Has anyone been to Brazil?

[Jon]

I'm off there for three weeks this summer and could do with a bit of travel advice.

I'm staying with a friend in Sao Paulo and so am spending about a week there. Then, a few days in Rio. After that I'm a bit vaguer. The waterfalls on the border of Brazil and Argentina - Foz do iguacu, I think it's called.

Then I thought maybe a flight to Salvador and base myself there for a few days, maybe go to a few beaches or some towns eg Recife and Olinda.

Any suggestions about what to do and where to stay in any of the places above (or anywhere else - nothing's booked yet apart from the flight out there) would be most welcome.

[Nishlord]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

sidjames is your man for this thread.

[gt3]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

I was there last summer - couple of days in Rio, then overland to Foz via Sao Paulo, then back to Rio.

Cross the border into Argentina to see the Falls - much more spectacular from that side. It's relatively easy by bus. On your way back into Brazil make sure you check back in at the border post - don't stay on the bus all the way back to Foz - or else, as I had to, you have to go back to the border to get your immigration form which you'll need when you fly out (they take it off you as you leave Brazil to enter Argentina). The Brazilians are dead strict about that form I saw a woman with two young kids not being allowed onto a flight at Rio 'cos she didn't have that form.

There are plenty of places to stay right outside the bus terminal at Foz in Argentina.

I'll see ifr I can dig out the details of the hotel I stayed in whilst in Rio - it was the Flamengo district and just a short walk from a very family friendly beach. Great views of Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Corcovado.

If sidjames has registered here he'll have more to say - he lives there and was able to organise footy tickets. Top bloke.

[Banana Banana]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

I've been in the far north - Roraima and Amazonas - and entered by canoe

[Jon]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Top tips, gt3, especially that one about the immigration form. I'm generally rubbish at remembering such things and last year they wouldn't let me fly home out of Mexico City until I had bribed the lovely woman at the immigration office to sort me out with a new one. (Helps if you can flirt in Spanish).

Is there anything else on the Argentinian side worth visiting? I read somewhere of some Jesuit missions over there. And is it worth going to Paraguay while I'm over there?

Wiil hold out for Sidjames. Football-wise I was going to look into it nearer the time. All I know is that my mate's wife is from a family of Corinthian fas and, as she has pledged allegiance to West Brom, I have to reciprocate. Apologies to everyone if this if the wrong choice to make.

[Jon]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Yes, I was thinking about the Amazon but didn't realise how far north it was. It's a big old country isn't it? I think I'll have to leave that till next time I go.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

I agree with gt3 -- Iguazu's nicer on the Argentinian side.

I didn't find Sao Paulo that engaging, although I'm sure it will be much better if you have friends to show you around.

Rio obviously worth a visit, but be careful--there's loads of thieves about.

I went to Ilha Grande on the Costa Verde, which was really nice. I don't think it was more than a 2-3 hour bus journey from Rio.

[WOM]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Ronnie Biggs is your man for this thread. He can be reached at Norwich Prison...

[erwin]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

.

Yes, the Foz is a must-see. One of the wonders of the world, I'd say.

I'd definitely go up the Amazon a bit. If you get to Manaus, you can get on a boat, or hire a private guide, like we did - a bloke who was born in Bristol but had gone native. We spent three nights in a hut on stilts about an hour up river - so into the wild, but not too much! Catching piranhas and jacarés (we put them back), drinking water from vines, dodging spiders the size of dinner plates ... that sort of thing.

Natal has lovely dunes and the biggest cashew tree in the world.

.

[gt3]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

I thought Sao Paulo was astonishing. The urban sprawl is breathtaking - and that's not just the smog.

I was robbed in Rio in broad daylight - though partly my own fault - I was walking through a bit of Rio - Santa Therese which I shouldn't have been. As I said when I first mentioned it happening over on OTF, the sound of guunfire from the adjoining favela should perhaps have warned me!

Yes - there's a great Jesuit mission a just south of Foz on the Argentinian side - St Ignacio Mini http://www.colonialvoyage.com/jesuits.html - you can do it in a day round trip by bus, though the return journey was a bit more arduous than the journey out. Allow it to take a whole day, though the mission is only a couple of hours.

Just south of Rio - by which I mean six hours on a bus - is a beautiful sea-side town - Paraty. Really lovely.

At Foz make sure you do the boat trip that takes you to the foot of the falls. Really exhilarating. Be prepared to be very very wet though, I kid you not!

If you're travelling by bus alot, try to get seats near the front. The toilets at the back can get a bit "ripe" on long journeys. The service stations on the motorways vary from state of the art to a bench with an old lady and her daughter providing pre-sweetened coffee in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.

