General Info

[QUOTE=AxelHeyst;2907564]Wow, talk about last minute reprieves. This ranks pretty high up there. KKK. But don't get me wrong. I am very glad this happened so I will not have to bother getting a visa for another year.

[URL]https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/[/URL]

But the question remains, if Lula wants this retaliatory visa BS so bad, why doesn't he just set it up like Cambodia and require a visa upon arrival and charge visitors with passports from certain countries whatever the fuck he wants? Easy-peasy![/QUOTE]Because:

1. Easy-peasy is not the Brazilian way.

2. With VOA his consuls wouldn't feel any love. And love is all they need as the song goes.

That being said, VOA can be a huge PITA. I'm not a fan after experiencing it in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Hanoi (the worst was in SR, what a hot mess!

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2907920] That being said, VOA can be a huge PITA. I'm not a fan after experiencing it in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh and Hanoi (the worst was in SR, what a hot mess![/QUOTE]I have only experienced VOA in Phnom, but it was on several occasions, and it was never a problem because I am usually among the 1st passengers off the plane, so I am one of the 1st guys in line to pay for and receive the VOA.

I have never flown internationally into Siem Reap, but I will take your word for it that it was an understaffed long line. But I think that would still be preferable over LuLa's proposed and intrusive internet application requirements. But to each his own. KKK. I am just happy I won't be filling out any forms for my upcoming trip in June / July 2024 and I will plan my follow up 2025 trip to begin on or before April 8, 2025. After that I'll see what happens. If Lula's visa requirements are actually imposed, I might finally head back to SE Asia. It has been a long, long time since I had some real good Thai food and Thai girls are more into barebacking and tequila than Brazilian girls. 555.

[QUOTE=AxelHeyst;2907564]Wow, talk about last minute reprieves. This ranks pretty high up there. KKK. But don't get me wrong. I am very glad this happened so I will not have to bother getting a visa for another year.

[URL]https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/[/URL]

But the question remains, if Lula wants this retaliatory visa BS so bad, why doesn't he just set it up like Cambodia and require a visa upon arrival and charge visitors with passports from certain countries whatever the fuck he wants? Easy peasy! How many Lula's does it take to screw in a light bulb?[/QUOTE]Because if it was easy-peasy it wouldn't be retaliatory. Brazil wants it to be a PITA. That's the point.

[QUOTE=AxelHeyst;2908025]I have only experienced VOA in Phnom, but it was on several occasions, and it was never a problem because I am usually among the 1st passengers off the plane, so I am one of the 1st guys in line to pay for and receive the VOA.

I have never flown internationally into Siem Reap, but I will take your word for it that it was an understaffed long line. But I think that would still be preferable over LuLa's proposed and intrusive internet application requirements. But to each his own. KKK. I am just happy I won't be filling out any forms for my upcoming trip in June / July 2024 and I will plan my follow up 2025 trip to begin on or before April 8, 2025. After that I'll see what happens. If Lula's visa requirements are actually imposed, I might finally head back to SE Asia. It has been a long, long time since I had some real good Thai food and Thai girls are more into barebacking and tequila than Brazilian girls. 555.[/QUOTE]Maybe I was just unlucky because I've flown just once to each location (with REP being the worst). To be fair, I'll never forget an almost 3-hour-long immigration line at BKK once (and that was a priority line on a first-class ticket, mind you), a 1. 5 hour line under a scorching sun at Mataveri airport on Easter Island (also just an immigration line, no visa required). And other immigration lines around the world I remember that had nothing to do with VOA.

My Brazil visa expires in 2026, so I'm set for now anyway. Of course, any visa sucks, but eVisa is much easier compared to the old system when you had to commute to the consulate twice (that's if you're lucky to live in a consulate city). And it used to cost twice as much. Is eVisa still going to be 10 years? If so, I'm fine with this hoop.

Of course, Lula is foolish to be doing this, especially that Brazil is not all that popular with "normal" North American tourists. I mean, when it takes longer to fly to your country than Greece or France, do you really want to give people an incentive to travel elsewhere? But this is hardly the first time when Brazil shoots itself in the foot, so nothing's new really.

