2006 Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Sperto]

The Help girls are a strange breed. Last night there were few people at Help. Lots of girls without any business. I dislike doing bargaining inside Help but still checked around.

Several girls have this argument: business is not going well, so to earn money they keep up their high prices. Lowering their price and have more customers is an equation that doesn´t work for them.

Anyway, had a nice afternoon today in Edificio Central, Av Rio Branco 156. Checked out a bunch of casas. Thanks Ibiza and FT for recommending apto 3320. 12 lovely ladies in one place.

[Member #4217]

As I was leaving my 2 monger friends at HELP Veranda, for a nice quiet night of well deserved rest and sleep, about 4 of these 12 to 14 year old girls ran up to me to beg for money. I am certain you have all had this happen.

I figured I would give them any change that I might have in my pocket, so I put my hand in my pocket. It came out empty.

When I opened my hand to show that I had nothing .... in a flash.... her hand hit my watch and was gone as fast as it appeared.

Fortunately for me, my watch band was a sturdy leather, and although a little torn, it held it's place, and she got nothing.

Beware the little beggers, my friends. They learn their trades at a very young age.

Tom

[Zidaho]

There has been so much beautiful pussy the past 12 days it is difficult to report. It occured to me to bring a few reference books this time, in one of those a picture branded into my brain, the population histogram of Brazil now at the begginning of a 10 year . . . 20-30 year old baby boom bubble which evidenced by the average age of girls in Help is undeniably true. I decided I like that place again!!

The beach life has been mostly cloudy but the amazingly beautiful bunda, model quality bodies, makes up for it. I like finding intellegent/elegant milfs (30-40 year olds)and with the competition they have it is easier to negotiate favorable terms. Hummm. I really like the beautiful elegant brasiladas who know how to get it on.

Though the milf talent is weak at Luomo right now, it´s OK. My ISG friend Junior (from the Netherlands)and I like centauraus it still has some very lovely MILFs. THings have changed only a little at Luomo. I am in negotiations there with a pretty brunette, 25-27 year old to join me in Argentina for Christmas this year. It only costs $2?0.00 RT from Rio per person.

Í´ll post some details about my stay with some pictures in a few days. It sure has been fun. Thanks to Tom&Jerry, my lurker friend Ray and couple of other North Americans we have been having some good laughs and being true mongers.

[Latin1]

When I have a room safe with a key I use a magnetic key hider, the kind you put your car keys in and stick them under your bumper ( smaller than a credit card and about a 1/2 inch thick ) Then i just find a creative spot to stick it to, sometimes I will go out on the balcony and stick it on the air conditioner.

That way I never have to carry it around, and can get in and out of the safe quick when the garota is in the shower

On the ATM subject , my experience with Bradesco has been 2 withdrawls of $R600 and then it will only give me $R300 right after that for a total of $R1500 per day.

[Pipe Layer99]

You guys are on top of things as far as planning ahead.

I travelled there with cash to get by on my first trip. I knew the risk of losing it all at one pop, but I'm smarter than that and nothing happened.

The 2nd trip, I brough some cash to change and to pay for my apt (about $1200). The rest of the trip I used ATMs and a credit card.

But damn, taping the cash to the safe and leaving a decoy.
Great idea! And I thought I was on to[p of things as far as being security minded.

Fellas, play safe and enjoy yourselves!!
I will see some of you there next Mar/April
Donnie D

[Dodger Bulldog]

One tip I picked up along the way:

Bring some tape along and tape your bills to the TOP of the safe, out of plain sight. Then leave just a few smaller bills lying on the bottom.

If someone does get into your safe, they will grab the decoy money and never think to check for bills taped to the top.

Also, by letting them get a little (instead of none at all) they will be satisfied instead of angry, and less likely to break things and screw with the rest of your stuff.

DB

[Jan 156]

No use of ATM machines so no gobbling up of card or risk of on the street crime. When using card I'll step inside bank and get a large cash advance from bank employees , hop in taxi straight in front of bank , no walking around with large wad. Back to Hotel and into safe deposit box.

Keep safe and keep several options open. the Brasilian banking system is a world unto itself. To "step inside bank and get a large cash advance from bank employee" may take a lot longer than back home. First they'll point you to the ATM. Then they may say they cannot do cash advances on your card. This is after you have waited a while in line and been referred from one emplyee to another. they are not trying to mess you about, it's just how banks in Rio work.

If you have, say, Visa, find a bank that has Visa clearly displayed. Go there preferably when it's not too busy. Unless you strike lucky straight away ro your Portuguese is very good indeed, get someone who speaks English. Explain to them very firmly that a condition of them displaying the Visa sign, by law, is that they must give you up to the max on your card account. This is a requirement laid down by Visa and they can have the right to display the sign taken away if the bank refuses. (As I found out by several long distance phone calls to Visa.)

However, there's another prob. Some banks are only linked up to the Brasil Visa system, so you do genuinely have to find ones that are internationally connected.

