2004 General Reports

[Aurab]

I have been to Maracana four times and in Morumbi ( Sao Paulo) once. Only my first time in 1997 in Rio, I took an organize tour bought from the hotel lobby. Other times I took a garota as my guide. And it worked wonder for me. Garotas are more than happy to go to see a game. In both places, I bought good seats. It was not very expensive. I never witnessed any violence either. It looked more like a festival. I was in Sao Paulo in October 2003. I timed my trip to see a game between Santos vs. Sao Paulo. I used a guide for the first day in Sao Paulo. He tried to discourge me going alone saying that violence could errupt anytime. Then he tried to get me another guide for 200 reais to go to the game with me. I did not listen to him. I got in touch with the chica I was with the night before, she was more than happy to go and spent the evening with me. Of course I paid her. And it is much more enjoyable than going with bunch of tourists! BTW, I tried to pickup a little Portuguese before I went. Some garotas love that!

[Dutch Boy]

Do the busses also leave from Sao Paulo in the direction of Uruguay, and if so what would be the travel time? Like one day or something like that?

[GrabInBuns]

Guys,

Are the finger printing procedures still in place in Sao Paulo? I hear different things every time I ask. What is it like most recently?

Thanks.

Grabinbuns

[Lorenzo]

Dutch Boy,

There are very few trains in Brazil. Buses are pretty much the only mode of intercity land transport (unless you want to buy or rent a car, which I wouldn't recommend). Buses come in two classes--this is all from memory, so I don't have specifics at hand--the ordinary type, which I think is called 'comum,' that are non-airconditioned and make more frequent stops, and the deluxe, which have air con, more comfortable seats, toilets, fewer stops, and even have food and drinks you can order. The cost of the deluxe is, I recall, about 50% more, but the cost is still cheap by North American or European standards. So unless you are on a really tight budget, it's foolish not to take the deluxe bus. They all leave from the Rodovaria in downtown Rio. You can find all this out when you get there.

There is one train ride that I would definitely recommend taking, which is the train from Curitiba to Paranagua. It's downhill all the way and provides some spectacular mountain and jungle views. The return trip is of course uphill and takes much longer.

Lorenzo

[JoshJosh69]

Thanks for the info in regards to football games in Rio. I also saw that the cops arrested 120 street kids yesterday to try and crack down on muggings. Good deal.

[Arny01]

Yes you must go to the Maracana! compared to a walk on the avenida Atlantico after 6pm in nice clothes it's as safe as Disney Land!

[Arny01]

Has anyone been to a soccer game in Rio, the big stadium, the Maracana. Is it safe to go or is it absolutely dangerous and crazy. I want to go, but have never spoken to a gringo who has been.

I've been to soccer games many times in Rio both alone and with groups. I've never seen any violence in or around the Maracana including watching a Flamengo vs Fluminense game! Although I think things are different when Flamengo play Vasco da Gama.

Violence does happen at Brazilian soccer games where rival fans have even used guns on each other which is unheard of even after attending many West Ham vs Millwall games here in the U.k where I reside.

The atmosphere is jovial mostly with plenty of flag waving and colour and there are more than enough Police to quel trouble! Many Brazilian police just go there to see the game themselves while the gringos back on the Copa are being fervently robbed by the pivete! hahaha!

Please do go to see this spectacle the tickets are cheap about 10 to 20 reais and you surely don't want to spend all your money on bitches, *****s, spiv deck chair attendants and the insatiable robbing prowess of the pivete! The crowds at the Maracana seem fewer these days due to large t.v coverage and only gringos and people who live locally to the Maracana seem to bother to go! You'll be lucky to see 60,000 people there! If you are nervous or don't want to be bored alone you can take a tour that will pick you up take you to the game pay your entrance and bring you back! but don't pay over 45 reais for this or you'll be ripped off!

[Dutch Boy]

I was wondering. If I wanted to get from Sao Paulo or say Rio de Janeiro to Buenos Aires, but not by airplane because i wanted to see some of the country underway, what would you guys reccomend? Is there like a railway system that runs through Brazil that goes that way, or will it be mostly travelling by busses?