As for the Amazon - a friend of mine travelled overland from Salvador back to Rio - in that time I'd flown to Berlin and back for the weekend. So, yes, it *is* a big old place.

[Jon]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Yes, I've read about the dangers of Rio but it's much better to hear it from someone who's actually experienced it first hand. Then you do really sit up and take notice. Thanks again, gt3.

As an aside, the local library just rang and the Alex Bellos book about Brazilian football is ready for collection. Sweet!

[Tony C]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

My son went to Recife for four weeks last summer so if you're going to the North West I could offer some second-hand advice.

[gt3]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Read that book "Futebol" whilst I was there - really added a certain piquancy to it.

Juust remembered, there's a really great bar/restaurant opposite the Museum of the Republic in Rio - Bar Julietta - named after the President who was assasinated in what is now that Museum. The Museum is worth a visit - They've still his pyjamas that he was wearing when he was shot - they're bloodstained. It's also a really pretty building inside. I think it's free on Sundays.

The bar I've mentioned does rocket fuel caiparinhias. They're wonderful but lethal!

[Jon]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Yes Tony - Recife, Natal. I'm pretty sure I'll be heading up around there so that would be great.

Off to the library now to pick up said book.

[gt3]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

This is where I stayed in Rio:

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g303506-d305615-Reviews-Hotel_Regina-Rio_de_Janeiro_State_of_Rio_de_Janeiro.html

[cantagalo]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Hi Jon

Well, I suppose I'm something of an expert as I live there for half the year but I can't fault the excellent advice that previous posters have given.

Foz d'Iguaçu is fantastic - Argentinian side recommended but apart from the falls there's not a lot to do there so don't spend more than a couple of days there. The Paraguayan side is just a big duty free shopping market.

I visited Salvador last year - well worth seeing for the churches (one for every day of the year) and learning about the slave trade and the impact of African culture on Brazil. There's some nice beaches as well.

But as for Rio - I know I'm biased but, for me, it's the most beautiful, exciting and vibrant city in the world. Beaches, night-life, music, food and, of course, football. Three years on from my first visit and I feel like I'm still just scratching the surface. You should seriously consider extending the time you stay there. During the summer months, if you're there for a week you can usually catch four games at three different stadiums including the Maracanã.

The Alex Bellos book is a great introduction to the weird and wonderful world of Brazilian football. I'd also recommend 'A Death in Brazil' by Peter Robb which is a sort of travelogue combined with 200 years of Brazilian history and particularly useful if you're visiting the North East.

Anyway, I'll be back there from July onwards so if that coincides with your visit, or you need any more info drop me a pm as I enjoy doing a bit of amateur tour guiding.

Oh and gt3 - still haven't managed that big London weekend out. If you've got any recommendations, let me know.

[loose cannon]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

There’s a big fashion store/ brand(?) in Brazil called Daspu.
Arte had a program a while ago about a fashion label set up by prostitutes called Daslu – look out for some of their stuff if you want something offbeat and indie.

http://www.daslu.com.br/

http://madeinbrazil.typepad.com/madeinbrazil/2005/12/fashion_whores.html

http://www.daspu.com.br/

[ad hoc]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Second the recommendation of Parati. It's actually about half way between SP and Rio, so you could stop off there on the way between the two (though it's not on the most direct route).
And i agree with Sid, Rio is an amazing place. I'd definitely recommend spending more time there than in SP. (Though like gt3, Rio is also the only place in the world in which I've been mugged)

[cantagalo]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

The bar gt3 mentioned is Bar Getúlio after ex- Presidente Vargas and his bullet-ridden pyjamas (Vargas's, not gt3's) in the museum opposite are certainly worth seeing.

Crimewise I've been lucky so far, but I've heard too many hair-raising stories from Brazilian friends, as well as tourists, to be complacent. The nearest I´ve come to being robbed was outside a nightclub at about 3.30 in the morning when I was approached by some street kids begging. As I searched for a few Reais they tried to take my watch and the contents of my other pockets but I bravely threatened them and they ran off. I'd never have been able to live down being mugged by four 9 year old girls.

[Jon]

Has anyone been to Brazil?

Just to say many thanks to everyone for their suggestions. Work begins apace on booking internal flights/accomodation etc. Also to say - PM for sidjames.

I'm loving that Alex Bellos book so far. What a great opening chapter, about the Brazilians in the Faroe Islands.

He doesn't go for florid prose at all, more of a 'tell it like it is' style but it really works. Plus he isn't afraid to insult our intelligences - he assumes we are ignorant of all things Brazilian.