General Info

[RexG]

My passport is expiring soon but my Brazilian tourist visa will still be valid. I have read that, in general, these visas can still be used if you present the expired passport containing the visa along with your new passport. Can anyone verify that this is true for entry into Brazil? And will I get any static from airline agents?

[Oralover]

Skype app on smart phones works great, just need an internet connection and then you have cheap calls to the US.

TIM right now offers unlimited internet access from your phone for R$0.50/day on your prepaid chip.

I receive all my e-mails, surf the web and use google maps with GPS all day long for 50 centavos. Haven't tried Skype with it because I have a VOiP phone in the apt so I don't need it; but I'm sure that would work.

[Ricker]

... With that being said, there could be a diference in the way the text message is processed by a US based carier using CDMA or Sprint PCS, making it incompatible with the receiving system in Brazil, usually GMS and you would probably, want to avoid using the accentuation used in Brazil, as the US carier might interpret this as giberish or a command ...

I use SPRINT in the US and have no problems texting to Brazil ...

[Bubba Boy]

My TIM prepaid chip sends text to and from the US no problem. Callingn the US from any Brazilian phone is expensive, kind of like it was in other countries like 20 years ago. Skype etc is the way to go. The Skype app on smart phones works great, just need an internet connection and then you have cheap calls to the US.

[Ryjerrob]

Texting brasil

I see certain phone companies in the USA allow unlimited texting international. Of course the person I will send the text might not have that service in brasil. Any phone plans I can get here in the USA with a brasil number?

I've used the following service for having girls call me from Brasil. For them it's the equivalent of calling a land line versus a cell line. It's only for incoming calls though. It worked for me, so check it out.


http://www.virtufon.com/cgi/vf.php


ryjer

[Pelicano]

texting brasil

i see certain phone companies in the usa allow unlimited texting international. of course the person i will send the text might not have that service in brasil. any phone plans i can get here in the usa with a brasil number?

not realy necessary to have a brazilian phone number in the us to text to brazil. most plans in brazil, even the pre pago or pre paid ones, accept incoming text messages and unlike n. america, the receiver usually does not pay a fee to receive a text message, only the sender.

with that being said, there could be a diference in the way the text message is processed by a us based carier using cdma or sprint pcs, making it incompatible with the receiving system in brazil, usually gms and you would probably, want to avoid using the accentuation used in brazil, as the us carier might interpret this as giberish or a command.

some service providers here in brazil, have a free website based internet to cell phone texting service, although they might require you to have an activated chip and a number with a credit balance from their company in your name, before you can send a text message online and some may charge a fee of about r$ 0,40 plus taxes for each text message you send. these services go under various names,such as oi tor**** web, claro tor****, vivo tor**** web and tim tor****. tor**** is how a text message is called here. msn used to have a paid online to sms texting service as well.

you can also text any cell phone for free, using applications such as jaxtr, gizmo sms, coolsms and there are several other java based applications that do this as well.

[Auriflama]

Texting brasil

I see certain phone companies in the USA allow unlimited texting international. Of course the person I will send the text might not have that service in brasil. Any phone plans I can get here in the USA with a brasil number?

[Ricker]

I will be in Brazil on a long cruise next year. Because of the high international call prices on the ship, I'd like to get a Brazilian cell for calling the U.S. That's the only reason.
What are my options? Do they have cheap, reloadable phones?

I recommend an internet place and Skype away.
Of course you can call the US from a Brazil cel but it's not cheap.

[Perkele]

I will be in Brazil on a long cruise next year. Because of the high international call prices on the ship, I'd like to get a Brazilian cell for calling the U.S. That's the only reason.
What are my options? Do they have cheap, reloadable phones?

No............

[Simpleminded]

I will be in Brazil on a long cruise next year. Because of the high international call prices on the ship, I'd like to get a Brazilian cell for calling the USA That's the only reason.

What are my options? Do they have cheap, reloadable phones?

Vittu, If you have a GSM phone you can use it in Brazil. If not, you can buy one cheap on Ebay for $30-$50. Just take the phone and your passport to any cell phone store and they will give you a sim card for about $40R. You then buy minutes on it like a prepaid phone. You can buy minutes at most newspaper kiosks.

[Vittu]

I will be in Brazil on a long cruise next year. Because of the high international call prices on the ship, I'd like to get a Brazilian cell for calling the U.S. That's the only reason.
What are my options? Do they have cheap, reloadable phones?

[Eric Cartman]

Braz Gvt recently made a lot of noise in the media about authorizing the sovereign wealth fund to buy dollars ... in an attempt to at least tell the market they were trying to halt the rise of the real. In reality, who knows? Stories said it was appreciating so much that exporters were complaining ..... that said, does nothing to stem in-country inflation I'm sure.

[Member #3439]

The always amusing 36 hours in.... takes on Rio.

Some interesting suggestions. Tomorrow I'm going to check out the elevator tower...

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/19...l/19hours.html

That's nice for civilians but, as an ISG member, you'd probably be more interested in Christopherd's tour. Saara market is always entertaining, whether it's getting eye candy or watching people swat at someone who's just stolen something and running away. The object is not to take chase and capture the thief, just to knock what he has stolen from his hands so it can be taken back to the vendor. Last time I saw it, it was a tray of sunglasses and a couple of policemen on the corner bumped him to knock it loose. Off he went, and the police went back to their conversation.

http://www.InternationalSexGuide.nl/forum/showthread.php?p=977597

[Mr North]

The always amusing 36 hours in.... takes on Rio.

Some interesting suggestions. Tomorrow I'm going to check out the elevator tower...

- SNIP -
7) A DIFFERENT VIEW

Forget those postcard-perfect views from Sugar Loaf and the Corcovado. This summer, as part of an effort to better integrate the favelas with the city, Rio unveiled a gleaming elevator tower that rises more than 20 stories to connect upscale Ipanema with the favela of Cantagalo above. At the corner of Rua Teixeira de Melo and Rua Barão da Torre, just off Praça General Osório, this progressive piece of architecture has an observation deck with views across Ipanema and Copacabana. Guards may stop you from taking a second set of elevators to the favela proper. But at least you’ve gotten as close as you’re likely to get on your own.

- UNSNIP -

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/09/19...l/19hours.html

[Exec Talent]

Cancun entrance is now $50, was $30. Was in there the other day, I am sure it is not always like this but geez the quality was bad. Nothing, zero, absoolutely nothing worth doing. Even had the infamous twins from 4x4 who are just fugly now, cellulite all over their everwidening asses, a friggin carwreck!

Has anybody been into T65 of late? I noticed "Dons Cafe" has opend next door. Apparently they are 2 seperate places but once inside you can move amongst the 2? Anybody has the run down on this place? I will be going next week, but thought I would get the heads up first!

Paid R$20 to enter the Cancun Whiskeria (Manhattan) just a short time ago. Since everything is the same in terms of access to talent and rooms, no need to go the robe route unless you don't want to get telltale signs of contact with the opposite sex on your street clothes. You may want to include this tip when you update your guide.

As for talent, I saw plenty that made the trip worthwhile and I am not a fan of big butts.