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Introducing Brazil
A land of magnificent beaches, vast rain forests and music-fueled cities, Brazil bears an astounding variety of natural and cultural wonders. This is the world’s largest country in the tropics, and the only limit to a journey here is your imagination. Setting the stage are idyllic, unspoiled islands such as Ilha do Mel or
Ilha Grande, pristine stretches of coastline fronting emerald seas, and jewel-box colonial towns like
Ouro Prêto or
Olinda. Then you have the cities: Brasilia, the futuristic inland capital;
Salvador,
the historic and colorful pearl of the northeast;
the megalopolis-with-the-most
São Paulo and - of course -
Rio de Janeiro. Spectacular, sassy, simply unforgettable - you'll run out of superlatives trying to do this
Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvellous
City) justice!
Whether or not you come for Carnaval, music is a big part of the Brazilian experience. There are numerous ways to discover the perfect beat, from dancing with Cariocas at
Rio’s atmospheric samba clubs to scratch-skilled DJs of
São Paulo and an endless variety of regional sounds that extends from the back-country sertanejo to reggae-loving Maranhão.
Given the country’s many riches, it’s no surprise that Brazil has been turning heads for centuries. Among the first to fall under the spell was the Portuguese king himself (Dom João VI), who came, fell in love and just couldn’t tear himself away from his adopted homeland -something to keep in mind when booking that return flight!
Introducing Rio de Janeiro
Be warned: Rio’s powers of seduction can leave you with a bad case of saudade (indescribable longing) when you leave. Planted between lush, forest-covered mountains and breathtaking beaches, the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City) has many charms at her disposal.
Although joie de vivre is a French invention (as is the bikini), it’s the Cariocas (Rio dwellers) who’ve made it their own. How else to explain the life-lusting zeal with which the city’s inhabitants celebrate their days? While large-scale festivities like Carnaval make Rio famous, there are countless occasions for revelry
- Saturday at Ipanema Beach, a festa (party) in Lapa, soccer at Maracanã, or an impromptu roda de samba (samba circle) on the sidewalks of Leblon,
Copacabana or any other corner of the city.
Music is the meeting ground for some of
Brazil’s most creative artists and nets an audience as diverse as the city. This is another of Rio’s disarming traits: its rich melting pot of cultures. Cariocas they may call themselves, but the city’s enticing variety of cuisines speaks volumes about its history of immigration.
The spectacular landscape is another of Rio’s shameless virtues. Verdant mountains and white-sand beaches fronting deep blue sea offer a range of adventure: surfing great breaks off Prainha, hiking through Tijuca’s rain forests, sailing across the Baía de Guanabara (Guanabara Bay) or rock climbing up the face of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain).
Introducing São Paulo
One of the world’s biggest metropolises, São Paulo looms large over
South America. While the city lacks the natural beauty of Rio, Sampa
- as it’s affectionately called by locals
- has much going for it. This is, after all, the cultural capital of
Brazil, with a dizzying array of attractions including first-rate museums, nightly concerts, experimental theater and dance. The nightclubs, bars and restaurants are among the best on the continent. Paulistanos (inhabitants of the city) believe in working hard and playing harder, and despite constantly complaining about street violence, clogged highways and pollution, most wouldn’t dream of living anywhere else.
Though founded in 1554 by Jesuits, São Paulo remained a colonial backwater for much of its history. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that it began to emerge from the shadows, and the 20th century brought an explosion of immigrants from all over the world to work on the railroads, in the factories and in the fields. By the 1950s São Paulo took the lead as the country’s industrial and commercial center. The result of the flood of immigrants is clear: the city of 17 million (metropolitan) is
Brazil’s most culturally diverse destination. For the wanderer, a stroll through Sampa’s neighborhoods is a window into the shops and restaurants of the world.
History
Brazil’s population, the fifth biggest in the world, reached its lands from
Africa,
Asia,
Europe and other parts of the Americas
- diverse origins that have created one of the planet’s most racially mixed societies. How they came, intermingled and developed the unique Brazilian identity that charms visitors today is a rough-and-tumble story of courage, greed, endurance and cruelty, eventually yielding a fitful progress towards the democracy the country now enjoys.
