Brazil Basics

1. ABOUT BRAZIL

Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world with 8,5 million km2. Its territory makes up almost half of the total of South America, bordering every South American country with the exception of Chile and Equador. It is the eighth most populous nation of the world and 65% of its 170 million inhabitants are under 30 years old. It is an urban country where more than two out of three Brazilians live in a city.

Politically, Brazil is divided into 26 states and one Federal District which includes the capital, Brasilia. The states are divided into five regions, each seeming to be a country within the country with its marked social, cultural and geographical contrasts.

Brazil was discovered in 1500 by the Portuguese navigator Pedro Alvares Cabral. During the 17th century, Brazil became the world's largest producer of sugar. Eventually gold and diamonds replaced sugar as Brazil's primary commerce. In the 19th century Brazil was the worlds leading producer and exporter of coffee, which is still one of its major economical sources. The rubber boom in the late 19th century brought development and prosperity to the north of Brazil.

Sao Paulo:

Sao Paulo is the largest city in South America and is one of the most populated cities in the world, with more than 10 million inhabitants. It is the business capital of Brazil and a very busy place. It is also a cultural centre with many parks and museums. Sao Paulo locals are referred to as “Paulistanos”.

Rio de Janeiro:

Rio de Janeiro is one of the most spectacular cities on the planet. Even the well-travelled individuals will love what the city has to offer. With around 6 million inhabitants Rio is a melting pot of all races, colours and creeds. Residents of the city are called “Cariocas” and are friendly and fun.

2. BANKS & MONEY

The monetary unit is the Real. Bills correspond to denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 and coins of 1 Real, and 5, 10, 25, and 50 centavos. Please see the copies of notes and coins below.

Currency Exchange: open Monday through Friday: they open one hour after the banks and the financial market because of the daily variation of the exchange rate of the dollar.

- Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays: some open and operate using the exchange rate from the previous Friday.

- ATM machines: ATM machines are open to the public at the following times: from Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. At these terminals, different types of credit cards are accepted for cash withdrawals.

- Equipment installed in hospitals, airports, bus stations, and railroad stations are allowed to operate 24 hours a day.

- Banks are open from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Mondays through Fridays.


3. CELLULAR (MOBILE) PHONES & COMMUNICATION

• Cellular (mobile) phones work in most urban areas with good reception. You need to have international roaming.

• The international access code of Brazil, calling from outside of the country, is 55;

• Inside Brazil, the main cities are equipped with DDD - Direct Distance Dialing. For calls within the country, dial 0XX (0 for domestic calls, XX for the operator code) + city code + telephone number

• International calls are made through DDI - the Direct International Dialing service. Dial 00 + XX (Code of the long distance operating company) + country code + city code + telephone number.

• You will find a complete list of the city codes in the telephone book. For international calls, you can obtain information on codes by dialing 000 333, the number of the international operator.

• The international operators speak English and other translation services may be obtained free of charge for German, Spanish, French, Italian and Japanese by dialing 000 111.

• If you want to make a person-to-person call or use your credit card, make the requests through the international operator by dialing 000 111.


4. CLIMATE

The climate varies according to the altitude and the latitude of each location. Since Brazil is of continental proportions, there are substantial variations and contrasts between its different regions;

- Tropical climate: This is the predominant climate of the country - more than 90% of its territory is located between the line of the equator and the Tropic of Capricorn. The average annual temperature is high, around 25º, and the seasons are well defined into dry winters and rainy summers. The central highlands of the Central-West Region, and the Northeast and Southeast Regions present a tropical climate with high temperatures. The predominant climate of the coastline, from Rio Grande do Norte to Rio Grande do Sul, is Atlantic tropical with high average annual temperatures ranging from 18º to 26º, cooled somewhat by the presence of coastal winds.

- Subtropical climate: The average annual temperature of the South region is less than 20º. It is characterized by well delineated seasons, marked by significant temperatures differences between summer and winter and with rain evenly distributed throughout the entire year. Since it is outside of the tropical belt, below the Tropic of Capricorn, temperatures are rigorous in the winter, sometimes below zero, with frost and even snow.

In Rio, the sun is out almost every day. The city climate is basically divided into summer and winter. The summer is the best season for the cariocas and the tourists that visit the city. The beaches are full of beautiful people during the day, and even when the evening comes the entertainment goes on. The season is also characterized by sudden downpours. They usually occur at dusk. They are fast and come to cool off those hot days. The heat is Rio's summer trademark. The maximum temperature in this period goes up to 40º C.

Brazil is located in the Southern Hemisphere. Thus, its seasons are opposite to those of the Northern Hemisphere:

• Spring: from September 22 to December 21;

• Summer: from December 22 to March 21;

• Fall: from March 22 to June 21;

• Winter: from June 22 to September 21

5. CLOTHING

Rio's dress style is casual in almost all circumstances. If in doubt, ask your guide.

