Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Vagabundo1]

In general, you can go to any kiosk at any corner in Zona Sul and buy a sim card. You may need a CPF. I have several CPF's I've acquired over the years from Brazilian friends, many of them our special friends that is the subject of this board. The prices etc will be higher at the more formal Kiosks.

The best prices for sim cards are to be had at the mercado popular at Uruguiana metro station. Go to the station via metro, come up to the street, and there will be many street touts happy to sell you a sim card from all the services (oi, etc). You will need a CPF. When you go to buy a sim, simply go up to a street tout, and have the CPF written or on your smartphone. Say, "Requiro chipeee" (chipeee is what the locals call a sim), "Tenho CPF" and stick the number in the local's face. Negotiate a little. Do your business with a stack of small notes, and wear a local soccer shirt, eg, Vasco (or Flamengo etc). You can also buy cheap knock off soccer shirts at the mercado, and you should do this first, for security. Just pick a local team. There are four. Learn if you like, and I highly suggest this, the local insults, eg, "Mais linda gatas do Rio sou vascainas" (Most beautiful girls of rio are vasco fans), or "Flamengistas sou feio e veio" (Female Flamengo fans are ugly and old). Practice these insults with a safe local, like a doorman at a hotel first. If you can't say these lines naturally and in good humor, eliciting a laugh, then simply shut up, and point at your ear because you are deaf when you are on the street or on public buses. Further, use these lines when talking to rio's finest -- both the working girls and the cops -- but again, only when you can say these lines with confidence. Now, only in Brazil can you: A) activate a sim chip in your phone, and B) activate a whatsapp on your smartphone. Now, do both. Then set as your image for your whatsapp account the same logo as the futbol team you have chosen, eg, Vasco. Now, you can click from the best sites for GDPs to your zap (what the locals call whatsapp) with reckless abandon. The youngest freshest talent is to be found on the most local of the sites, which is the subject of another full post, or perhaps an update to bubba's guide, and of course, recce of the prives in person. Go and monger forth as you mongered for your sim chipeee -- on foot, in a vasco camisa (not to be confused with a camisinha kkkk), with a smartphone with zap with a vasco logo -- and raise a toast to Robert Jordan and Ernest Hemingway.

Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;.

It tolls for thee.

Find your Maria. And your Gellhorn. And have a threesome with the Morena and the Loira. And post pictures, preferably with baby oil and butt plugs.

I will be landing at Galeo International Airport in Rio at 9 pm on a Saturday, what will the quickest way be to obtain a sim card as most malls would be closed at this time.

[Gbawekanu]

I will be landing at Galeão International Airport in Rio at 9 pm on a Saturday, what will the quickest way be to obtain a sim card as most malls would be closed at this time.

[Nordico]

ApplePay and AndroidPay are more secure to use, than using your physical card. https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/chip-...cloning/21502/ I have not used them, so I don't know how widely they are accepted in Brazil.

[Mr Enternational]

The ATMs I saw in Rio had a concave card guard outside the cars slot so that if would be obvious if a skimmer had been attached, and it would have been very difficult to do so.

Not necessarily. Years ago when this topic came up I posted a video of where they add an entire face to the machine so you do not know the difference.

[One Eyed Man]

I've read that the best strategy is to stick with ATM machines in bank lobbies (never machines facing the street) during normal business hours. Anybody know of any good bank ATMs near the Pestana Hotel or anywhere else in the Copa area? I've always used cash only before in Brazil, but may be willing to give the ATMs a try. But not at the airport! And not a machine on the street either. Well, I have paid for hotel bills with credit cards before and never had a single problem, but other than that have always settled charges with cash.

My ATM card got cloned in São Paulo in a bank of ATMs at the Morumbi Shopping mall. It was a row of bank ATMs inside the mall, however there was no bank nearby. Fortunately, I didn't have much money in that account, so the thieves didn't get anything. They tried to use it for what seemed everyday purchases at general purpose stores. The ATMs I saw in Rio had a concave card guard outside the cars slot so that if would be obvious if a skimmer had been attached, and it would have been very difficult to do so.

[Sperto]

Rephrasing.
Regarding information given below that most ATMs only allows R$500 withdrawals. That information is incorrect. E.g Banco Bradesco allows R$2500/withdrawal.

[Eszpresszo]

I would have thought that some big Brazilian broom had swept all the bordellos away, a long defunct bar called HELP was the epicenter of all punting in Brazil, and prostitutes in Rio were elusive. Fortunately, I didn't and discovered the biggest problems were: a) who and where to choose at any particular time. B) an epic flood on April 9, from a night of continuous heavy rain that trapped me inside my AirBnB apartment almost all day and apparently all options for hobbying took the day off. That day was a bummer.

