Long may that be the case. The second reason is that this is the land where grandmothers wear "hilo dental" (i.e. dental floss) on the beach, dental floss being the slang term for microscopic bikini bottoms. In a land where grandmothers wear dental floss bikinis the imposition of Shariah Law would be impossible. Oil and water mix better than the Brazilian lifestyle and religious austerity.
BIKINI BOTTOMS While sitting in the launderette in Florianópolis I stumbled across an incredible article in the local newspaper. I thought I understood what I was trying to read (in Portuguese). A conversation with a Brazilian girl who spoke English confirmed my attempts at a translation. The writer stated his belief that the bikini bottom was THE defining mark of a Brazilian summer! And he claimed that women from the age of 14 to 61 had inspired innumerable male fantasies. As his article became more and more fervent, and increasingly patriotic, he stated defiantly: Let the British keep Big Ben. Let the French have their Eiffel Tower. Let the Americans have their tanks and bombs. We have the bikini bottom! So there you have it! The bikini bottom! It's useless for telling the time, offering panoramic views of capital cities or engaging in warfare.... but so what! It gives Brazil its national identity!!!
MORMONS I have no axe to grind with Mormons. They are smart and polite, and they don't bother me. I wanted to give them a pat on the back because, however flawed their ideology might be, they get EVERYWHERE in Brazil and deserve respect for that!
HORSES A disappointing feature of my time in Brazil has been the realisaton that many, many horses are forced to work very hard every day, often in brutal heat. Their owners, predictably, are not from the higher echelons of Brazilian society and their impoverished lives incline them to treat these poor beasts like machines that lack feelings. Horrible. I find myself unable to look these creatures in the eye.
IRON MAIDEN If you can decide a nation's favourite band by the number of T-shirts you see in the street then Iron Maiden, the British heavy metal band, would have to be number 1.
Adrian Pope, UK (Feb 03)
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