It is also good to keep in mind that the state has geographical diversities. Factors, such as sea proximity, the mountain chains, the vegetation and the altitude cause climate variations in the several regions.

São Paulo dress style is casual in almost all circumstances, although the Paulista´s tend to be more formal for business.

6. CREDIT CARDS

Amex, Diners, Mastercard & Visa

All major credit cards are accepted in Brazil in hotels, restaurants and shops.

However please note that fuel stations do not accept credit cards, so ensure you carry enough cash for your fuel requirements.

7. ELECTRICITY

Electricity in Rio and São Paulo varies from 110 to 127 volts, although at some hotels 220 volts currency is also available, so check with the front desk before plugging in. Although plugs may look different, no adaptors are normally needed for hair dryers, recorders, electric shavers, etc.

Outlets in Brazil generally accept 2 types of plug: Flat Blade plug and two round pins.

If your appliances plug has a different shape, you may need a plug adapter, which is cheap and easy to find.

8. FOOD & WATER

FOOD AND DRINK:

Grilled or barbecued meats - the "churrasco" - is very popular with Brazilians. A steak house is called "Churrascaria", and a variety of charcoal grilled meats are served, accompanied by salads and side dishes.

Another typical dish is the "feijoada" - a stew of black beans, various cuts of pork, smoked sausages and bacon, served with rice, shredded stewed kale, "farofa" (toasted manioc meal) and fresh orange slices. With Brazilians, it is usually a Saturday lunch special, washed down by "caipirinhas" - a typical drink of crushed lime, sugar cane alcohol, sugar and crushed ice - and followed by a relaxed afternoon nap.

Imported liquor is expensive, but several Brazilian brands are available. Brazilian wines are light, delicious and very reasonably priced.

Favorite beers are Antartica, Brahma and Skol in cans or bottles. Ask for a "chopp" (pronounced "shawpee") if you prefer draft beer. The popular "batida" is made of sugar cane liquor ("cachaca" – pronounced "kashassa") and fruit juices like lime, tangerine, cashew, passion fruit or coconut milk.

9. HEALTH

Doctors and Medical Assistance - A house doctor is available in most hotels. For private medical treatment, please ask the hotel's front desk.

Drinking Water: Because of the high content of chemicals used to purify Brazil´s water supply, you may prefer to drink bottled water

VACCINATION REQUIREMENTS:

- An international vaccination certificate against polio for children between the ages of three months to six years must be presented;

- An international vaccination certificate against Yellow Fever must be presented by tourists who, in the three months prior to the trip to Brazil, have visited, have been in transit or are coming from the following countries: Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guiné Bissau, French Guyana Liberia, Nigeria, Peru, The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Venezuela and Zaire;

- Don't forget: vaccination against Yellow Fever should be taken a minimum of 10 days before departure.

- In the event of doubt, and for information about other vaccinations, please contact the Brazilian consulate or embassy nearest to you in your country of origin.

10. HOTEL (CHECK IN AND CHECK OUT)

The hotel check-in time is generally 15h00 in the afternoon. If you arrive early, you can usually leave your luggage at the hotel. Early check in is subject to availability and often subject to a charge.

• Carry hotel name and address with you when you are on your own.

• Change money at recognized places or the hotel.

• Keep passport numbers and travellers’ cheques numbers separately.

Generally the hotel check-out time is 11h00. Late check out is subject to availability. If you wish to use your room on a day room basis until your evening flight, please let us know as soon as possible as this can often be arranged at an additional charge.

The additional charge is from 50-100% of the room tariff. Otherwise the hotel or lodge can keep your luggage in a luggage storage area.

On leaving your hotel, check your personal account and collect any personal items e.g.: passport, jewellery and travellers cheques left in safe keeping.

11. PASSPORT (IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS)

All foreigners must possess a passport. Brazilian regulations require that you show your passport when travelling from one city to another. Please have it on hand for such occasions. At other times, we suggest that you keep it in the hotel safety deposit box and carry a photocopy of the passport identification page.

• The maximum stay conceded to a tourist initially is 90 days. This period may be renewed for another 90 days through authorization of the Federal Police.

• Tourists are not permitted to work during the period they are in Brazil. Check with the nearest Brazilian consulate or embassy in your country to the obtain information regarding work visas.