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[Jonny Hit Run]

Josh, I went to the Flamengo v. Fluminese game earlier this year during Carnaval and it was pretty crazy. There is a doorman who works at the Othon Palace who coordinates soccer games from a kiosk just outside the entrance and depending on the time of year and popularity of the match determines the price. There were about twenty tourists and they split us up into groups of three and we all went with drivers(guides) who drove us and escorted us into the game.

The German couple I was with got ripped off just prior to entering the stadium. The dumb lady got her ticket snatched right out of her hand and shortly thereafter her husband got his front pocket picked to the tune of $500.00 US. They were not very protective and were easy marks(they both sported a couple thousand dollar Nikons w/ telephotos around their necks and got off cheap in my opinion.)

The game was crazy and a lot of fun and I highly recommend the experience but would not go without the affore mentioned driver/guide service. If your Portuguese is good and your an adventurous soul you can take a bus and probably experience the whole thing far cheaper than I did(I paid $80.00 US it was an all day endeavor and takes about two hours to exit the stadium with traffic.)

After the game while exiting the stadium it was like a fucking riot outside. People cheering, fires burning in trash cans, helicopters overhead and overall very festive but in the middle of a rather unsavory neighborhood-IMO. As a matter of fact some street thug was trying to enter against the grain while everyone was exiting and the next thing I know about ten cops are beating the crap out of this guy with billy clubs which was fine exept that this asshole was standing next to me. I never got hit but did feel the wind deflected by a few of the blows.

In the process I got separated from my friends and it took a while to find them. All in all it was god fun, I would do it again but just like most things in Brazil it's heads up at all times!

BTW any mongers in Rio? I'll be there Nov 20-30.JP

[Latitude Cruz]

It ruined the last 5 days of a 10 day trip. I just want to make sure I have the right med just in case.

Don't freak about this minor infection but don't ignore it either.

The treatment is an antibiotic called "erythromycin".

It will be a tiny tube of ointment.

Don't use just any ointment. This is specific stuff and the ointment is an "opthalmic" preparation that will melt more readily in the eye.

It will clear up fast, and you can use this same tube for several treatments (save it in case you ever get it in the future). Pink eye is pretty common among kids in the U.S. because they're always touching everything and always rubbing their eyes.

[Robert Palli]

Mongering in rio nov. 24-30 out of othon travel. Is it girl friendly by the way? Hope so. Anyways pm me or email [Email Address deleted by Admin] to meet up and get some. Later.

Robert

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[JoshJosh69]

I want to go to a football game at the Maracana. Has anyone been? Is it safe, I would rather not get killed, but I imagine that hundreds of thousands of people go every year without getting killed, but I would like to hear from a gringo of an ex-pat on this.

[JoshJosh69]

Has anyone been to a soccer game in Rio, the big stadium, the Maracana. Is it safe to go or is it absolutely dangerous and crazy. I want to go, but have never spoken to a gringo who has been.

[Scotch]

I agree with Chuponalgas 100%. I just came back from Brazil 5 days ago for the first time. I been to DR, CR, JA. Caraco, but none of those girls fuck like the girls I met in Brazil. I had a fine chic in the US for a couple years who would never married me and I was making decent money but now that I am semi-retire reciving a penison plus inherited some family wealth she love me with a cbj lol. I met a guy in 4x4 in Rio who was on his 18 time in Rio. He was 41 like myself and had just broke up with his Rio 20year old girlfriend of a year. The guy was a wreck took no girl from 4x4 just drink at the bar. Them that night at help saw him agian and told me he was giong back the to US tomorrow eventhrough he wasn't surpose to leave for 2 more week. He said he was sending the girl $500us a mounth for the first 6 mounth and then $ 800us for the next six. She told him now she needed $1500us a mounth or she was going back to working at help which BTW is where he met her so he broke it off and vow never to come back to Brazil. I told him the same thing these places are like disney land you get on the ride and if you like it get on agian. I on the other hand like to try different rides. Once your home you don't call, write or e-mail Donald Duck Chica. BTW his girlfriend live with her mother and afther sending her money every mounth he now live wth his mother lol. Fella be safe and live your dream just make sure you wake up when you get home.

[Craig Ladner]

To cure the pink eye you will need an antibiotic just for use in eyes. Unfortunately it is almost $80 but you may be able to get two cures out of one tiny bottle.