2004 General Reports

[Rio Bob]

They don't do that fingerprint/photo shoot in Rio anymore.

[Ecanto]

Hi there,

Could anyone tell me more or less how much times it takes to clear immigration and customs in Rio (ie I am planning to buy a ticket to fly straight to Sao Paulo and need to make sure that I will have enough time to connect)?

By the way, I dont travel on a US passport so that additional fingerprinting/photo shoot would not apply to me!

Thanks for the response!

[Rio Bob]

General Question and not sure if this is right location. Is it possible to get ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin over the counter no rx in rio pharmacy? If rx is their doctor to contact?

Thanks

I have found it to be no problem to get various prescriptions filled in Rio drug stores without a prescription on just about any type of remedy.

[Casino]

Has anybody ever used them for travel to Rio. They have airline tickets at good prices but I would like to know a little bit more information about them. Such as the times being reasonable and Airlines carriers.

[Zidaho]

Hey mongers,

I am leaving for Rio in about 10 days. I remember last time there looking in numerous markets for the see-through zip glide bags that are sold here in the USA. I LOVE those bags. THey have recently come out with a new 2 1/2 gallon size that is perfect for packing shirts, shorts, socks and underwear, it's amazing how much space is conserved using those bags and removing the air. THe quart size bags are great for keeping various paraphanellia together and I also like gallon bags for organizing things. The generic ones with the Zip Glide one the top are the best. I promissed Raphella I would bring about 50 of them back to Rio because she likes to keep her make-up and various items organized with them. I also promised some American EXPats to bring as many good used books and paper backs as I could carry. I can usually pick up used PBacks for $1.00 each at the second hand store. Another thing I notice is consumer electronics are expensive in Brazil as well as music CD's. I am bringing a couple of cheap MP3 players with me and my laptop that has a good music library on it. My Amigas are going to love me only for my music and baggies, but that's OK!

Happy mongering.

[Zidaho]

Bacterial Infections: I started taking about a dozen CIPRO with me when traveling abroad a couple of years ago. I have not had to use them yet. But I have thought I might a few times. However, pepto bismal tablets usually took care of my gastro problems. However, I do recall my physician saying that CIPRO is rendered ineffective if taken with an antacid.

[Zidaho]

Bacterial Infections:

I have been carrying a dozen or so CIPRO with me when I travel abroad the last few years. I haven't had to use them yet, I recall my physician saying to not take it with an antacid otherwise rendered ineffective.

Viral infections:

I am trying to find a cheap source for Valtrex. Looks like India might be the cheapest online source. Does anyone have any experience geting pharmaceuticals there?? Last year I was able to download some sample coupons off the net. Got about $300.00 worth for free!! Reported in various studies, performs like a body prophalactic against herpes virus. I started popping a Valtrex every other day or so while I was doing heavy mongering which includes DATY. Makes sense, it is generally prescribed as suppresive therapy. Also "Abreva" cream, buy it over the counter at Costco, I put a dab on my tongue and run it around the gums and teeth as studies also claim it passively supresses herpes.

Humm this probably should have gone in the STD's section. I'll post it there as well in case anyone wishes to discuss further.

[J Wadd]

Thanks, Cachorro, for the thoughts. It came with a cough, too. You're probably right.

Best,
JW

[Cachorro]

JW, maybe you didn't get that from going down on the girl.

The last couple of times I went to the nordeste, I got irritations of the throat. Once was just like you described, something on the tongue that you can see. I didn't do DATY.

I think it came from consuming some not quite clean food and drink, or maybe just the different microbes in that part of the world.

[J Wadd]

Yes. Antibiotics are typically no problem. I got something on my tongue (yeast-like, though I don't think it was a yeast infection) from eating the pussy of a skinny, massive-wracked 9.5 natural blonde in Fortaleza last year. Dumb and dumberer.

The pharmacists at most Brasilian pharmacies can give you whatever they want, I think. Remember, too, what propinha (sp.?) can do for you. Propinha = backsheesh (sp.?) = tip. Money makes Brasil go round like Mexico.

JW

[Strikesfun]

General Question and not sure if this is right location. Is it possible to get ciprofloxacin or amoxicillin over the counter no rx in rio pharmacy? If rx is their doctor to contact?