When to go
Brazil’s high season runs from October to April. This is when the country fills with both foreign visitors and vacationing Brazilian families (school holidays run from mid-December to Carneval, usually in February). Brazil’s low season runs from May to September.
The South has the most extreme temperature changes, and during the coldest winter months (June to August), Rio Grande do Sul,
Santa Catarina,
Paraná and
São Paulo have temperatures between 13°C (55.4°F) and 18°C (64.4°F). In some towns, the occasional snowfall is even possible. As elsewhere along the coast, summer is quite hot, and you’ll have lots of company on the beach.
Money
Although still cheaper than
North America and parts of
Europe, Brazil, with its booming economy and strong
Real, has become
South America’s most expensive country.
Tipping
Workers in most services get tipped 10%, and as they make the minimum wage
- which is not enough to live on
- you can be sure they need the money. In restaurants the service charge will usually be included in the bill and is mandatory. If a waitperson is friendly and helpful you can give more. When the service charge is not included, a 10% tip is customary.
There are many places where tipping is not customary but is a welcome gesture. The local juice stands, bars, coffee corners, street and beach vendors are all tipped on occasion. Parking assistants receive no wages and are dependent on tips, usually R$ 2.00. Gas-station attendants, shoe shiners and barbers are also frequently tipped. Most people round up taxi fares to the nearest real, but tipping is not expected.
Brazil’s currency is the real (hay-ow; often written R$); the plural is reais
(hay-ice). One real is
made up of 100 centavos.
The real was introduced
on a one-for-one parity
with the US Dollar in
1994 but after 13 years
of modest fluctuations
reached a value of
around USD 0.50 by 2007.
Banknotes are easy to distinguish from each other as they come in different colors with a different animal featured on each. There’s a green one-real note (hummingbird), a blue two (hawksbill turtle), a violet five (egret), a scarlet 10 (macaw), a yellow twenty (lion-faced monkey), a golden-brown 50 (jaguar) and a blue 100 (grouper fish).
ATMs
ATMs are the easiest way of getting cash in big cities and are common. In many smaller towns, ATMs exist but rarely work for non-Brazilian cards. Make sure you have a four-digit PIN (longer PINs may not work). In general HSBC, Citibank, Banco do Brasil and Bradesco are the best ATMs to try. Look for the stickers on the machines that say Cirrus, Visa, or whatever system your card uses
- though this may not mean the machine will necessarily work. Do take care when using ATMs; there have been a number of scams, where criminals have managed to hack into bank accounts of ATM users and subsequently drain them. See also Dangers & Annoyances.
Cash &
Traveler’s Checks
Even if you are relying mainly on credit or debit cards as your source of funds, it’s not a bad idea to take some cash and traveler’s checks in reserve. You can change these in banks or in casas de câmbio (exchange offices). Banks have slower, more bureaucratic procedures but on the whole give better exchange rates (an exception being Banco do Brasil which charges R$ 40.00 commission for every traveler’s check transaction). You’ll usually get a 1% or 2% better exchange rate for cash than for traveler’s checks. Checks, of course, have the advantage of being replaceable if lost or stolen.
Both cash and traveler’s checks should be either in US dollars or euros, and Amex is easily the most recognized traveler’s check. Thomas Cook, Barclays and Citibank traveler’s checks are less widely accepted, but you should be able to cash them in large cities.
Credit
Cards
You can use credit cards for many purchases and to make cash withdrawals from ATMs and banks. Visa is the most widely accepted card, followed by MasterCard. Amex and Diners Club cards are also useful. Visa cash advances are widely available, even in small towns with no other currency-exchange facilities; you’ll need your passport, and the process can be time consuming, especially at the ubiquitous but bureaucratic Banco do Brasil. In Brazilian banks generally, it’s preferable to deal with machines than to try to make contact with human beings. Credit card fraud is extremely common in Brazil. Keep your card in sight at all times, especially in restaurants.
Health
Insurance
If your health insurer doesn’t cover you for medical expenses incurred abroad, you’ll need to get some extra travel insurance. Find out in advance if your travel insurer will make payments directly to providers or reimburse you later for overseas health expenditures.
