Recent Reports and Changes in Rio
Hello, everyone. 10+ year lurker here who posts what he can.
Is Brazil WAY more expensive then it was a few years ago?
I spent a lot of time in Brazil around 2000-2002. I was there 6 times for a total of about 3 months. When I started going $1=2. 2R, at the end it was around 3. 7. Even at 2. 2 it was affordable but at 3. 7 it was mad cheap. I met many girls and invited them to all sorts of places. There are those motels near vidigal, I don't remember them being expensive. 60R or something? It was crazy cheap. You got a room for 6-12 hours with a round bed and a dance floor and a meal for like $25. Also I invited girls to Buzios which is a magical city about 3 hours north of Rio. There I remember renting a hotel with a balcony on top of a 200ft cliff overlooking the ocean with a hot tub and it wasn't too expensive. Maybe 120R a night ($46?). I always rented cars ($20 a day).
I can remember budgeting $3000 for a 2 week trip and I would fly a girl to Porto Seguro and buy her all kinds of crap and every night eat in good restaurants and drink in discotechs and at the end of the trip have $500 left. Is it a dream?
I read in the economist now that Rio is the most expensive city in the Western Hemisphere. I read bullshit in the New York Times about Rio being the city of $25 martinis. Can it be true? I usually don't believe this bullshit but for long time visitors is it THAT much more expensive not then 7-8 years ago?
Help Disco back them girls would say 300R and you can always go for 150-200R. In this time that was $40-$60.
Once I rented an apartment for a week. I walked into an agency on NS copacabana, they showed me a bunch of places. I settled on an apartment on Barato Ribero (sp? Next block away from beach). It was mad cheap. I think $200US a week.
In 2002 a pack of cigarettes was 1Real. An ice cold Skol on Copacabana beach was 1Real (30cents)
Any input? I've been there lots of times. I know how to move. I can speak passable Portuguese. Should I double my budget? Triple?
Obrigado voce!
Economy, Curitiba & garotas.
The BBC recently reported that Brazil has overtaken the UK as the 6th largest economy in the World. And last I heard Brazil is still having issues with rising inflation. I'm hardly an economic expert but I know enough to assume that this trend of rising prices will likely continue. Though hopefully the pace of increase will start to slow down. Enough of that banter.
Last note on Curitiba: I think the last time I was there was around 2006 or so. Long enough time for things to change so I just don't want to post a bunch of outdated information. Figure it's best to report after gaining fresh intel - I reckon. Curitiba is a long way from Rio or Sampa and hardly on the typical tourist itinerary, so it's a primarily local scene. Thus they don't have a "gouge the gringo" mindset the way they do at some places in Rio. It helps that lot of times the locals assume that I'm a Brasiliero (thanks to a natural tan and decent Portuguese). I'll cease yaking about CWB for now until I can give valuable information.
The garotas have been great every place I've been to in Brazil, whether it's the light-skinned gals down south or the morenas / mulatas up north. As long as a dame is lean with a hot little booty and just a tad "safidinha" then she is my type regardless of skin color. Thankfully throughout Brazil such women are still rather easy to find.
- DSK