Thanks

[Dutch Boy]

Thanks to everyone who replied to my post. If any of you ever come to Amsterdam gimme a PM and I'll try and give ya all a personal tour!. ;-)

EDITOR's NOTE: Posting of this report was delayed pending revisions to add standard capitalization and punctuation. To avoid delays in future reports, please refrain from using the "chat room" style of writing with no caps or punctuation. Thanks!

[Lorenzo]

Dutch Boy,

There is a bus that goes from Sao Paolo to Montevideo that takes about 30 hours. I forgot to mention in my previous post that there is another class of bus ride above the deluxe which has fully reclining seats. This is best for overnight trips and can save you the cost of a night in a hotel room.

You can find all you need to know about transportation around Brazil in the Lonely Planet guide to Brazil.

Lorenzo

[Chocho Negro]

Hi Dutch Boy,

Seems there are three companies going from São Paulo to Montevideo by bus.

Ega, Revelacion and TTL.

TTL seems the only one with a website http://www.ttl.com.br/

There you click Produtos & Serviços and then Preços / Horários.

Bus leaves from São Paulo 23:30 and arrives at Montevideo at 04:00, seems like 28 hours and a half, monday, thursday and saturday, 249,11 reais, 69 euros or so.

Hope this helps,

Have a nice day,

Groeten,

CN.

[Chocho Negro]

Hi Dutch Boy,

Few trains in Brasil. There is also an interesting train between Vitória (Espirito Santo) and Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais). Very interesting sightseeing.

About buses. Myself I like a lot those brazilian buses. Some companies have three different types, others four of them, and some of these very best ones have only 23 seats, and the seats can be turned into beds, so if you are an easy sleeper, you can really sleep. Lots of these best buses travel by night. Over the past years I did travel from Rio de Janeiro up to Fortaleza and also from Belo Horizonte to Salvador de Bahia with lots of stops and I enjoyed every hour, every minute, really, for me this is life. However it is good to speak at least some portuguese. I did take a three month portuguese language course in Europe before my first travel to Brasil, years ago, as I really hate to stay somewhere and not understand. You must also be able to start talking even knowing your portuguese is bad, as talking and listening is the only way to improve. Mostly you will find people with an infinite patience ready to help you and to chat, and "bater papo", as they call it, is a very important part of socializing in Brasil.

Next april I will go to Buenos Aires, have an assigment in Pinamar and then in Paysandú so I plan to travel the same road you plan to do. After my job in Pinamar (Argentina) I will go to Rio de Janeiro by bus, and try to stay a few days in Iguaçu on the way. From Rio I will probably continue to Puerto Seguro to have a week or so off, and then I plan to go down again to Uruguay to work a few days in Paysandú. Still do not know if this will be by plane or by bus, did not find much info about buses to Uruguay, and it will also depend on how things are going on in Puerto Seguro. Maybe I also can do it the other way, from Pinamar to Paysandú and then its over and I can take off till I have to go back, still planning.

The Rio de Janeiro busstation website http://www.novorio.com.br/ is down today, but this is usually a very good information base to start with, as it has lots of good links.

The São Paolo busstation website http://www.socicam.com.br/webflash/oricab.asp has also usefull info, but it is not as easy to use and or navigate the site, imho.

Some of the best bus companies I have travelled with over the last years and their websites are

São Geraldo http://www.saogeraldo.com.br/

Itapemirim http://www.itapemirim.com.br/

Águia Branca http://www.viacaoaguiabranca.com.br/

Others I do not remember, but the quality was always very similar.

Between Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires there are two bus companies, one brazilian and one argentinian, but I never used these, although in a few months I will know for sure:

Cruceros del Norte http://www.crucerodelnorte.com.ar/

Pluma Internacional http://www.pluma.com.br/

One more thing: Never did I travel for more than a couple of hours in those cheaper buses, always in one of the best two clases, because the best one with the almost beds is not always available for every trayect. Depends on your budget, of course, but it is still very cheap for our european standards, very very cheap. The euro is now 1,3 usd and this gives you 3,6+ reais for 1 euro, and really, if you speak some portuguese and try to live somehow like them, you can have a hell of a time for almost nothing. Crucero del Norte gives a price of 290 argentinian pesos (??) so this is something like 75 euros from Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires.

Hope this helps,
Have a nice day,
Groeten,

CN.