Rio de Janeiro Reports

[Greenburger]

Speaking of eVisa, do you must have booked round trip ticket and accommodation?

I want to get my buddy to come on the next trip. He will need the eVISA.

My dad's family all kept their European passports, so lucky me. I lived in Istanbul for over 2 years. I kept doing border runs with my blue and burgundy passports.

[Greenburger]

Capital One bought Discover and began transitioning its cards to that payment network this summer. The Discover network doesn't have nearly the presence overseas that Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX do. This is likely the source of your problem.

My card has a master logo. The issue is it on apple pay. I tried it again and failed. Then I immediately used the physical card and worked.

I was wondering if anyone else has issue using apple pay linked to a capital one card.

I have venture x which works flawlessly in BR. But I use the card, not apple wallet.

Sometimes a card reader does not work for my card, so I ask them to use a different one. Depending on the size of the biz, they might have just 1 or a few card readers.

And I carry cash just in cash.

Thanks to your comment. The card by itself worked. I now know it's the apple+capital1 combo that did not work.

Who knows. It is probably nothing, and one call will fix the problem, but it could be something more serious. For example, on my last trip to Sao Paulo I received a text message from Capital One alerting me to a "suspicious" charge that they had flagged. So I called Capital One and I found out that the charge was from a favorite wine store called Grand Cru who I do a lot of business with when I am in SP, but this charge was for $600 dollars which was over 3 x what I have ever spent in that store and that is why they flagged it. Good thing I called!

So, like I said, Capital One probably denied your charge because it looked odd for some reason. Most likely it was because one day you are charging something in Panama and the next you are charging something else in SP. One call should straighten everything out, unless you have a real problem like I had. With me, my card was frozen and no longer usable after my call. That is why it is always smart to bring back up CC's on a trip. After I got home, a new Cap One card was waiting for me at my house. BTW, I continued to purchase wine at Grand Cru (it is a very good wine store) on a different CC without any further issues. Shit happens, but your CC company is there to cover your ass. Call them.

P.S. Tell us about your terma visit went. Hope you had a good time.

Glad it worked out for you. My ex was a wine drinker, and good wines are $$.

I am headed to centro now. Will be reporting back.

Got an email from the embassy rejecting my photo that I scanned from my passport photo because it's scanned. I checked the requirements again, and they want white background, which I simply don't have anywhere here (the whitest background I have is kind of off-white / grayish). I can change it in the edits, I guess, but now I wonder if they'll reject it too. Any thoughts?

Many photo editing app can change the background. Every gen x kid can do it for you. You can also send your headshot to ai. Just write in prompt what you want. Good luck.

[Steve 9696]

Got an email from the embassy rejecting my photo that I scanned from my passport photo because it's scanned. I checked the requirements again, and they want white background, which I simply don't have anywhere here (the whitest background I have is kind of off-white / grayish). I can change it in the edits, I guess, but now I wonder if they'll reject it too. Any thoughts?

They are a pain. Easier to just go to CVS and get an official one than get it rejected repeatedly.

[The Cane]

Got an email from the embassy rejecting my photo that I scanned from my passport photo because it's scanned. I checked the requirements again, and they want white background, which I simply don't have anywhere here (the whitest background I have is kind of off-white / grayish). I can change it in the edits, I guess, but now I wonder if they'll reject it too. Any thoughts?

I had a suitable photo taken at CVS. Walgreens also does them.

[Xpartan]

Thanks Axel and others. I actually asked about the photo of passport bio page because can't set up my new, uber-pricey fucking printer for scanning. Anyway, I sent them a photo, if they deny, will go to Staples or something.

Got an email from the embassy rejecting my photo that I scanned from my passport photo because it's scanned. I checked the requirements again, and they want white background, which I simply don't have anywhere here (the whitest background I have is kind of off-white / grayish). I can change it in the edits, I guess, but now I wonder if they'll reject it too. Any thoughts?

[Axel Heyst]

Gents, I landed in Rio this morning, so far I am enjoying it (beach + food). Will be hitting a terma soon.

Quick question: My Capital One Venture card on Apple Pay does not work here. My other card with a different bank goes through instantly (apple pay as well). Is this just me or is it a thing with Capital One? I used it yesterday in Panama city, no problem at all. Thanks.

Who knows. It is probably nothing, and one call will fix the problem, but it could be something more serious. For example, on my last trip to Sao Paulo I received a text message from Capital One alerting me to a "suspicious" charge that they had flagged. So I called Capital One and I found out that the charge was from a favorite wine store called Grand Cru who I do a lot of business with when I am in SP, but this charge was for $600 dollars which was over 3 x what I have ever spent in that store and that is why they flagged it. Good thing I called!

So, like I said, Capital One probably denied your charge because it looked odd for some reason. Most likely it was because one day you are charging something in Panama and the next you are charging something else in SP. One call should straighten everything out, unless you have a real problem like I had. With me, my card was frozen and no longer usable after my call. That is why it is always smart to bring back up CC's on a trip. After I got home, a new Cap One card was waiting for me at my house. BTW, I continued to purchase wine at Grand Cru (it is a very good wine store) on a different CC without any further issues. Shit happens, but your CC company is there to cover your ass. Call them.

P.S. Tell us about your terma visit went. Hope you had a good time.