• No entry visa is required for tourists from Europe or South America

• For visitors originating in countries which, pursuant to intergovernmental agreements, do require a visa for entering the country (like Canada and Unites States), the visa must be obtained at the Brazilian consulate. For further information, please contact your local embassy or consulate

12. PEOPLE & LANGUAGE

The official language is Portuguese. Spanish is understood by most people. English is one of the required languages in high school, and the average Brazilian has at least a sprinkling of English words. At airports, hotels, restaurants, large stores and shopping malls, there is always someone who speaks English. Taxi drivers understand names of hotels, restaurants and principal tourist attractions, but few speak English. Some Brazilians also speak French, German, Italian or Japanese.

13. RELIGION

The country is predominately Roman Catholic. The Catholic Church is highly respected in the community, something which should be kept in mind by the visitor. The Afro-Brazilian religious practices such as Candomblé, Umbanda and Spiritism are very popular in the country.

14. SAFETY & SECURITY

SAFETY - Please remember that Rio, like most resort destinations, is a very informal city and you will seldom see anyone dressed up in formal clothes and wearing expensive jewelry. Not even the most exclusive restaurants require a jacket for dinner. It is also important to remember that, as in most South American cities, a large portion of Rio's population can be classified as low income. These two factors, combined with a climate that is warm year-round, tend to impose a very casual dress code. Abiding by this code will go a long way in keeping you safe (well dressed foreigners stand out in a crowd). Your passport will not be needed until your next flight and your shopping can be done with major credit cards. For pocket money, all you need to carry any time is about USD100.00 worth of Reais. Cameras, purses and other valuables should not be left unattended anywhere, especially on the beaches. In other words, use the same good common sense that you would anywhere in the world, including your hometown.

If you have any concerns please seek the advice of you escorts, as they are professionally trained to make sure you have a memorable visit.

Sao Paulo - is no more dangerous than anywhere in Europe or North America and violent crimes against tourists or foreign visitors are extremely rare. Being sensible and streetwise is the key to a trouble-free and enjoyable stay in Sao Paulo. However, just like in London, Paris, New York or any other major metropolitan and tourist center, petty crime is an unfortunate fact of life. The crime tourists are most likely to fall victim to is robbery and the target of most petty pilfering are bags. If a bag is left unattended, the chances are that somebody else will try to pick it up. The simple solution is that visitors can't get robbed if they've got nothing with them to be stolen. Always leave travelers checks, passports, air tickets and the like in the hotel safe deposit box. Visitors should however carry some form of ID, such as a photocopy of their passports with them at all times.

Airports and Bus/Railway Stations: This is where your luggage is particularly vulnerable and where most thefts occur. Do not leave your belongings with any stranger, even for a moment.

Beaches: A great deal of Brazilian culture and Brazilians' spare time revolves around the beach. As a result the beaches can be great fun and very relaxing places. However, please bear the following in mind if going to the beach: beaches in and around the major cities tend to be quite crowded so the advice given above is especially applicable; never visit the beach after dark; please bear in mind that the sun in Brazil can be more direct and stronger than you will experience in Europe, so extra precautions are necessary; some areas, particularly in Rio, have dangerous undertows so you should stay near other bathers and observe the warning flags:

Red - Dangerous, enter at your own risk

White - Water is safe, lifeguard on duty

PERSONAL ARTICLES AND VALUABLES - Please use the hotel safe for valuables, extra money, documents or tickets that you will not need immediately. Be careful with purses, shoulder bags or wallets when you go shopping. Do not leave cameras or other valuable articles unattended on the beach mats while you swim, jog or walk on the beach. Take all the precautions you would normally take in any big city of the world.

Tips for avoiding the loss of money during your trip

The American dollar continues to be one of the most used currencies all over the World. So, it will be very useful to keep a small amount for the emergency situations. Avoid high-valued notes as they are rarely used and for that reason are seen with distrust.

Traveler's cheques are safer and in case of theft, may be cancelled.

Don't forget to keep an amount of your local currency to be used in tips and departure and arrival expenses. Never keep all your money in a single place which you risk losing.

Taking these basic safety precautions will ensure you have an enjoyable trip.

REMEMBER:

• Try not to act like a tourist.

• Never flash money, jewelry, or valuables around and don’t leave your things unattended (at airports, at beaches etc).

• Put your money and travel documents in your hotel safes.

• Use your guide or the hotel staff for help and information.

• Avoid going out alone if possible walk with a companion especially at night.

• Avoid unlit areas, especially alleys and parks.

• Do not resist an armed thief. If robbed, never pursue on foot.

• Do not carry large sums of money; carry only what you need.

• When riding in a vehicle, including taxis, keep all doors locked and windows rolled up to within two inches of the top frame.

• Avoid carrying around laptops as they are a key target for theft.

• Avoid unlicensed taxis. You can buy pre-paid taxi tickets at one of the various taxi offices, in airport arrival halls, and use them with licensed taxis.

• Credit card fraud is common. Try to keep sight if your card at all times.

