| |
BRAZIL INFORMATION
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with its 8,511,965 km2. Brazil’s population is proximately 165 million people and that makes them the world’s sixth most populous country. The population of Brazil is predominantly young, with 62 percent of the people under 29 years of age. From North to South it measures 4,320 km and from East to West 4,328 km. Bordered by the Atlantic Ocean on East, its cost has 9,000 km. Brazil is the largest country in South America and is a vast country encompassing nearly half of South America and has a border to every country here except Ecuador and Chile. Brazil is divided into five regions: North, Northeast, Southeast, South and Central West. Brazil has 26 states and one federal district. The Southeast region has four states: Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Esperito Santo and Rio de Janeiro. The Southeast region comprises almost 11 % of the country’s area and is home to 44 % of the Brazilians. 90 % of the population lives in cities.
RIO DE JANEIRO INFORMATION
Rio de Janeiro state has a surface area of 43,305 km2, and approximately 14 million inhabitants. Rio de Janeiro city is the second largest city in Brazil with a population of about&ampampampampnbsp7 million Cariocas as the inhabitants are called. The area of the city is 1,171 square kilometers and the city is located just south of the Tropic of Capricorn. Rio de Janeiro, capital ofthe state of Rio de Janeiro, and also Brazil’s capital from 1763 to 1961, is nestled between the mountains and the sea. It’s without doubt one of the worlds most beautiful city’s with its natural tropical environment. Brazil spans several time zones. Rio de Janeiro’s time zone is 3 hours behind GMT (London) except the 2 hours difference during summertime. (Brazilians are not famous for the punctuality).
COMMUNICATION
Rio’s international airport is located on Ilha do Governador about 25 km from Copacabana and Ipanema. There are one smaller airport in the center of the city for the flights to Sao Paulo and some other domestic destinations. Remember to take care of the copy of the entry form you received from the immigration police at the airport. It will take a long time and a lot of hassle to get another one if you lose it before leaving the country. Taxis have meters in Rio, but try to avoid tours or excursions from taxi drivers. One good option is to contract the taxi before leaving the airport. You will pay a fixed amouth to your destination, which is a easy way to avoid confusions especially for those who dont speak portugues and visit the city for the first time.
International Airport Information Tel. <주Ŧ> (55 2... , 3398-4527.
Domestic airport Information Tel. <주Ŧ> (55 2... .
MONEY
Real is the name on the currency in Brazil (Reais in plural). One Real is made up of 100 cents. There are a green 1 real note, a blue 5, a red 10, &nbspa yellow 20, a brown 50 and a blue 100. You can exchange money at exchange shops (casa do cambio), hotel front desks or banks. At exchange shops you get the best rate. US$ cash give you a better rate than a traveler check. Visa and Mastercard are the most accepted credit cards. Be careful with your card, even if most of the hotels, shops, bars and restaurants have a modern wireless machine. Bank hours are Monday through Friday from 10.00 to 16.00, except public and bank holidays. In many restaurants and bars tips are included in the bill (10%). If not, it will be stated at the bottom of the bill (servico não incluido). In these cases its recommened tipping range is 10%-15%. For luggage at the hotel and/or airport, figure 1 US$ per suitcase.
TELEPHONES
GSM cellular telephones work very well in Brazil. The main main operators are Oi, Tim, Claro and Vivo. The International Direct Dial (IDD) code for Brazil is 55. The city code for Rio de Janeiro is 021 (don’t use the 0 in International calls). Fax can be sent from any large post office in Rio.
INTERNET ACCESS
Many operators offers 3G Internet access in the big Brazilian cities, in the South Zone of Rio this service works very well.
POST
Postal services works pretty god in Brazil. Usually airmail letters or postcards to USA and Europe arrive in about a week.
ELECTRICITY
The electrical current in many cities in Brazil is 220 volts, except the states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Pernambuco where it is 110 volts. (Some hotels do have 220 volts in the rooms). Bring a converter if you need some electronically device.
SAFETY
Rio isn’t so dangerous as the reputation says, but try to remember the following advices to stay out of hassle. Hotels offer safety deposit boxes in their rooms. It is recommended that travel documents, jewelry and other values will be kept in them. Keep only what is necessary for daily use with you. Only carry a towel, sun block and a small amount of money to the beach, nothing more!&nbspBe careful with the strong undertow when you swim at the Atlantic beaches. There are a flag warning system Red – dangerous / White - Water is safe, lifeguard on duty.&nbspDon’t go to the beach at night even if that is a big temptation.&nbspDon’t exchange money in the street. Look after you luggage all the time. Try to avoid walking at dark streets at night, use taxi.
In case of hassle call direct to Rio Tourist Police, Tel. 2511-5112 or visit them at, Av Afranio de Melo Franco Leblon.
VISAS
Visitors from certain foreign countries will require a visa, which is usually processed within 2 working days by applying to the nearest Brazilian Embassy or Consulate. You need a passport valid for at least 6 months, one passport-sized photograph and a round-trip ticket.