Allowing for queues, your stepping in could take maybe an hour. Of course you might be lucky, but I'm speaking from experience and quite a few trips.

ATMs - I haven't come across the eat-the-card scam but it's certainly not beyond belief. Trouble is the ATM at the Meridien can be temperamental in its choice of which cards to accept. (There are two or three banks in the immediate vicinity though.) ATMs also have a habit of running out of cash - busy times (eg payday) seem the worst. I take the point on security though if you are feeling anxious. One of the best all-round centres is the American Express office at the Copacabana Palace on Av Atlantica. They speak good English and as far as I recall will give you cash on your card as easily as if you were at home and I think there's maybe an ATM too. Outside of Help and thermas they also give the best rate if you are changing currencies.

Make sure you have the numbers to cancel any card that is lost or stolen. If you have more than one with you then you are probably ok.

[Sal Dali]

As a person who spends most of his time lurking on this site, I felt a bit compelled to write tonight. I've been to Brazil 13 times since 2002. Nine of those times to Rio. Unfortunately, my last visit was in November of 2005. Because of the craziness of my schedule and a workload that has increased, I've been unable to get back. Family has also compelled me to remain in the northern 50.

In the time that I have been traveling to Brazil, I've become more than moderately conversationally fluent. I've become friends with 100's of Brazilians. I love the language and it sounds like music to me now. And, as much as I love the women there . . . I love the people in general. Add to that that the smells and the sites of the city, the country, etc. There is something magical about Brazil and for those of us who have experienced it, I know that this is not news or surprising.

Occasionally, when songs like "Only a Dream in Rio," "Rio de Janeiro Blues," or "Garota de Ipanema" play on the radio, I drift back there. In another life, I'd move there. In this life, I have obligations that carefully keep me stable in the US . . . but always dreaming of my next return.

So, please excuse my emotionally ladened mental meandering. I watched a James Taylor special and heard him talk about his experience in Rio . . . and was catapulted back. It's easy to become focused on the gilrs, but there is so much more to Brasil. Sometime the missing is painful and I am able to completely embrace the word "saudade." It fits well.

Okay, back to regularly scheduled programming.

SD

[Zorglub]

Remember that there is an ATM in the La Meridian at the corner of Princess Isabella & Avenue Atlantica on the the 4th or 6th floor. Prehaps the safest location in Copacabana and it accepts credit cards and debit cards from almost all US banks. I am pretty sure it is 24/7.

RR

You`re right. I t`s on the 4th floor, I always use it when I am in Rio , and like you said , could not be safer.

[RonnyRon]

Remember that there is an ATM in the La Meridian at the corner of Princess Isabella & Avenue Atlantica on the the 4th or 6th floor. Prehaps the safest location in Copacabana and it accepts credit cards and debit cards from almost all US banks. I am pretty sure it is 24/7.

RR

[El Austriaco]

i never had any problems with cash advances inside the bank. they should be trustworthy, but i do have friends who got their cards abused after a cash advance at banco do brasil.

neither have i. not that i do cash advances off cc frequently.

one problem that i have encountered in rio (and only in rio) was cards getting swallowed and not returned immediately. so, if the atm looks like it might be malfunctioning, do not insert your card, especially not on weekends where you can not contact personnel immediately and retrieve it. or at least try to find the swipe-type of atm.

the reason i am saying this and that i said to be careful with cash advances on ccs was the following: one common trick in rio is the so-called "golpe" where "helpful" locals steer you to an atm that was previously doctored with which conveniently swallows your card. as you try to figure out what's wrong, someone is watching you to memorize your access code. once you give up, they retrieve your card and try to withdraw as much cash as possible. with a cc, the amount you can withdraw as a cash advance or charge to the card is usually much higher than in the case of an atm card, so the potential damage certainly is much higher, too. so if you card gets swallowed and you can not retrieve it immediately (like on the weekend), have it blocked immediately (even though with credit insurance, it might not be your loss, anyway).

also, keep in mind that except at the airport, where there are 24-hour atms, atms in copacabana only operate until 10 pm (i don't remember when they open in the morning). so my recommendations would be:

1) major expenses (hotel, etc.), charge to your cc. make sure to careful check your receipts and the charges afterwards (like online). limit cc charges to reputable places, don't use ccs as widely as you would in your home country. if theres anything amiss, call your cc company immediately. make sure they give you a phone number you can actually call from abroad (trying to call a us 800 number from abroad is usually a pain in the ass. i am speaking from experience).

2) use mainly atm cards to withdraw spending money. try to withdraw money only during daytime hours, if possible, don´t go there alone, go to atms that are guarded. don't go after nightfall and don't go on weekends if you can avoid it. in a bind, you can pay in many places by using your atm card as a simple debit card (i have paid bills at veranda help, balcony, meia pataca that way, for example).