Hey guys. I'm going in December for two weeks and I want to see other places but not really sure which cities are "a must". Any advice?

[QUOTE=Velib;2914286]Hey guys. I'm going in December for two weeks and I want to see other places but not really sure which cities are "a must". Any advice?[/QUOTE]You're not giving any specifics about your interests and prior experiences in Brazil. In general, Iguassu Falls is considered one of the wonders of the world if you're interested in touristy stuff and it can be done in three days. I'd say, 2 weeks is not that much to begin with if you're already considering splitting your trip between Rio and SP.

Anybody following the flooding going on in southern Brazil? Seems to be pretty bad. Of biblical proportions:

[URL]https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/05/09/severe-flooding-leaves-at-least-100-dead-and-thousands-homeless-in-brazil[/URL]

[QUOTE=Velib;2914286]Hey guys. I'm going in December for two weeks and I want to see other places but not really sure which cities are "a must". Any advice?[/QUOTE]I don't know what are the must but I think you can pick one city in the north and one city in the south to visit to see the contrast and different sides of Brazil.

What I hate is that speed camera bullshit they have. Woke up to 3 tickets totalling $92. Hell that was more than it cost to rent the car.

Not to be Missed.

3 countries border it.

[QUOTE=Xpartan;2914378]You're not giving any specifics about your interests and prior experiences in Brazil. In general, Iguassu Falls is considered one of the wonders of the world if you're interested in touristy stuff and it can be done in three days. I'd say, 2 weeks is not that much to begin with if you're already considering splitting your trip between Rio and SP.[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=MrEnternational;2914469]What I hate is that speed camera bullshit they have. Woke up to 3 tickets totalling $92. Hell that was more than it cost to rent the car.[/QUOTE]They have? NYC just lowered the speed 24/7 from 25 to 20 without providing anything even remotely resembling statistical data that would back up their wild theories. How's that for greedy fuckers!

[QUOTE=TheCane;2914396]Anybody following the flooding going on in southern Brazil? Seems to be pretty bad. Of biblical proportions:[/QUOTE]I know a few friends who live there and they are not affected. Flood seems common. I reported last year. I landed in CGH before 7 am to transfer to Santa Catalina. The flight was supposed to be about 60 minutes. I slept on the flight and woke up when the flight landed after 2 hours. I thought I was in a dream because it seemed I just landed on the same airport that I departed from. The flight could not land because of heavy rain so it turned around. I took another flight and the whole time I was there the areas that are lower were all flooded. The water came up to the bridge.

[QUOTE=Nounce;2901060]I saw a third kind of terminal after lunch. It works more like ATM that you must decline.

The basic rule is don't select default (1, green or accept), decline (2, red, decline) if you are not sure.[/QUOTE]I went to a high end clinica. The manager swiped my card on two different machines without showing me. I found that it charged more than I expected after I left. I thought they were charging me USD so I went back the next day and made them redo it. LOL. Long story short. They charge a R50 credit card fee. They told me before my visit that credit card and cash are the same cost when I asked before. I had plenty of cash so I repaid in cash.

I think I should have just asked if they charge a fee on credit card, instead of asking if cash and credit card are the same price.

I also figure out that the girl took home about R400. The extra fee is not entirely for the house. It is on record because it is paid by a card so the house needs to pay tax on that income, and the fee covers the tax.

High end clinica is still hit and miss. I always got lucky in the beginning then bad luck struck.. The manger told me I had to win the girl over in the room. I was like WTF, that is not what you told me before LOL

Does anyone know if the entrance is still 300 r before 7 pm and 500 r after 7 pm??

Obrigado.

Well, here's one informed view. I never would for many of the reasons stated. Made that decision a long time ago. Are you reading Sol? I'm not biased against Mexico. I'm focused on [B]the facts[/B]. Although I clearly like places I've been to in Brazil for mongering better than I do Tijuana or Cancun, there are pluses and minuses for both Brazil and Mexico. I would not retire in either:

[URL]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPhTLFL5Vq0&t=537s&ab_channel=TheExpat[/URL]