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     South America Guide New Contributor Username: South Post Number: 43 Registered: 3-2004 Rating: N/A |
 BRAZIL Conventional Long Form: Federative Republic of Brazil Conventional Short Form: Brazil Local Long Form: Republica Federativa do Brasil Local Short Form: Brasil Capitol City Brasilia Location and Climate Eastern South America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean Population 184,101,109 Religion Roman Catholic 80% Language Portuguese (official), Spanish, English, French Currency Brazilian Real (BRL) 1 USD = 2.8300 BRL (October 2004) Internet Country Code .br CIA FACT BOOK Airports Aeroporto Internacional do Rio de Janeiro/Galeão Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport (GIG) Holidays | Best Time to Go Fixed Holidays: January 1: New Year's Day April 21: Tiradentes Day May 1: Labor Day July 9: Civil Holiday (São Paulo State only) September 7: Independence Day October 12: Our Lady Aparecida November 1: All Saints Day November 2: All Souls November 15: Proclamation of the Republic December 8: Immaculate Conception December 24: Christmas Eve (half day) December 25: Christmas Day December 31: New Year's Eve (half day) August to November – low season, lower crowds Carnival in February, month of December – high season, more crowds, more expensive hotels and transportation Visas/Duty Free/Health If you’re from the US, Canada, New Zealand, or Australia, you need a visa to enter the country. If you’re from the UK, you don’t. Your visa is good up to 90 days before you leave and another 90 days after you get there. You can renew it for another 90 days if it expires while you’re there. Get your visa from either a Brazilian embassy or consulate. If you get sick or hurt, remember that medical treatment is generally good, although very expensive. Better to buy traveler’s insurance before you get there. Don’t trust the tap water. Drink bottled water. Although Brazil can be a vacationer’s paradise, it’s also a third-world country, and the cities contain some unsafe elements. Crushing poverty is apparent. Brazen gangs of youths have been known to assault and rob tourists at knife or gunpoint. If you keep your wits about you, you should be fine. However, you should understand the risks. Therefore, when you’re in Rio and elsewhere, take the following precautions:
HIV/AIDS (2003 est.): Adult prevalence rate: 0.7% | People living with HIV/AIDS: 660,000 | Deaths: 15,000 Transportation - Rio Airport to City: Take a flat-rate taxi from the airport to Ipanema or Copacabana. Cost: about US$20. Subway: The Rio Metro is limited but efficient. There are two lines. You can take Line 1 from the city center to the Copacabana beaches in about 20 minutes. A single ride ticket is 2 BRL. A double-ride ticket is 4 BRL. Taxi: Rio taxi cabs are yellow with blue stripes. Hail them from the streets. Taxi cabs display flags that indicate the fare. A number 1 means a normal fare. A number 2 means a premium fare. You’ll pay more after 10 PM, on holidays (for example, Carnival) and Sundays, and during December, when crowds are at their worst. Ask the driver how much the fare is before you get in the cab. Tipping is not expected, but rounding up the bill and telling the driver to keep the change is appreciated. If you need to call for a cab, remember that you’ll pay about 20 percent more. It’s worth it for the safety factor if you have to travel at night. In Rio, dial Transcoopass at 021/2560-4888 or Coopertramo at 021/2560-2022. Bus: Buses are inexpensive (you do need exact change), but are not air-conditioned and are crowded. Also, they’re havens for pickpockets and petty thieves, especially during rush hour. If you have to take one, avoid window seats and the back rows (so you don’t look like a tourist) and don’t travel alone. Internet Cafés – Rio/Sao Paolo Cybercafe Internet Center - Downtown Rua da Alfandega, 80/401, Rio (near Uruguaiana Subway Station (Metro) Tel: (55) (21) 224 1743 Email: comercial@iconline.com.br