[Spbrlove]

Quick question: My Capital One Venture card on Apple Pay does not work here. My other card with a different bank goes through instantly (apple pay as well). Is this just me or is it a thing with Capital One? I used it yesterday in Panama city, no problem at all.

I have venture x which works flawlessly in BR. But I use the card, not apple wallet.

Sometimes a card reader does not work for my card, so I ask them to use a different one. Depending on the size of the biz, they might have just 1 or a few card readers.

And I carry cash just in cash.

[The Cane]

Gents,

I landed in Rio this morning, so far I am enjoying it (beach + food). Will be hitting a terma soon.

Quick question: My Capital One Venture card on Apple Pay does not work here. My other card with a different bank goes through instantly (apple pay as well). Is this just me or is it a thing with Capital One? I used it yesterday in Panama city, no problem at all.

Thanks.

Capital One bought Discover and began transitioning its cards to that payment network this summer. The Discover network doesn't have nearly the presence overseas that Visa, Mastercard, and AMEX do. This is likely the source of your problem.

[Greenburger]

Gents,

I landed in Rio this morning, so far I am enjoying it (beach + food). Will be hitting a terma soon.

Quick question: My Capital One Venture card on Apple Pay does not work here. My other card with a different bank goes through instantly (apple pay as well). Is this just me or is it a thing with Capital One? I used it yesterday in Panama city, no problem at all.

Thanks.

[Turgid]

I went to Help for my first carnival in 2004 and it was one hell of a place; had a great time with the younger one on the left. She stayed with me for five nights.

Went back to Help in 2006 and I got drugged for the first time in my life. My apartment was close, but it took forever and a day to get back.

It was around those years, before, after and inclusive that I used to visit Rio regularly. I get nostalgic any time I think of those visits. I used to have watery eyes at the airport returning home. Great times.

[RamDavidson84]

I went to Help for my first carnival in 2004 and it was one hell of a place; had a great time with the younger one on the left. She stayed with me for five nights.

Went back to Help in 2006 and I got drugged for the first time in my life. My apartment was close, but it took forever and a day to get back.

Spoken like a true legend of the game LOL. Drugged for the "first" time LOL. You know TomJ has been around the block and been through several "druggings" and lord know what else and he's still pumping out the best reports in the game.

[Xpartan]

I found them very anal. 2 selfies shot with my Samsung Galaxy S21 ultra were rejected. Finally, a shot taken with my Nikon DSLR was accepted.

Thanks Axel and others. I actually asked about the photo of passport bio page because can't set up my new, uber-pricey fucking printer for scanning. Anyway, I sent them a photo, if they deny, will go to Staples or something.

[TomJackin]

Once again, the discussion of Help brings back memories for many of us.

I went to Help for my first carnival in 2004 and it was one hell of a place; had a great time with the younger one on the left. She stayed with me for five nights.

Went back to Help in 2006 and I got drugged for the first time in my life. My apartment was close, but it took forever and a day to get back.

[RamDavidson84]

Once again, the discussion of Help brings back memories for many of us.

I don't think on-line hook-ups are any match for the speed and convenience of a meat market. I say meat market will all due respect and deference. Most mongers aren't going to put in the advance time to make arrangements on-line. Help offered a guaranteed party and hook-up every night of the week.

RamD, you make some good points about the Rio talent pool and scene. I would add that Help's talent was drawn nationally similar to the popular Sao Paulo boates. An entire beach-sex destination sprung up around Help. Guys came for the girls. More Brazilian girls came to meet the demand. Everyone enjoyed the sun, the beach and the girls. Seasonal demand during the Northern Hemisphere's winters brought even more girls. Apartment buildings around Help became honey hives stacked with sexy women from all over the country.

Sadly for all these reasons, I don't think the city will allow this spectacle establishing itself again. I remember Western women complaining to me that scantily clad, young women were making arrangements right on the beach a few feet away from them. Some of these Western women were simply resentful that beautiful women were giving it up for a few bucks.

I am quite Jealous, I never got to experience Help. A bit before my time. Only been in the game a decade or so. Rio is still a blast, but the distance from USA and Portuguese puts a damper on what it could be. Maybe one of these days Ill buckle down and try to learn some basic porto.

[The Cane]

Of course it's reciprocity but I think you slightly miss my point. Brazil believes (rightly IMO) that they belong in the community of nations whose citizens can travel relatively easily within that community. The Brazilians don't want it to be super easy like getting an ETA or ETIAS or ESTA. They want Americans, Canadians, and Australians to feel some pain. Of course, they don't make it as painful for us as we do for them because they want our tourism more than we want theirs. But still, the hassle is the point.

No, I got your point. The bottom line is that we wouldn't have to be applying for a visa at all if we didn't hassle them about applying for one. And as you note, the hassles we impose are worse than the ones they do. I found the Brazilian eVisa process to be relatively easy and straightforward. But just based on what I've seen some post here recently, people start creating problems and extra hassles for themselves, and get their applications rejected, by not following clearly stated rules to the letter. If they say send a scan of the document, then send a scan for crying out loud! You want to know about a hassle? You should have seen the electronic entry / exit process that was in place when I went to Portugal earlier this year. That was a total disaster! It's been so bad that Portugal and some other European countries decided to suspend the whole mess! Mexico has a similar system now that worked smooth as butter when I went to Monterrey. So much for Europe doing it better than the "third world".

https://www.theportugalnews.com/news...checks/1085755