[Hotrod10]

I could be wrong but I thing if I could use my debit card in a bank ATM I think I would be safe. Any comments.

[Hotrod10]

3-4 years back after using us cash only and using a cambio to convert to reams I saw many tourists using credit cards for all purchases, here in Rio OK so it must be safe. Next trip I didn't bring much us cash and I used my debit card. At that time if you are traveling to certain countries you need to notify your bank that you were going to an international country. I called my bank told them of my travel dates to Brazil and all was well. I can't check my bank transactions out of the country so when I returned and I made my first check of my checking account I found $5500.00 Had been pulled from my bank account and all on the same day. I called my bank and they referred me to VISA. VISA notified me in a day or so that it was fraud and I was covered for a full refund. I asked why they did not detect this as all 55 transactions were on the same day. They said (this doesn't make sense) when a customer says they are traveling to certain countries like Brazil There fraud program that watches for obvious withdrawals like this is shut off for the dates you specify.

[Sperto]

[Deleted by Admin]

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[MongerForSex]

Because hotels clean and change the sheets everyday and sometimes they are even cheaper with more amenities. I have only used airbnb 2 or 3 times around the world. Seems okay at first, then they add that cleaning fee and service charge and I am like might as well just get a hotel.

Hotel is way better, if you plan to stay for a short time. It's very cheap to stay in a hotel. But if you live in Brazil, better to have an apartment with a one year contract.

[Mr Enternational]

Instead of Hotels why not Apartments or Airbnb and avoid the Hotel hassle. My first time I stayed in a Hotel in Rio, during that time I got the lay of the land I never stayed in a Hotel again. (for First timers or Work / Job paying, stay in a Hotel).

Because hotels clean and change the sheets everyday and sometimes they are even cheaper with more amenities. I have only used airbnb 2 or 3 times around the world. Seems okay at first, then they add that cleaning fee and service charge and I am like might as well just get a hotel.

[UniversalX]

Are most Rio hotels against sexual tourism / bringing working girls in hotel?

I checked with hotel Canada in copacabana saying, I will stay for 5 days and maybe bring some guest for 1 day in middle. Reception guy says when you check in you should tell both guest name. You cannot bring some girl in middle and he shows the board "sexual tourism not allowed".

Same board is there in portobay, Windsor group of hotels etc.

Please help me with some girl friendly hotels in copacabana area (Hilton Marriott etc is too expensive for me).

I need to stay in that hotel for 3-4 days and bring girl in middle for a day.

Instead of Hotels why not Apartments or Airbnb and avoid the Hotel hassle. My first time I stayed in a Hotel in Rio, during that time I got the lay of the land I never stayed in a Hotel again. (for First timers or Work / Job paying, stay in a Hotel).

[The Cane]

I've read that the best strategy is to stick with ATM machines in bank lobbies (never machines facing the street) during normal business hours. Anybody know of any good bank ATMs near the Pestana Hotel or anywhere else in the Copa area? I've always used cash only before in Brazil, but may be willing to give the ATMs a try. But not at the airport! And not a machine on the street either. Well, I have paid for hotel bills with credit cards before and never had a single problem, but other than that have always settled charges with cash.

[UniversalX]

This issue of the ATM and or Credit Card usage comes up all the time. My suggestion is avoid all ATMs if you can help it.

Reposting my response to similar comments in Jan /2019 in this forum for the same issue:

Be careful with sticking your card in any machine. I know at least 3 people who used ATM machines (doesn't matter the bank) an got taken. The checking accounts got cleared out. Two of my friends got their accounts blocked and upon returning home got their respective funds back quickly within days of reporting incident. The third got money back but had to file a police (in USA) report before the bank would initiate an investigation, got funds back a month later. Best to take cash and exchange at Cambio. Try to avoid ATM but if you want to go that route make sure what your bank fraud policy is and notify they you will be using ATM card.

Also most ATMS have Daily amount restrictions (regardless of what your USA Bank withdrawal amount is) generally around 500 are per day or less. I will just bring reasonable amount of cash for my stay and exchange at Cambino.

Update:

If you have to use ATM do not use ones that accessible from outside. Only the ones inside the bank facility.

Credit Cards I had no problem using (Retail-Shopping mall / Restaurants / Subway ticket purchase) just try to have a card that doesn't charge Foreign Transaction fees.