Cost/Hour: US $5 Hours: M-F/8A – 9P; Sa/8A – 3P Internet House 195, Nossa Senhora de Copacabana Avenue, shop 106, Rio Tel/ Fax: (55) (21) 542 3348 / (55) (21) 542 3348 Email: cybercafe@internethouse.com.br Cost/Hour: BRL 10 Hours: M-Sa/9A – 10P Na Rede R. Ministro Godoi 1169, Sao Paulo 05015-001 Tel/ Fax: (55) (11) 38651479 / (55) (11) 2805660 Email: info@tonarede.com.br Cost/Hour: US $3 Hours: M-F/11A – 11P (Tu/3P – 11P) Net Corner (A Internet a seu alcance) Loja de Campinas, Rua Coronel Quirino, nº 1.252, Bairro Cambui, Campinas, São Paulo Tel: (55) (11) 3842-0072 Email: webmaster@netcorner.com.br Cost/Hour: BRL 6 Hours: M-F/9A – 10P; Sa/9A – 3P Telephone Telephone numbers: 7 digits for land lines, 8 digits for cell phones Long-distance country code: 55 In Rio: dial the number directly Long-distance domestic calls: 021 + city code + phone number International calls: 0021 + country code + area code + phone number Collect calls: 9 before the numbers City codes: Brasilia 61, Rio de Janeiro 21, São Paulo 11 Police: 190; Ambulance: 192; Fire: 193 Electricity 110 volts or 220 volts; two round-pin plugs are standard. You’ll need an adapter. Cuisine Since Brazil is close to the ocean, you’ll have lots of fresh seafood to choose from. Also, try the feijoada. It’s Rio’s signature dish. It’s made from pork and black beans, and comes with rice, kale, and flour of manioc, which is an indigenous tuber, similar to a potato. When you’re really hungry, definitely visit a Churrasco restaurant. Waiters bring large slabs of grilled meats (pork, beef, sausages, prime rib, etc.) on skewers and cut slices for you. There’s also a buffet for salad items and side dishes. It’s all you can eat. Budget to moderate-priced restaurants run from $5 to $15 per person. Ten percent is added to the bill for a service charge. Rio Restaurant List Legal Status Prostitution itself is not illegal, but pimping is. Legal prostitution here takes several forms: Sauna Houses (Termas). Your best bet for action during the day in Rio. These are full sex clubs with sauna/massage facilities and a boite (bar) or two. You pay an entry fee (average 40 BRL). Bikini-clad women see to your pleasure in private rooms (typical fee: 100-130 BRL for a 40-minute session, more for a 60-minute session). Credit cards accepted. You dress in a bathrobe and flip-flops. Spend some time (kissing, sharing drinks – drink prices are the same for you and her) with your selection before going to the cabine (room). Some women tend to be aggressive (initiate kissing, grabbing, etc.); the less attractive ones even more so. Rio Terma List Freelancers. The most popular spots in Rio are at Help disco, the boites, or the cafes along Copacabana beach. Get to Help early, best action starts around midnight. Hour sessions: about 100 BRL. All night: US $100. Prices and talent level drops after 2 AM. Hit the cafes in the mid-afternoon (4 PM). Don’t pay up front. Pay after the fact. If you can understand Portuguese, try the personals section of publications such as O Globo, O Dia, and Jornal do Brasil. More info here Escort Agencies (Acompanhantes). Rio outcall escorts are generally available from noon until early morning hours. Prices are normally 150 BRL for 1 hour and 200 BRL for two. It’s best to have some command of Portuguese, so you can give your preferences to the operator and to the lady when she arrives. Escorts tend to be slightly less attractive as the better Help or termas workers. Of course, YMMV. Rio Escort List, more information Massage Parlors (Clinica de Massagem). Massage parlors are popular in Sao Paolo. Try Antares, CelCenter, or Francebel. Brothels. The traditional brothel scene is stronger in Sao Paolo. The comfortable Bomboa is a popular place to go. Streetwalkers. If you’re interested and in Rio, you’ll find them along Ave. Atlantico (the main street along Copacabana) after dark. They tend to be unattractive or strung out on drugs, and all too often, transvestites. Links Rio City Guide Insider’s Guide to Rio |