Recommended Vaccinations
Since most vaccines don’t produce immunity until at least two weeks after they’re given, visit a physician four to eight weeks before departure. Ask your doctor for an International Certificate of Vaccination (otherwise known as the yellow booklet), which will list all the vaccinations you’ve received. This is mandatory for countries that require proof of yellow-fever vaccination upon entry, but it’s a good idea to carry it wherever you travel.
Yellow Fever Vaccination
Requirements
The presentation of a
yellow fever
immunization
international
certificate is
compulsory to enter
Brazil if you come from
or through one of the
countries listed below:
-
From Africa: Angola,
Benin, Burkina Fasso,
Burundi, Cameroon,
Central African
Republic, Chad,
Congo, Dem. Rep. of
the Congo, Ethiopia,
Gabon, Gambia,
Ghana, Guinea,
Guinea-Bissau,
Equatorial Guinea,
Ivory Coast, Kenya,
Liberia, Mali,
Mauritania, Niger,
Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao
Tome and Principe,
Senegal, Sierra
Leone, Somalia,
Sudan, Tanzania,
Togo and Uganda
-
From South America:
Bolivia, Colombia,
Ecuador, French
Guiana, Guiana,
Peru, Suriname and
Venezuela
-
From Central
America: Panama and
Trinidad and Tobago
Vaccination against yellow fever is also compulsory for all travelers when visiting the following states of Brazil:
-
Acre, Amazonas, Amapá, Distrito Federal, Goiás, Maranhao, Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima, Tocantins
Vaccination against yellow fever is recommended for all travelers when visiting the following states of Brazil:
-
Bahia, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Piauí, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina
Medical Checklist
Bring medications in their original containers, clearly labeled. A signed, dated letter from your doctor describing your medical conditions and medications (including their generic names) is a good idea. If carrying syringes or needles, take a physician’s letter documenting their medical necessity.
Internet Resources
There is a wealth of travel-health advice on the internet. The World Health Organization (WHO) publishes a superb book called
International Travel and Health, which is revised annually and is available online at no cost (www.who.int/ith/
). Another website of general interest is the MD Travel Health website at
www.mdtravelhealth.com, which provides free, complete travel-health recommendations for every country and is updated daily.
It’s usually a good idea to consult your government’s travel-health website before departure, if one is available:
Availability & Cost of
Health Care
For an ambulance in Brazil, call 192, or an emergency number (listed following).
Good medical care is available in the larger cities, but may be difficult to find in rural areas. Medical care in Brazil may be extremely expensive. Most doctors and hospitals expect payment in cash, regardless of whether you have travel-health insurance.
The Einstein Hospital (emergencies 55-11-3747 0200, ambulance & air ambulance 0xx11-3747 1000/1100; Av Albert Einstein 627, Morumbi) in
São Paulo is used by expatriates throughout Brazil, including US government personnel. English is also spoken at Hospital Sírio-Libânes (information 0xx11-2344 8877, ambulance 0xx11-826 0111 or 926 0400; Rua da Adma Jafet 91, Bela Vista) in
São Paulo.
If you develop a medical emergency while in Rio, you can call Hospital Samaritano (0xx21-2537 9722; Rua Bambina 98, Botafogo), Clínica São Vicente (0xx21-2529 4422; Rua João Borges 204, Gávea), Hospital Ipanema (0xx21-3111 2300; Rua Antônio Parreiras 67, Ipanema),Miguel Couto Hospital (0xx21-2274 2121; Av Bartolomeu Mitre 1108, Gávea) or Pró-Cardíaco (information 0xx21-2537 4242, ambulance 0xx21-2527 6060; Rua General Polidoro 192, Botafogo)
- the latter specializes in cardiac emergencies.
If you develop a life-threatening medical problem, you’ll probably want to be evacuated to a country with state-of-the-art medical care. Since this may cost tens of thousands of dollars, be sure you have insurance to cover this before you depart.
Each Brazilian pharmacy has a licensed pharmacist. Most are well supplied. Many medications that require prescriptions in the US are available over the counter in Brazil. If you’re taking medication on a regular basis, be sure you know its generic (scientific) name, since many pharmaceuticals go under different names in Brazil. Droga Raia is a large pharmacy chain; many stores are open 24 hours.
