Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Sperto]

Is Rua Baro de Ipanema 22, apt 1102 the one that had the Brazilian bed with the wooden slates and no box spring? My back is still killing me.

I don't remember the bed, but the owner of that apartment only buys the most expensive furnitures. Propably Ortoboms most exclusive bed.

[WyattEarp]

I was just lucky. I guess you stayed one floor above (1202 ?). Nice building in a excellent location with mostly nice neighbours and porteiros. The downside is the sndica (a true witch), the small elevator and the hassle with following night guests down to open the main door with your key.

A true witch? Sperto, you have to tell that story.

[Trokadero]

Hi guys,

Can anyone tell me when four by four opens today? I haven't been there in a while, but I'm downtown today for work so I could go there early. I will try to write an honest to god trip report so you guys will get something out of it.

[Sperto]

Actually you're right I double checked the apto # and it's different, same building tough. You're good, show you a view and you can pretty much tell us within feet where it was taken from.

I was just lucky. I guess you stayed one floor above (1202 ?). Nice building in a excellent location with mostly nice neighbours and porteiros. The downside is the síndica (a true witch), the small elevator and the hassle with following night guests down to open the main door with your key.

[Rio Bob]

If that's the apto, yes several times. One of the few aptos in that building with a balcony. Nice kitchen btw.
Rio is a small world.

Edit: Judging by your photo I doubt it's the apto that I first thought.

Actually you're right I double checked the apto # and it's different, same building tough. You're good, show you a view and you can pretty much tell us within feet where it was taken from.

[The Cane]

No matter where you go in Rio, violence, shootings and robberies can occur. Going around being scared is a big mistake. The bandits and thiefs can smell your fear just like dogs and you'll more likely be a victim.

This one got what he had coming to him. Happened in Sao Paulo, but just as easily could have been anywhere in Brazil.

https://www.aol.com/article/news/201...hool/23435603/

[Exec Talent]

Yes it's a small world, we've all slept in the same beds one time or another and with the same GDP's!

Is Rua Barão de Ipanema 22, apt 1102 the one that had the Brazilian bed with the wooden slates and no box spring? My back is still killing me.

As for sharing the same GDPs, for a shot of Johnnie Walker Blue, I will tell you which ones did NOT go ATM.

[Sperto]

Yes it's a small world, we've all slept in the same beds one time or another and with the same GDP's!

Actually we havn't slept in the same bed. I never stayed in that apto, I just know the owner and visted the apto many times.
I have stayed in another apto in the same building many times.

[Rio Bob]

If that's the apto, yes several times. One of the few aptos in that building with a balcony. Nice kitchen btw.
Rio is a small world.

Edit: Judging by your photo I doubt it's the apto that I first thought.

Yes it's a small world, we've all slept in the same beds one time or another and with the same GDP's!

[Sperto]

You've been there?

If that's the apto, yes several times. One of the few aptos in that building with a balcony. Nice kitchen btw.
Rio is a small world.

Edit: Judging by your photo I doubt it's the apto that I first thought.

[Rio Bob]

Nice video of Pestana roof top bar.
I can recommend RioBobs other videos.
Specially this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakQaj5CNwo&t=229s

I'm curious, this video is it filmed from Rua Baro de Ipanema 22 (apto 1102, a quite small but high standard apto with a balcony)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkBTNpINWfg

You've been there?

[Sperto]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ojH...ature=youtu.be

Nice video of Pestana roof top bar.
I can recommend RioBobs other videos.
Specially this one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IakQaj5CNwo&t=229s

I'm curious, this video is it filmed from Rua Barão de Ipanema 22 (apto 1102, a quite small but high standard apto with a balcony)?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkBTNpINWfg

[Dave1111]

Trust Rio Bob. He was the tour guide for Cabral's captain, Gaspar de Lemos, when he first landed in Rio.

I used to visit with flight attendants staying at the Sheraton and was a victim of the police shakedown Rio Bob mentions. They stopped my taxi, asked me to get out and put their hands in my pockets. My biggest concern was them planting drugs. However, when they discovered little money on me, I was free to go. This happened at night and coming to the hotel. Not an experience I recommend. Good thing I was wearing dark pants.

Having spent some time at a friend's house in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, near Water Planet, I cannot recommend the area for mongering. It is a great place if you want to relax and enjoy a middle class community, but not much else. Barra has some great restaurants and I used to travel there from Copa by van, but again, not where you want to be..

I walked the entire stretch of Copacabana beach and Ipanema practically every day for exercise for the last 3 months. Only saw one street offence. Be careful in the day of people walking too close behind you on Atlantica Avenue. A street rat tried to steal the purse from a guy and two Brazilian women. A lot of screaming and shouting and fists flying and the thief legged it. That was broad daylight. Learn 20 good phrases or words in Portuguese and that helps. We really do look vulnerable and out of place so quickly study what the locals do and copy it all. Re taxis, the guys hanging outside Dolce Vita will always overcharge you. Download the uber app and use it. Its at least 50% cheaper than the yellow cabs and there's no hassle. I used it 50 times without any problems.

