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Cost of Food in Rio de Janeiro

Filed under: Ask Us - January 9th, 2006

Your Question

A friend and I are going to reo soon and would like to know how it costs to eat there, ie the cheapest places, ie a rough guide. Also what kind of things to be aware of safety wise?

Our Reply

There are many places to eat in Rio. It usually depends on what kind of food you are looking for. Along the beaches you will find many little concession stands that sell pastels with cheese, meat, shrimp, or palmito inside. These are quite cheap, you will be able to buy one for approximately 2 reals. These are cooked in oil, and aren’t exactly the healthiest thing to eat if you plan on staying a while in Rio, but if you are looking for cheap food, this is probably the cheapest.

If you are staying in a hotel with a fridge and stove, it is cheaper to buy food from the supermarket and make your own sandwiches, etc. There are also places that you can go to eat that charge by the kilo. These places aren’t necessarily cheaper, but this way you can eat the food you want.

Another option which I like a lot is a churrascaria. At churrascaria´s you pay anywhere from $15-$20 reals, and it is a non stop buffet of meat, and salad bars. Churrascaria means BBQ here in Brazil. You will have a table and waiters will come around with meat and you simply say yes if you want some of that particular kind of meat, or no and wait until then next waiter comes by with a different kind of meat.

A day at the beach

Filed under: Lisa in Brazil - January 9th, 2006

I will tell you a bit about my experience at the beach. I will start from the time you get up. For me, I am definitely not an early riser. This means I am usually up around 9:30 or 10:00, and heading off to the beach around 11:00. By this time, most of the beaches are quite crowded, but there is always a spot to put my umbrella and towel.

All the beaches will most likely have bathrooms, life guards, restaurants, vendors or all kinds, and perhaps banana boat or sail boat rides.

I really enjoy how the beaches have vendors. I feel as though I don’t even need to get up most of the time. There are people selling pop, water, beer, BBQ cheese, churros, shrimp on a stick, beef on a stick, peanuts, hot dogs, ice cream, popsicles, etc.

If you are at the beach alone, be careful when leaving your things unattended. Its easy for people to steal if they think you aren’t watching your things. I personally have never had a problem, but I have always made sure I had someone watching my stuff.

At most beaches you will be able to rent a surf board, or body board. Some beaches even offer lessons. If you are looking for some exercise while at the beach, I would recommend this. Some other options are kayaking, volleyball, fresco-ball, soccer, and fishing.

Hopefully to all you reading this you will soon have your own stories to share with me!

Beaches in Ubatuba

Filed under: Lisa in Brazil - January 9th, 2006

Recently I spent a week at the beach. It was a great experience. The name of this small beach town is Ubatuba. It is about 3.5 hours from Sao Paulo. During the summer months the population of this town grows by 10 times.

There are many beaches along the coastline in Ubatuba. The main difference between the beaches will be the size of the beach, the size of the waves, as well as the residential or non residential area it is located.

You will find some very small beaches, usually having smaller waves that are more appropriate for families with children, or those looking to relax and swim in waters without getting plowed over by waves.

You will also find extremely long beaches that have larger waves, more appropriate for surfing and /or body boarding.

The other difference between beaches is the neighborhood in which they are located. Some beaches will be along the main road with lots of parking and restaurants along the boardwalk. These beaches are extremely busy and full of people. Other beaches are located in residential areas in which you have to park further away. These beaches usually have less people and are a bit more relaxing.

It’s also possible to find empty beaches, but you will have to drive a little ways out of the city and perhaps blaze a bit of a trail.