Sao Paulo Reports

[Nounce]

I appreciate your politeness for not quoting my post. Try google this and see what comes up and check the date on it. "Do NOT use the ATM right after immigration (and before customs) at GRU airport". There is another link in that post to another post. Just sharing info.

[CatBert55]

Do not use an ATM outside of security at GRU. You can almost guarantee that your card will be skimmed. Use the ATMs that are inside security. Much smaller chance of getting skimmed.

[Nounce]

It's on the second floor by the SUBWAY fast food restaurant. You should be able to find it by looking up while on the first floor.

It has a 300 withdraw limit at GRU. Someone has mentioned to decline the conversion on this screen.

[Nounce]

... the everyday SP women I saw were ok. ....

I think if one prefers European look, SP may be better.

[Nounce]

..., here they scan your card in front of you, and often it is contactless..

Here is one of the credit card devices. They usually will have several. This one also accepts Apply Pay.

[Hobbying]

Thanks for the excellent report.

I have a similar observation after walking around in SP, taking the Metro, buying stuff in Malls, and going to Ibirapuera Park with my Scandallo Garota and her son, going out to the clubs with guys from the barbershop, visiting neighborhood bars to sing with cover bands, the everyday SP women I saw were ok. My head wasn't on a swivel checking out everyday women compared to DR where they seem to be everywhere, malls, shops, and on the Metro.

Got to be at the right malls or neighborhood but all depends on your "type."

With a population of 220 M there are all sorts of shapes and sizes.

[Tochka]

Posted by Jet69 prettiest woman of the two countries is Colombia. During my almost 1 month stay in SP, the woman I saw on the streets, everyday woman, are of no comparison to the beauty of woman in Colombia. With that said, the working woman of both countries are fantastic .

Thanks for the excellent report.

I have a similar observation after walking around in SP, taking the Metro, buying stuff in Malls, and going to Ibirapuera Park with my Scandallo Garota and her son, going out to the clubs with guys from the barbershop, visiting neighborhood bars to sing with cover bands, the everyday SP women I saw were ok. My head wasn't on a swivel checking out everyday women compared to DR where they seem to be everywhere, malls, shops, and on the Metro.

[The Cane]

After a food court merchant in Ibirapuera mall charged my CC R500 for a R25 bill, I am bit careful with where I use my CC. Luckily I noticed the charge so I could able to dispute it and get my money back.

And thanks for confirming how one indeed must remain careful and vigilant when using a credit card in Brazil. We didn't need to get too many posts in after this issue came up (again) to confirm what I'm saying did we LOL! Now, of course fraud, overcharging, and so on can happen anywhere. But the point is that it's far more likely to happen in a place like Brazil than it is in other places like the United States or Germany for example. I wasn't born yesterday, and I've been using credit cards all over the world for virtually my whole adult life. I know how to travel and be safe. I've never been robbed, and I've never had my credit cards hacked. A newbie (nothing personal towards anybody) with just one (or even only a few) trips to Brazil can't tell me how Brazil works, including telling me don't plan on using cash because hardly anybody accepts it there LMAO! You and I (and everybody here who is well-traveled in Brazil) knows that's simply not true and an exaggeration.

Yes, Brazilian people are using credit cards and debit cards everywhere and always have in modern times. I'm not questioning that. But number one, that doesn't mean it's as safe to use a credit card in Brazil as say in more developed and prosperous countries. And number two, like everybody else they were using cash first LOL, and that hasn't stopped (yet). It will stop in the United States before it will in Brazil, and we aren't there yet (I acknowledge some particular circumstances in some African countries led to pay by mobile device being more prevalent than by either cash or credit card). So people look. You plan to spend in the form that you want to when in Brazil (credit card or cash). Me? In Brazil I'm sticking mostly with cash for the aforementioned reasons, with occasional credit card use at establishments I have a warranted high degree of trust in (that would exclude food court merchants).

[The Critic]

I think it may have to do with the location. There was one day last year, I rode Uber to an apartment in Bela Vista. The Uber driver spoke English and he recommended me to go to a club Caf Piu Piu which I went another night. Caf Piu Piu had a live band playing covers of American oldies from band like Journey and the crowd sang alone. When I arrived at the apartment, a girl happened to come out and she spoke English to me to help me ring the apartment. That night, I went to Bar dos Arcos. The door person who is a slender trans-person spoke some English. After I sat down in the bar, there was a couple to my left greeted me with English. Then the bartender spoke English to me too. Later the roommate of the bartender came and sat on the right. He spoke English too. Asked me if I wanted drugs, or girls and maybe tried to hit on me. LOL. All of these happened on the same day. I know you talked about club and girls. I thought it was funny that I met so many English speaking Brazilians in one day.

I have found a significant amount of Paulistanos (SP Brasilians) understand and speak English. The question is when do they speak english? When they "choose to." However, they do understand you. One reason they speak english is that Sao Paulo is the Financial Capital of Brasil and many US Based Multinational companies (in addition to other international companies where English is spoken as the "language of business / commerce") do significant business in SP and Brasil as a whole. Usually the Brasilian based employees of these multinational companies speak english among other languages.

So yes a lot of Paulistanos (and Brasilians as a whole in certain locations, service / tourist industries, and education levels) do speak english outside of work enviroments if they "choose to. " and have a interest in you.

With all that being said it's best for Anyone, If they can and have the time and will to Learn and Understand Portuguese. Your experiences in Brasil will be greatly enhanced.