Safety
Brazil receives a lot of bad press about its violence and high crime rate. While undoubtedly sensationalized by the media, many tourists do get robbed while in Brazil, and you’ll want to minimize the risks of becoming a victim. Don’t start your trip by wandering around touristy areas in a jet-lagged state soon after arrival: you’ll be an obvious target. Accept the fact that you might be mugged, pick pocketed or have your bag snatched while you’re in the country. If you carry only the minimum needed for the day (neither too much nor too little), and don’t try to resist thieves, you’re unlikely to come to any real harm.
Other Tips:
-
Don’t come to Brazil with jewelry, iPods, expensive watches and other items you’ll worry about.
-
Don’t dress like a gringo. Avoid wearing baseball caps, shiny sunglasses and black socks (Brazilians, like North Americans, wear white socks with sneakers). Dress down in casual clothes that blend in. Bermuda shorts, T-shirts, a pair of Hawaiians and other clothes bought in Brazil are a good choice.
-
Keep small change handy so you don’t have to flash a wallet to pay bus fare.
-
Don’t wear a backpack when out sightseeing.
-
Don’t wander around with a camera in view
- keep it out of sight. Consider carrying it in a plastic bag from a local store. Disposable cameras are much less worry.
-
Before arriving in a new place, get a map or at least have a rough idea of the area’s orientation. Use taxis to avoid walking through high-risk areas.
-
Be alert and walk purposefully. Criminals will hone in on dopey, hesitant, disoriented-looking individuals.
-
Use ATMs inside buildings. When using any ATM or exchanging money, be aware of those around you. Robbers sometimes watch these places looking for targets.
-
If you’re suspicious or uneasy about a situation, don’t hesitate to make excuses and leave, change your route, or whatever else is needed to extricate yourself.
-
Don’t take anything to city beaches except your bathing suit, a towel and just enough money for food and drinks. No camera, no bag, no jewelry.
-
After dark, don’t walk along empty or nearly empty streets or into deserted parks.
-
Don’t wander into the favelas (shantytowns) unless you’re with a trustworthy guide who really knows the area.
-
Never carry any more money than you need for the specific outing you’re on, and keep it discreetly stashed away in a money belt, sock, secret pocket or shoe. But always have enough cash on hand to appease a mugger (R$ 20.00 to R$ 40.00).
-
If something is stolen from you, you can report it to the police, but it can be an enormous hassle just to get a police report for your insurance company. The tourist police are the best equipped to deal with foreigners, but are rare outside of Rio.
Scams &
Robbery Techniques
One of the biggest new scams to hit Brazil in recent years is the hacking into a person’s bank account after he or she uses an ATM machine. There have been many reports of this by travelers throughout Brazil. When withdrawing money, try to use machines inside banks that get a lot of pedestrian traffic and always hide the number pad when you’re inputting your PIN.
Distraction is a common tactic employed by street thieves in Brazil and elsewhere around the world. The aim is to throw potential victims off guard so that they’re easier prey. It may be something as simple as asking you for a cigarette or a light so that you slow down and take your attention off other people around you.
Techniques are continually being developed, and imported or exported across national borders, to relieve the unwary of their belongings. Keep abreast of new scams by talking to other travelers. Theft and security are sources of endless fascination and stories.
Exercise extreme caution when someone you don’t know and trust offers you a drink of any kind or even cigarettes, sweets etc. If the circumstances make you suspicious, the offer can be tactfully refused by claiming stomach or other medical problems.
Sun
To protect yourself from excessive sun exposure, you should stay out of the midday sun, wear sunglasses and a wide-brimmed sun hat, and apply sunscreen with SPF15 or higher, with both UVA and UVB protection. Sunscreen should be generously applied to all exposed parts of the body approximately 30 minutes before sun exposure and should be reapplied after swimming or vigorous activity. Travelers should also drink plenty of fluids and avoid strenuous exercise when the temperature is high.
Water
Tap water in Brazil is not safe to drink. Vigorous boiling for one minute is the most effective means of water purification. At altitudes greater than 2,000 m (6,500 ft), boil for three minutes.
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