Travel to Brazil
"I am Aunt Donna Rosa de Alvadores from Brazil, where there are many, many wild monkeys..."
Kind of weird. I’m starting to write about a trip to Brazil, it’s minus 3 outside and knee-deep snow. Second day at home, but my thoughts are still there. And why did you come back? However, sit back and be patient. Play "Lambada" or the song from "Generals" sand quarries". We begin.
There are 4 main places in Brazil where tourists from all over the world are invited. First, you need to visit the very north of the country, in the northern hemisphere - the Amazon region, with the capital of the Amazon - the city of Manaus, second, you need to visit the very south - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, third - Foz do Iguassu, it is on the border with Argentina and Paraguay, where over a distance of 3 km 275 waterfalls fall down at once and create a unique picture. And finally, the fourth place is the province of Rio Grande do Norde, where the best beaches and famous dunes in Brazil are located. This is where we were. It is very difficult and expensive to see everything at once.
As I already said, Brazil is the fifth country in the world in terms of area - about the same size as 15-16 Ukraine. The coastline along the Atlantic Ocean alone stretches over 6000 km. Brazil is also the fifth most populous country in the world - about 180 million people, that is, more than Russia. About 50% of the population is white, about 43% is mixed (whatever there is in this mixture), about 6% is black - like Pele, and less than 1% is Indians living in the Amazon. About 80% are Catholics, which means we celebrated Christmas with them. But first things first. I’ll say right away that Brazil is a fairly safe country in terms of seismicity and other natural disasters. All typhoons that form in the warm waters of the Atlantic form much further north, where the influence of the cold Arctic masses is greater.
A little about the flight
This time - for the first time - we flew with a non-German airline. Brazilian. Boeing 767-300 car. In general, I will say this - it is better to fly with German companies and on the A-330 or some other models of this Airbus. Service, food on the plane - all this was better last time, on the way to Ceylon. But in general it's ok. The flight there took about 10 hours, and back - only 8.5 hours. We flew back and forth from Dusseldorf, where a new Airport was built, just a toy, or a picture. How is it more pleasant for someone? When you get off the Berlin train, you sit on this suspended, 2-car tram - and after 8 minutes you are already in the Terminal you need.
We flew to the city of NATAL, I ask you to remember this name, this is the capital of this very land of Rio Grande do Norde. We crossed the equator, as reported by the commander, and immediately encountered turbulence. And a good one at that. Some of the ladies groaned a little, after which we immediately flew into the southern hemisphere and the turbulence left us. So we arrived, and considering that it was about 9 pm local time and quite dark, we saw an amazing picture from the plane of the city of Natal, which was all in lights. Ira filmed it. By the way, the time difference with Germany in our particular place was 4 hours, with Ukraine - respectively 5. They don’t change the clocks, so when we have summer time, the difference is another hour more. Since the southern hemisphere is 6 degrees, but still southern latitude, it is now summer for them. Although this has NOTHING to do with the matter.
All 12 months, all 365 days are summer. The air temperature in this province is ALWAYS 30-31 degrees. Water is ALWAYS 27-28 degrees. The ocean itself in the region where it was difficult for us to imagine being calm, the waves roll in one after another, but swimming among such waves is a pleasure, and these waves give an additional massage, slapping you on the back, or even lower. However, there are places in the water where black stones suddenly appear along with the sand, forming quiet pools where people also swim, and not alone, but together with fish. The fish resemble aquarium barbs, only larger.
There is no rainy season here as such, although there is a slightly higher probability of it from March to June. For 2 weeks we have not seen a gloomy sky like in Ceylon, for example. In Rio, the climate there is completely different, it’s cooler and rainier. Also in the Amazon.
The scale of the country
This is quite interesting. The sun rises at about 5 in the morning, rises from the ocean (in Ceylon it set in the ocean) and at about 7 in the morning it is already roasting the edors, at 9 in the morning the sand, which a little further from the water is already hot, hot, but at about 13 o'clock - the sun is still almost at its zenith, but the sand is no longer so hot. At 17 o'clock the sun quickly sets behind the dunes, and somewhere at 18 o'clock, a little later it is already dark. And the BRAZILIAN NIGHTLIFE begins.
But I’ll say a few more words about the daytime. Once again I admire the ocean breeze, I can’t put it into words. This is something unusual. In this heat, no one sweats. They don't even know what it is. And as soon as you drive 500 meters away from the ocean - that’s it, it’s HEAT! And being near the ocean is just an indescribable thrill. Moreover, you can lie down at least from 5 am to 5 pm. Try lying down all day in Odessa, in Arcadia, say, without any visors, or in Yalta. You'll be stupefied by lunchtime. And here it’s a complete thrill.