[Nounce]

...
I am going to Medellin in a couple of weeks. It'd be my first time. I was browsing Medellin forum but couldn't find reports like this one of yours. Could you please provide some information / advise such as where to stay and where to hunt?

I answered some questions here. Look up EB's recent report for lodging. Stay in San Peter for lower cost option.

If you have that budget, read this post. ....

The other place with girls on site is Mansion. Medellin has greater quantity than Sao Paulo but it may take some work. Sao Paulo has much better clubs.

BBBJ and DFK are common without asking in Sao Paulo clinicas and clubs, but it is the opposite in Medellin casas and clubs. That is what this post is about.

1 million each and no BBBJ. Might be the most absurd thing I've ever read on here.

[Vagabundo1]

Best is to be able to work remotely as a digital nomad, and to be retired from one career, or semi-retired.

For example, being a retired Lieutenant Commander, Swiss Navy, but running some do re mi for myself and for Union Bank of Switzerland private clients (who have left, haha) would be ideal. You know, we Swiss Navy only care about pirate bounty and prize ships.

I think it may have to do with the location. There was one day last year, I rode Uber to an apartment in Bela Vista. The Uber driver spoke English and he recommended me to go to a club Caf Piu Piu which I went another night. Caf Piu Piu had a live band playing covers of American oldies from band like Journey and the crowd sang alone. When I arrived at the apartment, a girl happened to come out and she spoke English to me to help me ring the apartment. That night, I went to Bar dos Arcos. The door person who is a slender trans-person spoke some English. After I sat down in the bar, there was a couple to my left greeted me with English. Then the bartender spoke English to me too. Later the roommate of the bartender came and sat on the right. He spoke English too. Asked me if I want drugs, or girls and maybe tried to hit on me. LOL. All of these happened on the same day. I know you talked about club and girls. I thought it was an interesting date that I met so many English speaking Brazilians in one day.

[Nounce]

...As a matter of fact, it's been rare for me to meet any English-speaking girls at any of the clubs in Sampa, including other alleged "tourist traps" like Scandallo. ...

I think it may have to do with the location. There was one day last year, I rode Uber to an apartment in Bela Vista. The Uber driver spoke English and he recommended me to go to a club Caf Piu Piu which I went another night. Caf Piu Piu had a live band playing covers of American oldies from band like Journey and the crowd sang alone. When I arrived at the apartment, a girl happened to come out and she spoke English to me to help me ring the apartment. That night, I went to Bar dos Arcos. The door person who is a slender trans-person spoke some English. After I sat down in the bar, there was a couple to my left greeted me with English. Then the bartender spoke English to me too. Later the roommate of the bartender came and sat on the right. He spoke English too. Asked me if I wanted drugs, or girls and maybe tried to hit on me. LOL. All of these happened on the same day. I know you talked about club and girls. I thought it was funny that I met so many English speaking Brazilians in one day.

[Nounce]

I don't have a desire to monger every day for the rest of my life, modestly or otherwise. I've never wanted that. I have plenty of other interests besides mongering LOL! However, I do want to monger periodically throughout the year extravagantly hehehe!

I too have several other (can be considered full time) interests that are higher on my list than mongering. I am also very interested in my professional field. The situation is applicable similarly for me because they all involve travelling except my job.

[Vagabundo1]

Agreed.

It's frustrating how few cab drivers make change for even 50.

I think you should get your ass here ASAP. Some of your information are out dated. Also unlike in US, here they scan your card in front of you, and often it is contactless.

[The Cane]

I think you should get your ass here ASAP. Some of your information are out dated. Also unlike in US, here they scan your card in front of you, and often it is contactless.

So saying that everybody accepts cash (making cash king) is outdated information? Hahaha! That's just a plain silly assertion. Let me tell you something. I've traveled to Brazil far, far more times than these newbies writing reports (and you too). And what I know is that some things just don't change. Go around using a credit card willy nilly in Brazil if you want to, and you're just asking for trouble. And don't think you can't be skim scammed just because somebody scanned the card right in front of you (read / heard of that happening too)! If anything, people are more desperate now in these challenging times making things even worse. I will continue to use cash heavily (I mean why not everybody accepts it LOL) with a nice mix of bills that I always have to help in making change.

And when I withdraw that cash from the ATMs, I will always use the precautions that have been discussed on this board many, many times over the years. Plus I will get any and all ATM fees returned to me because my bank refunds them. Works for me, and I don't ever have to worry about any of my credit cards being compromised by a thief. I will use a credit card here and there for certain things, like hotels and higher end restaurants and stores (I didn't say I never use a credit card in Brazil), but I will be selective and judicious in such use. Of course, you could get robbed of cash right (so far never happened not even close knock on wood). Well another well-known principle is never carry more cash on you at one time than you're willing to lose.

It all comes with risks. I'll take the risk of acquiring and spending cash over letting every Tomas, Ricardo, and Jorge have access to my credit card info. At any rate, I don't buy (no pun intended) that things have changed so much in Brazil in such a relatively little amount of time to where you don't have to worry about using a credit card there anymore. Show me some reliable hard facts and data somewhere, and then maybe. Until then, I won't be ignoring history as the best predictor of the future is the past. For me, that means spending mostly in cash, and using a credit card selectively here and there. All have been warned. Don't let a "skim scam man" do it to you!