Favelas and Funke parties. If you go to these then I think you are risking your life. I was with a favela girl for a month and went to the beach with her brother etc. I got to know a lot of what happens there. It isn't pretty and the locals are totally controlled by the three main gangs who run these favelas. If you go into a Favela and it all goes wrong the Police won't be coming in to help. You are completely at the will of the gangs. These parties are drug fuelled, all the security (young lads) are all carrying weapons. Three weeks ago the Military Police raided a funke party in Rocinha Favella in Rio after a military Policeman was killed two weeks before. They shot the two doormen dead by sniper fire at the door, entered the party and killed 9 more. Reports say 6 were shot in the back of the head (execution style), another 12 wounded. The reports vary between news agencies. It was only on the news for 1 1/2 days! If you inadvertently get caught up in the middle of that then you are screwed big time. Just do not risk it, its their world and we aren't welcome, we don't know the warning signs and even if you were fluent in Portuguese the noise of the music and the drug trance state that many are in means no-one will be able to help you. We might think its way out and a bit risque to go to such a party but its not worth the risk. Most Brazilians wouldn't even consider going to such a party.

According to google reports, 3100 military police have been killed in the last 10 years in Brazil. Most in Rio and Sao Paulo. That's nearly one a day. Apparently three are injured each day, and about 10 a day have shots fired at them but the bullet misses. Nearly all this intense action is in or close to a favela. In the last three months I heard a lot of gunfire during the hours of darkness near the favela by General Osario subway near Ipanema. I also heard a ton of rifle fire near Rocinha. Two weeks ago in broad daylight the police challenged a suspect on a bus. The CCTV shows the suspect firing at police through the window. The police completely opened fire on the bus. Windows were exploding and I believe either one or two passengers were killed, the suspect and a load wounded. That was about 3 pm in the afternoon! Don't for one minute think this is a safe venue. Like others have said, keep a clear head and blend in. But no matter how careful you are it is possible to be caught up in the middle of something bad in Rio at the moment. Its sad because 99.9% of the people are genuine nice people and deserve better than this.

[Rio Bob]

Like everybody has said the Rio Sheraton is a fine hotel and perfectly safe, only problem is you will have to take a taxi everywhere you go. One thing I've noticed about it's location is that sometimes at night the military police have traffic stops there because of it's proximity to the favelas, they will stop your taxi and look inside if there are 3 men you could be subject to a search or even if all 3 of you have girls going back to the hotel. This is not fun as they are toting machine guns and they are looking for drugs, I don't trust them. I have experienced this on several occasions and always been clean but I still don't trust them.

I would recommend you stay in Copacabana at the Pestana hotel and walk to Monte Carlo or even Centaurus plus take the metro to Centro for 4 x4 or uber it to Solarium. I would not waste my time on those places in Barra or Recreiero as there have been reports here in years past that quality is very low.

I think you would be safer in Copa as you would be closer to everything you want to do. Even at night just go to Mabs or Dolce Vita and bring girls back to your hotel no problem. I noticed that in the Pestana during the day you usually have to register the girl but at night the people behind the desk don't want to be bothered and keep their heads down just as long as you're discreet. The hotel has a nice pool on the roof top to hang during the day and at night has a bar and DJ and sometimes you will find girls there, just bring them to your room. Have Fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ojH...ature=youtu.be

[Exec Talent]

Like everybody has said the Rio Sheraton is a fine hotel and perfectly safe, only problem is you will have to take a taxi everywhere you go. One thing I've noticed about it's location is that sometimes at night the military police have traffic stops there because of it's proximity to the favelas, they will stop your taxi and look inside if there are 3 men you could be subject to a search or even if all 3 of you have girls going back to the hotel. This is not fun as they are toting machine guns and they are looking for drugs, I don't trust them. I have experienced this on several occasions and always been clean but I still don't trust them.

I would recommend you stay in Copacabana at the Pestana hotel and walk to Monte Carlo or even Centaurus plus take the metro to Centro for 4 x4 or uber it to Solarium. I would not waste my time on those places in Barra or Recreiero as there have been reports here in years past that quality is very low.

Trust Rio Bob. He was the tour guide for Cabral's captain, Gaspar de Lemos, when he first landed in Rio.

I used to visit with flight attendants staying at the Sheraton and was a victim of the police shakedown Rio Bob mentions. They stopped my taxi, asked me to get out and put their hands in my pockets. My biggest concern was them planting drugs. However, when they discovered little money on me, I was free to go. This happened at night and coming to the hotel. Not an experience I recommend. Good thing I was wearing dark pants.

Having spent some time at a friend's house in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, near Water Planet, I cannot recommend the area for mongering. It is a great place if you want to relax and enjoy a middle class community, but not much else. Barra has some great restaurants and I used to travel there from Copa by van, but again, not where you want to be.

Unlike Sperto, I have been the victim of some attempted muggings. What saved me was being alert and a full water bottle which I held by the neck and used like a club. Don't drink too much. Stay with your group and if you sense danger (usually a small group of teens) then move quickly to the other side of the street.

Another suggestion is when possible, hail a moving taxi rather than a stationary one. The moving one generally are driven by hard-working honest guys and the stationary ones by lazy guys looking to gouge gringos.

And, please don't be just a taker. Let's hear about you and your friends' experiences.