But without a strong cream, you will burn quickly. You won't notice it yourself. Irina didn’t part with the cream until last day, and cream 30 is practically the strongest. I turned back on the 3rd or 4th day, thinking that I was already tanned, I didn’t need it anymore, but just half an hour after I got out of the water, I realized something was wrong. The sun is crazy. Stronger than in the Dominican Republic and Ceylon. Cream, cream and more cream, no lower than 30 - we recommend it to everyone. Yes, another feature, there were no mosquitoes here at all. It was in vain that Irka carried mosquito repellent ointment with her, but in Ceylon, taught by the bitter Dominican experience, she did not part with it. This is a small thing, of course, but pleasant, especially for her, because mosquitoes don’t bite me.
Our hotel was 4 stars by local standards, and 3.5 stars according to the German catalogue. Nice hotel, big. And for the first time, there were no more Germans, but Dutch. And not only in our hotel, but everywhere where we picked up and where we took tourists after excursions. We heard enough of the Dutch language. Not a damn thing is clear, except for the names. It turns out that they have a direct plane from Amsterdam to Natal.
We were very lucky with the number. For such a ridiculous price - we had a room 30 meters from the ocean, including a strip of sand and a strip of cacti (for Brazilian peasants, cacti are the main defense against jaguars, snakes, etc.) But the Brazilian peasants with jaguars and snakes were far away, so so don't be scared. Moreover, the frontal location is clearly opposite the ocean. Stepping out onto the terrace offers stunning views. The ocean, as I already said, and the grass - so soft, soft, it’s like walking on moss.
Each room has its own pool, a small one, in which you can sit and lie, you will see this in the photographs, and each room also has hammocks. Hammocks are a traditional thing among Brazilians; there are hammocks everywhere in all hotels, in private houses, and there are boys walking along the beach selling them. Between the room and the ocean - in addition to the pool and hammock - there are chairs, a table, sun loungers. Palm trees are not as tall as in Ceylon. And the coconuts, like there, are not removed from them, but a special eccentric walks around and warns - move your lounger so that the coconut does not hit you in the head. There were no monkey-men climbing palm trees here. A country with a relatively high standard of living.
The hotel also has a large swimming pool, which we only visited 3-4 times. There is also a swimming pool for children. In addition, for children there are children's slides, toys, and most importantly - special young girls, very pleasant in appearance, who stay with the children if the parents have gone somewhere. This is all included in alles inclusive.
Breakfast starts at 6-30, dinner ends at 22-30, between them there is also lunch and an afternoon snack (cakes, pizza, fruit, juices, coffee, cocoa, teas). As one German cheerfully said, sitting with us in a bar in the evening, before dinner, when everyone was gurgling about who was doing what, and no one wanted to go eat, he said with a smart look, “We have to,” like everything has been paid for. What I mean is that, like everywhere else, the food is for slaughter. Their famous beef is good, different from ours. But we dealt the main blow to fish and seafood, as in Ceylon. And it must happen that Brazil turned out to be the world's number 1 Exporter in the sense of shrimp, garnels and other arthropods. They breed them in such quantities that we all never dreamed of. Moreover, pay attention - they breed these garnelles (these are large shrimp, only their front part, so to speak face, is not the same as ordinary ones) in special ponds.
We were at one real FAZENDA, where a local farmer in a cowboy hat breeds these garnelles up to 12 cm in length and up to 70 grams in weight each. The pond resembles a rice field, the depth is up to 1.5 meters, the water is fresh, and the garnels come as fry from salt water and take 2-3 weeks to get used to it, from each pond he takes up to 500 kg per year at a time, and there are 4 such times, then there are 2 tons per year. And it costs only 7 reais per 1 kg.
I inform you about the exchange rate: 1 EURO=2.7 REALS, 1ї=2.2 REALS. (By the way, the poverty line is 300 reais).
In addition, he raises fish like our carp. He also showed us the whole process of processing sugar cane - first, how sweet juice is squeezed out, we tried it, then how mash is made from this juice, we haven’t tried it, then Kashatsu vodka is distilled from this mash, 43 degrees, we tried it again, and most importantly - then they drive out the alcohol, which is already used by half of the cars in Brazil. So reed is a valuable thing for them. By the way, 3 harvests are harvested per year. It is ripe when it reaches 3 meters in height, after which the entire field is set on fire. Everything burns, but the reed itself, this stem, does not burn. And then it is removed. Both by machines and by hand. And there is a lot of it in the vast expanses of Brazil!!
And he also showed us how he feeds cows and horses with this reed, and puts their manure in 2 specials. pits where all this stuff is filled with water and wanders for 24 hours under the hot Brazilian sun, by the way, there was no smell characteristic of villages, then with one easy movement he dumps it all into these 2 cellars, where after another 24 hours gas is obtained, on where he and his family, as well as 12 families of hired workers, cook their own food. The same gas is used to make alcohol. In short, a farmer in the 6th or 7th generation, everything is inherited.
