2003 Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Sperto]

Has anybody been to a terma called Las Vegas, R. Intendente Magalhães, 1.183, Vila Valqueire, Rio (www.llasvegas.com.br)?

Zona Norte is a large area. There must be a lot of good places. Anybody got info?

[Zidaho]

Hey JimHart, I'm not very familiar with the area YET, however, check these sites: http://www.rioturismoradical.com.br/
http://gorp.away.com/gorp/location/latamer/brazil/top_twenty18.htm

Check out the second URL maybe Briget Bardot's Beach, a good family place, click on the map of top 20 places when you get to hte site. But I don't know how close to Copo. Maybe Leblon beach or Ipanema beach definitely close to Termas, though I don't know if those two are family oriented. Wish I could be more help.

[Java Man]

DanDaMan:
open a Citibank savings account and you'll get a ATM card at the time you open the account. Open a checking account and they'll mail you an ATM/debit card. you also get 4,000 FF miles with American Airlines just for opening a checking account. goto www.Citibank.com for a list of their branches in latin america. Opening an account in the US only requires $100, open an account in Brazil requires R3000!!!!!

[Rabo Verde]

With that size family, you would want to rent an apartment in Rio, cost $75-150 a day for a nice 3 bedroom. You could sneak off to the Termas for an hour at a time.

[Baby Huey]

Looking for some help! I am planning a little family vacation and wondering if there is good places to take a family ages 5, 7, 13, 16 and the wife to have family fun in Brazil.? Beach and tour stuff? But also is there any day time action that a father can go have some fun on his own? M.P., Bars and Short time house? What are some good places to stay? Any help would be great?

Please contact me via a private message using the WSG Forum's Private Message service.

[Zidaho]

Any mongers out there like to scuba dive? I'm setting up a day dive near Ubatuba, Ilah Das Couves, just south of Rio. Thanks to Nibu I'm also going to check out some of the 18th century cities, built from gold money; Ouro Preto, Mariana, Congonhas, and Sabara, finally end up close to Belo Horizonte for the night so mini me can do some sight seeing of his own!

[Zidaho]

Gee, just heard on news Rio had some major flooding Saturday and Sunday. Hope you mongers are keeping your feet dry, and raincoats handy.

[Zidaho]

Hey Dandaman,

I remember a post about the ATM exchange rate. In general yes, using ATM is the best. There is a little better rate achieved by opening a Citi Bank checking or savings account as there presence in SA is apparently stronger. I didn't get it opened soon enough before departure, it takes a couple of weeks to get the Citi Bank ATM card. Oh well I'll just pay extra and use my US Bank ATM card this time.

Cool, glad to hear you found hobby in the jungle! I'll check my maps I have no idea where the heck you are. Let me know if you make it through Rio or SP in the next few weeks, I'd love to hear some jungle stories.

[Member #3407]

Thanks Sperto, Bandy, and Zidaho. I really appreciate the info.

A few more questions. Can I get dollars from Brazilian banks using my Visa ATM card? Where can I get the best exchange rate for converting dollars to reais?

With respect to immigration. If I leave the country and reenter every three months can I beat the limitation of staying only six months during any one-year period? Sounds too good to be true.

Thanks from your fellow monger,

DDM

P.S. I'm in Iquitos, Peru now getting ready to enter Brazil via the Amazon River. The girls here are living up to their reputation. Go to a club (e.g. Noa Noa) and they pick up the mongers, rather than visa-versa. You guys have got to check out the hot action here in Iquitos in the jungle!

[Zidaho]

Hey Bandy,

I'll check it out and report back after arriving in Rio on December 6. Wow the archives and current postings from you senior mongers is just AWESOME. Thank you. I've spent the past 2 weeks reading, cutting, and pasting together a sweet iteniary. Wish I had more time to monger the remote areas of Brazil, like Nibu and JWadd, oh well, maybe next time.

Would anyone like to meet a fellow monger for some hobbying in Rio, I'll be there for about a week, then Sao Paulo for a week, and finally 4-5 days in BA. I'd be honored to buy lunch/dinner/drinks for hanging out a while with a fellow Rio monger!

BTW, I have been nailing a beautiful Peruvian doll these past couple of months. She lives in Boise now. Wow, what a passion for sex! Her talent for pleasing my carnal desires has prompted this trip to SA. Oh baby this is going to be NICE and NASTY!

[Bandy]

A new terma in Copa?

A friend of mine just came back from Rio. He tried a newly opened terma in Copa. It is called La Serena (Club Arpoador). The address is Rua Bulhoes de Carvalho, 21-Copacabana. Tel: (21)3813 1052/1053. This is near the intersection with Rua Francisco Otaviano - just next to a gas station. My friend liked the quality of the girls, although their numbers were limited. The place just opened and the Madam promised the number of girls will increase in couple of weeks. May be some mongers on ground can check this place out and do a detailed report, including pricing. Also, can somebody check whether this place charges a tourist surcharge.

Bandy

[Sperto]

Bandy and Dan,

About extension of your visa. Extending the tourist visa at Policia Federal is easy.
1. Go to Policia Federal, paperwork.
2. Go to Banco do Brasil, pay a fee (in April 2003: 22 reais).
3. Go back to Policia Federal and get your new visa (90 days more).

P.S Dress properly when going to Policia Federal.

[Bandy]

Dan,

Your visa information for US citizen is quite correct. You are granted multiple entry "tourist" visa, which is valid for 5 years from the date of your first entry. You are allowed 90 days of continuous stay without any problem. However, extension to 180 days requires further paperworks to be submitted to Federal Police (I am not exactly familiar with the kind of paperwork you need). To avoid hassel, your best bet is to cross the border every three months.

Make sure you know beforehand the transaction fee your bank will charge for withdrawing money in foreign country. This last trip, I used exclusively my ATM card for getting cash. After coming back to US, I found out my bank doubled the charge for each transaction beginning the 1st of October. In the process, I lost money on the overall exchange rate. Traveller's checks are generally not recommended, unless you are extremely uncomfortable in carrying dollar or ATM card.

Bandy

[Member #3407]

Hi Guys,

Some of you may know me from the Peru Forums where I have been an active contributor.

I'm about to leave Peru and embark on an extensive journey to Brazil. I will enter Brazil at the Peru-Leticia, Columbia-Tabatinga, Brazil frontier. From here I will journey via the Amazon River to Tefe, Manaus, to the Atlantic Coast (Belem). Next, I will head south along the coast to Rio, Argentina and continue to Paraguay and Boliva on my way back to Peru.

Does anyone have any experience with Manaus and remote areas along the Amazon River? If so, your input would be greatly appreciated.

Could some of my fellow mongers with experience in Brazil please let me know what I am in for and the best way to proceed?

In particular, I need to know the best way to change money. Are traveller's checks a good idea? I hear they charge commissions to exchange them. What about cash advantages on my Visa debit card? Any problems I should be aware of?

Also, what about visas for US citizens. How long can I stay in Brazil during a one-year period. I hear it is only 6 months and that you have to submit a bunch of paperwork and cash to the federal police after 3 months. Can anyone clarify this visa situation?

I really appreciate any help and advise that experienced brazilian mongers can give me.

DDM

[Email address deleted by Admin]

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[MoonDog]

Grshel1,

You are enjoying the life.

Nice reports,

Moondog