Ex Help, Museum the Imagem e do Som.
Museum the Imagem e do Som is constructed where former Help was located. On the construction site they have a visitors lounge with cute girls that gives a lot of information about the museum. The reason it looks the work has stopped is because the museum will have three floors underground and they are working on these floors. In all there will be six floors.
There will be a museum, exhibitions, café, restaurants, shops, theater, cinema, terrace and even a boate (no, not a new Help).
It's supposed to be finished in the beginning of 2014 (but most likely it will be delayed).
Tipping girls in the front desk.
[QUOTE=Bravo; 1395269]I have been asked for tips by the girls in order to give to the cleaning women. It was so the cleaning woman would wait 15-20 minutes before she called the desk to let them know you had entered the room with the girl. For 5R, you could get 20 extra minutes of fucking! I thought it was a great deal! (When we would stand in line upstairs where the girls get their hair done, it is the cleaning women who called downstairs to let them know what room you went into.)
The people I do not tip in 4x4:
The girl who rings up your selection : The black girl who you present your key to when you go upstairs with the girl you choose, she asks for tips now too. My last 2 times in 4x4, she asked me for a 5-10R tip when she was entering in my info. I don't think I got anything out of it, no extra time, nada.
The guy who collects the exit card. For a while he was very aggresive in asking for tips when you handed him your exit card. Once he even stood in front of me and blocked my way! I was pissed as hell and damn near had to shove him out of my way so I could leave!
The girls who ring up the bill : I don't know why some stupid ass Americans started tipping them but now they expect that all Americans will give them tips. In fact, if you don't give them tips, they will help themselves. On a number of occasions, they have robbed me of 1-2 reais in change that I was supposed to get back from them. When you call them out on it, they get all pissy like you did something wrong!
Security Guards : I never found out why, but I was very surprised to seee that 4x4 has security guards now. I don't know what sparked that. A couple of times, after Ihave paid my bill and am exiting the lobby to go downstairs, I have been asked by the security guards for a tip. I just ignore them and keep it moving.[/QUOTE]This habit by the girls in the front desk asking for tips is f*ken annoying to me. Particularly at Monte Carlo and Solarium. A couple of years ago, I just responded by asking them if I am going to get a discount. Which they usually say "no". The I respond "no discount, no tip". Ultimately, I just let them know that if you don't help me, I can't help you. They hate that response. So I always give them the same response. Wake up call for anyone thinking about tips for these characters. 9 out of 10 times they only ask non-brazilians. Figure it out! My 2 cents.
Metro station in Ipanema and Cantagalo
[QUOTE=Voyajer1;1393333]15 days according to the article posted on the Metro website.[/QUOTE]Does anyone know with certainty if the Ipanema and Cantagalo metro stations will be closed for the next few months? Ipanema is closed, but it is unclear as far as length of time. Thanks.