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July 20, 2008
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Brazil BlogBrazil Talk!Salvador
Filed under: Lisa in Brazil - April 27th, 2006 Salvador as many know if a large city in Brazil in the state of Bahia. Salvador is known for its many afro-brazilian people as well as its amazing carnaval celebrations in the streets. Salvador is along the coast and has some amazing beaches. Pelourinho is the oldest neighborhood in Salvador and has some beautiful architecture, and many tourists walking around with cameras. I was warned many times about this area and it being dangerous but I never encountered anything of the such. This area has many little shops to buy souvenirs such as the Bom Fim bracelets that are very popular in Salvador. Bom Fim is a church that is located just outside the city of Salvador. The bracelets have been known to be good luck. If you make a wish and tie the bracelet on, your wish will come true, and you must leave the bracelet on until it falls off. Once the bracelet falls off, that signifies that your wish has come true. I currently have one on my left wrist:) Still waiting for the wish to come true! Salvador also offers a day trip, or possible longer to a place called Morro do Sao Paulo. This is one of my favorite places in Brazil so far. From Salvador you take a bus costing about $50 reals one way to get to the island. Once you get there, you feel as though you are in another country. The Island is very small, and you can walk everywhere you want to go. There are 5 beaches, but most of the action resides within 3. The beaches are known by numbers, not names. Beach #2 is the place with the action. It is very easy to go to this Island with no place to stay and find one as soon as you get there (depending on season I suppose). Pousadas are similar to motels or hostels in a way. There are many along all beaches, varying in prices from $20 reals - $150 reals per person. This is an excellent place to go to relax and get away from things for a while. It is much less dangerous on this island that the city of Salvador. To return back to Salvador, you simply catch a bus from the same place you were dropped off. The return price is $50 reals as well. Some of the recommended beaches to stay at in Salvador are Pituba, Itapua, Ondinha, Farol de Barra, and Amaralina. The water is very beautiful and green, and the water is good to swim in. There are also many palces to surf if that is what you are looking for. There are other beaches further from the center of the city with georgeous green water, but they are approximately a 40 min drive or a 1 hour bus ride. Overall, Salvador was a beautiful place to visit, and if you are thinking of travelling there, make sure you go to Morro do Sao Paulo. Northern Brazil
Filed under: Lisa in Brazil - April 12th, 2006 Well, I know its been a while since I last posted a blog, but things can get pretty crazy when you are up in northern Brazil. The sun shines all year round, and its hard to come in off the beach and write a blog. Today I decided would be the day to just write a quick note about what I have seen so far during my nordest meaning northern Brazil adventure. Right now I am traveling with 3 friends up to 5 major cities of Northern Brazil. We have so far seen Salvador, Maceio, Recife, Natal and are now in Fortaleza. These cities are all the capital cities of their regions. All of these cities have their own special traits that make them very unique. Salvador is in the state of Bahia and is known for its capoeira, and afro-latino people. There are some amazing beaches here, with a vast coastline. The center of the city has a lot of action, especially in the Pelourinho neighborhood which is the oldest part of Salvador. Maceio is a smaller city, with approx 2 million people. There are many beaches, but a few of them in the city are polluted. If you want to see one of the most beautiful beaches, hop on a bus or cabbing it out to Praia do Francés is where you should go. The beaches are green and gorgeous. From Salvador we decided to take an overnight trip to the city of Morro do Sao Paulo. It was so beautiful. You need to take a boat there from the docks in Salvador, and it is about $50 reals each way. Once you get there you will be amazed with is beauty and relaxed atmosphere. There are many tourists here, which makes it fun to meet people from other countries as well. It is really easy to go there with no plans, and shortly have many because people will approach you and tell you of whats happening that night, and where to stay etc. Recife is another larger city, with plenty of things to do every day of the week. There is another part to it known as Olinda which is where the city began. Olinda has some of the oldest buildings in Brazil. Recife is known for one of is beaches called Boa Viagem meaning good voyage. It was very popular a few years back, but once surfers started getting attacked by sharks, people started to find other beaches to attend for fear of the sharks. You will still hear of a few attacks, so its best to not swim too deep in the waters there. We also took a bus to a city called Porto das Galinhas. This means chicken port. It was called that because it used to be the secret location to here the slaves were smuggled in. This place is very beautiful. It is a 2 hour bus ride from Recife, and once you get there you will feel as though you are in a little touristy town full of cool souvenirs, and postcards etc. The beach here is beautiful and green, and there are reefs right off shore that you can take a boat to for a very reasonable price, or you can swim out to and rent a scuba mask. You will see many tropical fish here. The next city was Natal. I really love this place. We stayed just outside in an area called Ponta Negra. This would be where I would recommend staying. There are many pousadas (hotel/motel type place), hotels, or hostels. There is always something to do in this area. During the day there is a beautiful beach with surfing, shopping, restaurants, and during the night there are clubs, pubs, and restaurants as well. From Natal you can take some day trips. One of the ones we took was to the Dunes. We went by dune buggy to the dune park. It was amazing. It cost $200 for 4 people for the day. You can decide if you want a ride with or without emotion, and we obviously got the one with emotion which was really fun! We were able to stop and do camel rides, sand boarding, ski bunda, and a zip line into the water. All of the activities were relatively cheap, ranging from $4-$15 reals. Another side trip we took was to Pipa. This is another city about 1.5 hours from Natal. It is a small city which can be walked from one end to the other in 20 minutes. Here you will feel a hippi -ish atmosphere that is very laid back and relaxing. If you are interested in swimming with dolphins that is a possibility here. If you get to the bay of dolphins around 10:30 you will be able to stand in the water and watch dolphins swim around you for hours. The only danger here is the tide rises very fast and if you get stuck in this bay you will have no way out until the tide goes back down. So, this takes me to Fortaleza. I have only been here for one night, so hopefully as I spend a little more time here I will have more to tell. I am really enjoying it so far, and we seem to have found the most active part of the city to set up camp. We are right by Mereilles beach. There is beach volleyball, capoeira, soccer, and much more happening here. Ok so that sums up that last few weeks of my adventures here in Brazil. The north is a very beautiful part of Brazil and should definitely not be missed. Tour Packages and Tourism on your own in Rio!