3) if you bring cash, only bring usd and possibly eur, but i think usd dollars are still easier to exchange in brazil than eur. personally, i think the inconvenience of having to go to cambios etc. to change cash in brazil is not worth it to save whatever an atm withdrawal would cost me (in my case, wells fargo, usd 5.00 per transaction plus 3% currency conversion fee). for me personally, i find it easier to travel with two atm cards rather than bringing cash. if you do bring sizable amounts of cash, please remember that if you bring more than the equivalent of r$ 10,000, you have to declare it upon entry at the risk of confirep001ion (yes, that's 10,000 reais; not usd!). also keep in mind that, as documented in detail in the crime and safety section here on isg, there have been a number of assaults of incoming tourists on their way from the airport, so if you bring cash, at least put it in your shoes or something. if the robbers make you strip, well, the cash in your shoes is gonna be the least of your problems, i guess . personally, i bring some cash (a few hundred bucks), but as an emergency fund only, but it's really up to you.

4) keep in mind that outside of copacabana, the number of atms that accept foreign cards can be very small. i have yet to find one in centro, for example. so if you get away from the tourist areas, be prepared that your ccs and atms might be a lot less useful than elsewhere.

btw, the story of the "golpe" and swallowed cards is not an urban myth in rio. it has happened to me... twice.

ea

[Sperto]

When I think of cash advances I mean going inside the bank and getting cash on credit card. Is there any known risk with this way ? Are the bank employees also untrustworthy ?

I never had any problems with cash advances inside the bank. They should be trustworthy, but I do have friends who got their cards abused after a cash advance at Banco do Brasil.

I never pay with CC in Brazil. I heard too many stories of people getting their cards abused.

[Delecti]

I don't want to suggest that you should not be careful. But most hotel rooms and apartment have a safe. I take my cash, straight from the airport and put it in the room safe. Most are bolted to the floor or wall and no one is going to get into it. I also lock up extra credit cards, camera, etc. Then, take out a couple of hundred at at time, change them and you are on your way. Everyone in Rio is not a crook looking to steal credit card numbers and take advantage of you. You are definately safe as to bank employees. The people standing out in front or near the bank, watching for you are a little more suspect, but during the day, busy street, still pretty safe. Here's my advice: Take cash, $100 bills. Stash them in the safe in your room. If in a hotel, you can use the hotel safety deposit box, if you don't trust the safe in your room. Don't open the safe with a garota in your room, keep it locked and take out money ahead of time. I always carry about $200-$300USD on me. I convert it when I see a good rate, and then have $400BR-$600BR. As noted, Luomo, Help and some other places (even the much maligned Centaurus) often offer the best rate. You pay in USD, get reis back as change. Take an ATM card with money in the account in case you can't find a good exchange rate, say on a Sunday before Help is open. At night, be very careful as to who is around when using the ATM. Note the ATM near blockbuster, owned by CitiBank, often has an armed security guard or two inside during busy hours, afternoon until around 6 p.m.

Cash advances from credit cards? Save it for the unexpected and unlikely (if you are reasonably careful - not paranoid!) emergency or even.

Finally, you probably should have been posting this under General Info, not Reports...

Delicti

[Canuck9970]

Joking.

I spend about 20% of a year in Sao Paulo, 75% in the U.S. and 5 % in Canada. I use debit and credit cards often in Brasil and have yet to ever have a problem. Ironically my only fraud experience was in Canada.

I have far less concern with card fraud as you only are faced with the hassle of arranging for a replacement card and are not at risk of suffering any financial loss. Carrying a large wad of cash however would not be something I would look forward to in Brasil. I have multiple credit cards and I only carry one card at a time when I am out and certainly never my entire wallet. A photostat is good to have with you at all times and also carry a R50 note in your front pocket in case you ever are faced with an actual mugging.

Yes there is crime and fraud in major Brasilian cities....just like we have in North America.

[Uncle Scrooge]

Thanks for all the credit card and changing USD cash notes info , especially lately Nodd N and Delecti helped to clarify some points important to me , although another person said to be especially careful re cash advances with credit cards.

When I think of cash advances I mean going inside the bank and getting cash on credit card. Is there any known risk with this way ? Are the bank employees also untrustworthy ?

Once I get that angle clarified I am ready to roll , thanks to you guys.

Although it seems best to bring USD100's and change at cambios. Only problem with cash , once its lost/stolen its gone forever.

Final clarification on risks with cash advances inside banks would be appreciated.

Thanks , J

Joking, I recommend against using your credit card to get cash advances. The first reason is you get charge a fee. The second reason is the interest rate for cash advances on your credit card is nothing short of criminal. Do it in case of emergency only.

Banks in Brazil are pretty safe if you go doing the day and please, if you extract money from an ATM, trust that the ATM gave you the correct amount and tuck it in your pant/jacket/etc ASAP. The worse thing you can do is stand there and count your cash. I always use Banco de Brasil because my ATM doesn't work with most other banks. There is always a cop in front of the bank during the day so you can rest easy there.