CLIMATE AND DRESSING
Rio de Janeiro has a tropical to semi tropical climate. Summer runs from December through March and winter from June through August. The temperatures ranging from 25 degree Celsius to 42 degree Celsius in summer and 16 to 25 degree Celsius in winter. Many restaurants and nightspots are not restrictive on the dress code, although some require formal wear for the evening. For sightseeing and other outdoors activities, light summer clothing is most practical. Light cotton shirts, shorts, dresses and trousers are ideal during the day. You don’t need to bring a jacket if you are not going to stay here during the winter.
HEALTH
It’s suggested that you drink mineral water and avoid tap water in Brazil. Be careful with the sun. Use high sun block even during cloudy days. Here are the address and telephone for English speaking doctors in Rio:
Dr. Antonio Carlos Sousa Junior (Tel. home: 2225-2362)
Dr. Leronardo Ponce de Moura Rua
Miguel Couto, 124 - 2. andar, Centro
If you need a dentist in Rio:
Dr. Alicia Paulis, Rua Francisco Sá, 23/301, Copacabana Tel: (021) 2513-3025
LANGUAGE
The official language is Portuguese and English are spoken in major hotels and airports. On the street the knowledge of English is not so god.
FOOD AND DRINKS
Traditional Brazilian cuisine has been favourably compared to those of the other great cuisines of the world and offers a similar complexity and diversity of taste and dishes. Among the more famous regional dishes of Brazil are those from Bahia and Minas Gerais states which are served at a number of restaurants in and around Rio. Dishes with such exotic names as moqueca, vatapa, camarão a baiana and tutu a mineira. Rio for its part has what is considered to be the most traditional dish of them all, the feijoada, a type of stew. Which is traditionally served at Saturday lunch, by restaurants and hotels. Another popular dish Brazilian dish in Rio is the barbeque. Barbeques comes in all shapes and sizes from the corner galleto, serving barbeque chicken and steaks at the counter, to the churrascaria rodicio, a barbeque house which for a set price serves as much of the many varied barbequed delicacies as the costumer wishes. Rio also has its traditional drinks, many of which are based on a locally produced sugar cane spirit known as cachaca. Chachaca is the basis to fruit batidas and also the caipirinha, a drink that is the established accompaniment to the feijoada.
BEACH LIFE
The importance of the beach to Rio de Janeiro should never be underestimated. The city’s 90 kilometers (56 miles) of beaches are an integral part of the Rio lifestyle, some of which – such as Copacabana and Ipanema – are amongst the planet’s most famous strips of sand. Of the world’s major cities, Rio is unique in having beaches run through its very heart. They are beaches in the pure sense, as well as being a center of entertainment and relaxation for the residents and visiting population. A population, wherever they are in the city, they never are fare from the sand and the sea. They are never far from the sand or the sea. Participant sports abound on the beaches. Soccer, volleyball, gymnastics, and more traditional Brazilian sports like peteca and futevolei, are played out on the sands of Rio while out to sea, it is surfers and wind-surfers that rule the waves. The pavement and paths that run along the top of the beaches are the playground for the city’s cyclists, roller skaters and the people who simply want to walk, jog or sit and enjoy the scenery from a bench or the comfort of a small beach bar. The beaches are also the site for many of the city’s major sporting events with championships as diverse as volleyball, soccer, swimming and even tennis taking place on courts and in stadiums especially constructed on the sand. Likewise, musical extravaganzas and free concerts can also be seen throughout the year on the beaches of Rio, culminating in the New Year celebration which attracts many millions of people to the beaches to commemorate the arrival of the new year and witness one of the world’s truly spectacular fireworks displays.
NIGHTLIFE AND ENTERTAINMENT
Whatever time of day or night, there is always something happening in Rio de Janeiro. It is a city – like all great cities- that never sleeps. It is a city rich in alternatives for entertainment and relaxation, which at night offer the perfect counter balance to the frivolity of the beach or a hard day spent working at the office. In Rio the night gets under way as darkness falls, although for the Cariocas it is a question of the later the better. Cariocas rarely eat out before 9 pm and most restaurants in Ipanema, Copacabana and other parts of Rio only starts to fill up after 10 pm. Eating out is considered a n entertainment in its own right in Rio and the options range from the most sophisticated, award winning French and Italian cuisine in equally sophisticated settings, all the way to the humblest of corner bars serving local snacks and delicacies which are washed down by an ice cold draught beer or one a variety of natural juices. Rio has hundred of world class restaurants which offer just about every imaginable type of cuisine in a wide diversity of settings. A popular option in Rio is to pass the night at one of the cities many bars, which offers live music. The neighborhood of Lapa with dozens of bars in its renovated colonial style buildings is one of the most popular night life destinations. Rio has also plenty of nightclubs and lounge bars located at Copacabana and Ipanema.
|
|