• Mobile phone cloning occurs. Take care of your handset.

Emergency Numbers

These would apply in most of Brazil:

Police – 190
Fire – 193
Ambulance - 192
Tourist Police:
Rio de Janeiro - (21) 511-5112 or 511-5767
Sao Paulo - (11) 214-0209
American Consulates:
Embassy in Brasilia: (61)321-7272
Consulate in Rio de Janeiro: (21) 292-7117
Consulate in Sao Paulo: (11) 881-6511

15. SHOPPING

Rio: - Rio's south zone is today one of Brazil's most fashionable shopping areas, with boutiques, shops, art galleries, etc. lined on both sides of Copacabana Avenue (Copacabana) and Visconde de Piraja (Ipanema). If you do not enjoy walking, you might prefer the Rio Sul, Shopping Leblon or Barra Shopping malls. They are air conditioned and feature some of Rio's most stylish boutiques and stores. Ask your guide for specific suggestions.

Sao Paulo – being considered the New York of South America, São Paulo has no lack of shopping options, from Rua Oscar Freire the place to be seen and see where everyone goes to visit the most trendy fashion stores. Armani; Diesel; Timberland; Guaraná Brasil. For those you like street shopping the Av. 5 de Maio, should not be missed – where you can find anything you imagine from the thousands of street vendors.

16. TRANSPORTATION

As you will soon discover for yourself, traffic in Brazil is fast and drivers are not always as gracious as one might wish. Please be careful when crossing streets and getting on and off buses. Never try to beat the traffic. Taxis are metered in Reais and normally operate at regular fare, indicated by a meter marker with the number 1 on it. From 10 PM to 6 AM daily, on Sundays and holidays.

Subways in Brazil are only available in Rio, São Paulo and Brasilia. Normally, it runs from Monday to Saturday from 06:00AM to 11:00PM, but times may vary from city to city

Sao Paulo

Traffic in Sao Paulo is heavy, especially in main routes, all through the day during weeks and gets worse at rush hours (from 8 am to 10 am and from 6 pm to 8 pm). Laws to regulate traffic include a rule forbidding cars to circulate at specific week days depending on the final number of their license. On the weekends the traffic is better with some congestion in places where there are bars, shopping or other public attractions.

Sao Paulo has the largest underground transportation system in Brazil; the "Metro". It is not as comprehensive as the trains in Europe or North America, but it serves most of the important areas. It is the safest and cleanest way to get around Sao Paulo.

17. TIME ZONE

Brazil spans four time zones:

green

-5h GMT (-2h in relation to standard Brazil time) Acre.

orange

-4h GMT (-1h in relation to standard Brazil time) Amazonas, Rondônia, Roraima, Pará, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.

blue

-3h GMT (Standard Brazil time: Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraná, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Espírito Santo, Goiás, Brasília (DF), Tocantins, Piauí, Maranhão, Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceará and Amapá.

red

-2h GMT (+1h in relation to standard Brazil time) Fernando de Noronha territory.

In winter sunrise is at 0700 and sunset at 1730 or 1800. In summer sunrise is at 0600 and sunset at 2000. This is due to the summer savings time (not including Amazonia state).

Attention: During October to February daylight savings time (Summer time) is in effect. Clocks are set forward by one hour. The starting and ending dates vary each year and are announced with very short prior warning.

18. TIPPING

In Brazil, while not mandatory the tip almost always appears on the bill as a "Serviço" charge and varies from 10% to 15%.

• Restaurants: most charge 10% to 12% through the bill. If not, you could leave a tip of approximately 10% of the value of the bill for the waiter.

• Taxis: in Brazil, tipping taxi drivers is not mandatory. However, it is common to round up the total to be paid as a gratuity to the driver.

• Hotels: All hotels add a service charge to their final guest bill. It is recommended that gratuities be paid individually according to the quality of the service received during a hotel.

• Airports and bus terminals: It is recommended that a bag handler be tipped both at the airports and bus terminals.

• Remember that tipping is discretionary. These are only suggestions and of course clients are free to show how much they appreciated the service.

Tour Guides: US$ 10.00 for a single half-day tour, US$ 15 for single full-day tour. In case the tour guide and/or driver are accompanying you for more than one day, we suggest that you tip them at the end of the service.

Drivers : US$ 5.00 per day. In case the tour guide and/or driver are accompanying you for more than one day, we suggest that you tip them at the end of the service.

Hotel Staff/Porters at hotels: US$ 1.50/2.00 per bag.

19. FINAL NOTE

The information contained in this guide was correct at the time of printing and compiled in good faith. Should your own experiences show that changes should be made to this information, we would be pleased to hear from you, so that we can update this guide accordingly. January 2010