Filed under: Ask Us - April 11th, 2006 Your Question: We have been on some web sites and there seems to be lots of agents who organize trips in Rio de Janeiro. My wife and I want to got to Sugar loaf, Christ the Redeemer, Botanical gardens, Maracanã for 4 football matches (Vasco v Flamenco 28 Oct, Botafogo v Fluminense 4 Nov, Flamenco v Santa Cruz Nov 2, and Flamenco v Atlético Nov 5), horse racing and maybe a boat trip round Rio harbour. Iis it better to contact these agents to organize a package for all the trips before we get there or organize them locally on our arrival? Any idea what the cost of the above trips would work out at? Our Reply: It is better to contact these agents when you get in Rio. There are many agents doing this kind of work in Rio. You will receive many folders with tour packages when you are sitting on the beach in Rio. Being here, you will be able to see pictures of all these tours and you will also be able to deal with the agents in person. There are many different kinds of packages tours, and you will easily find a different thing to do in Rio every day. Here is one example of how much things may cost and what these tour packages look like. The prices are related to April 2006, so it may be different by the time you get in Rio in October. Tours Packages (Options and Prices): This is only one example of what you will find in Rio de Janeiro regarding tours package. Option1: Statue of Christ - $25.00 US (each person) - 4 hours tour Option2: Sugar Loaf Mountain $30.00US (each person) - 4 hours tour Option3: A Day in Rio de Janeiro - $60.00US (each person) – 9 hours tour Option 4: A Night in Rio de Janeiro - $120 (each person) – 4 hours tour Option 5: Búzios - Cabo Frio - Angra dos Reis (Nearby Cities) from $40.00US to $80.00US – 10 hours tour. Option 6: Soccer Matches (big groups) with a Tour Guide: $25.00US (each). Price includes: pick up from your hotel, soccer game in Maracanã Stadium, and return to your hotel. 4 hour Tour. How much would that cost to do on your own? Here are the prices you will pay to get into these attractions. The additional costs on going on your own would be the costs of a tax ride, a bus, or subway. Soccer Matches on your own: Prices will vary from $9.00US (general bleachers) to $20.00 US (chair sits) – away from the crowd. Sugar Loaf Mountain – $ 17.00US (each) Statue of Christ Train – $ 16.00US (each) Regarding a horse racing, you would want to check the Jockey Club’s Page when you are in Rio. Horse racings do not happen every day, so it is important that you check their schedule. The Jockey Club is located between two other tourist attractions, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake and the Botanical Gardens. Getting there is easy, and any taxi driver or a bus would be able to get you there safely. If you have any further questions, just write to us and we will try to help you to answer them. Planning your trip far in advance will make you have an awesome time in Rio. Cities In Brazil thanks you for your question Airport/Hotel Tranfers in Brazil
Filed under: Ask Us - April 6th, 2006 Your Question: HI, I’m visiting Rio in September and also going to the Iguaçu Falls. I haven’t arranged a transfer to the airport at Rio from my hotel or from the airport at Iguaçu to my hotel. Will it be easy to arrange outbound and inbound when I get to Brazil? Thanks Our Reply: Brazil has become very popular in the last couple years, so the cities are now prepared to receive tourists. You shouldn’t have a problem getting into your hotel, or into the airport. In Brazil there are many taxi rides available in the big airports such as the one you are going go to in Rio and Foz do Iguaçu. Now, if you don’t want to deal with finding a taxi once you are here, you can just ask your hotel to arrange that for you. Same thing to go from your hotel to the airport, just ask the front desk, and they will easily arrange a ride for you. Some hotels might even provide free airport shuttle services, and even private car transfer. Good luck and write to us if you have any further questions. Helicopter Rides from Sugar Loaf, Price, Availability
Filed under: Ask Us - April 6th, 2006 Rio has many companies that offer helicopter rides. Each company offer different routes, with different lengths. The prices will vary from one company to the other depending on how long and how many places you would like to visit in Rio de Janeiro. What you will normally find is a 30 minute ride for approximately 200U$ per person. Bellow you will find some links to help you find a company that best fits your needs. Through their webpage you can try to get a good deal, dealing directly with them. Good lucky and enjoy your sightseeing in Rio. Wata Company Cities in Brazil thanks you for your question Dress Code in Rio de Janeiro
Filed under: Ask Us - April 6th, 2006 Your Question: I like to wear shorts and t shirts when on holiday. Are there any places in Rio’s Hotels, clubs or bars that enforce a dress code (long trousers). Our Answer: If you are going out to a bar/club in Rio you will not be allowed to enter if you have shorts or sandals on. You need to be dressed sport casual, otherwise they will not let you in. In Hotels, you can wear shorts and t-shirts, as long as you feel comfortable with what people use there. Different hotels, clubs and bars have ifferent dress codes, so some of them can enforce you to wear nicer clothes, but that is very unusual. As long as you have your jeans and t-shirt on you should be fine. You may want to write to your specific hotel and ask them what their dress code is. Cities in Brazil thanks you for your question.
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