But I digress from the hotel. In short, Irka gobbled up these shrimp every day. They put them in any a fish dish as an addition to sauce. 4 bars in the hotel! One of them is by the ocean, the last one is on a special stage where evening shows were held every evening. There was the widest selection of drinks here that Ira and I have seen. Of all the trips I mean. Starting from coconut with milk (they take a coconut out of the refrigerator right in front of you, it’s already sawn - hit with a special screwdriver, take a straw and be healthy) and to German beer “Bavaria”. Including a dozen cocktails, several types of wines, and of course juices - everything was included in the package. The majority of cocktails are very strong, based on the above-described local Kashatsu vodka. Like everywhere else, there was a category of peasants who, in my opinion, did not leave the bars for a minute.
But I especially want to say about juices - we have never drunk such juices before. They squeeze it out right in front of you. From pineapples, from oranges, from mangoes, from the local, and perhaps the most popular plant - cashews. Yes, yes, exactly the same nut that we all love. Only there is a female cashew tree - the fruits are like red paprika, and this juice is made from them, and there is the same, but male tree - these are just nuts.
Looking ahead, I’ll say that we visited and took pictures at the largest cashew tree in the world, 10,000 square meters one tree (like the Ficus Benjamina in Ceylon), it produces 3 tons of nuts per year. When this tree blooms, the hummingbirds come. There is a special store there, and they sell these nuts roasted, with sugar and salt, in chocolate, in candied milk, etc.
If you have already touched on the topic of fruits, mango comes first here. Mango - 3 types. We were in a mango orchard, they fall out like apples, you take them in your hands, there’s no knife, you just use your fingernail to pry up the skin and put your whole face in there. It is something. Sweet, just honey. The guide has special napkins and water with him - for washing the hands and faces of vacationers. In second place is Papaya. There was nothing so sweet anywhere, and inside it was as red as blood. Food for the toothless is papaya. We mostly ate it together with mangoes. Although still with teeth. Watermelons and melons are quite tasty, but I don’t understand the grapes. There is so much sun, and although it is large, it is somehow tart; it cannot be compared with the Italian one they sell in Berlin. The pineapples are very juicy and sweet, but not in such quantities as in Ceylon and they are not as fragrant as they were there.
The language in Brazil is Portuguese, this is, in my opinion, the only country in South America where they do not speak Spanish. They freed themselves from the Portuguese colonial yoke some 508 years ago, at the end of the 15th century. And only 27 years ago we were freed from the military regime; this already happened during our lifetime. So now Brazil is - as all Brazilians proudly say - a free and democratic country. We also learned one thing, but very beautiful word in Portuguese: "obrigado" - thank you.
A little about the city of Natal
The city of 800,000 people is located right on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and according to the American NASA, it has the cleanest air in the world. This is written in all the reference books that we have not read.
And it is true.
The city is located quite interestingly. Imagine a bay, about 10 km, along the edges of which there are 2 parts of the city - the old one, which is called Natal, and the new one, with beautiful name Ponta Negro. And between these 2 parts, all these 10 km are occupied by hotels located right by the ocean, in one of which we lived. And the area where our hotel was located was also called aptly - Via Costeira. And also all these 10 km are occupied by dunes that rise directly above the hotels on the side opposite the ocean. All this together creates unforgettable impression both during the day and at night. We walked along the embankment almost all evenings - on one side the ocean roars incessantly, and on the other, the dunes creak with sand. And the stars.
More about the hotel
Young guys and girls serve in bars and restaurants (unlike Ceylon, where we saw women only on the streets). There is such an interesting type of service. Every 2 hours from our hotel (and others too, of course) there are buses, I emphasize, FREE, buses in 2 directions - to old Natal and to Ponta Negro, and so they go in these directions until 23 o'clock to pick up all the tourists, who either buy Brazilian goods in special huge shopping malls, or indulge in booze on the Ponta Negra embankment, hugging beautiful Brazilian girls. Like Vysotsky:
"It's nice when we are respected here
look - they're bringing you up, look - they're putting you in prison"
I can’t say enough about the buses themselves. Just a fairy tale! New, clean, large, with air conditioners that are set to the temperature according to your mind - if it’s 31 outside, then on the bus it’s 27, and not like some people will set it to 20 degrees - and hello, sore throat! On buses you can even stretch your legs, there is a special support for your legs in the back of the seat in front, Irka also removed this.
The roads are mostly of good quality, with markings. And one characteristic feature is that EVERYWHERE, before entering any city or village, as well as inside the village itself, there are “faceless policemen” to limit the speed. Income from tourism in “our land” comes in 2nd place, after oil production, and in the ocean. And after them - reeds and shrimp. including lobsters. In addition, Brazil is a world exporter of soybeans.
Our travel time was 2 weeks. During this time, we went on 4 excursions, each for the whole day, on the buses described above, and in the first week - 3 at once. I will now tell you about this in more detail, but first I will say that just at the end of the first week, immediately after the 3rd excursion an unpleasant incident occurred. We had a digital camera and a video camera with us. As a rule, Ira filmed with a camera, I filmed with a camera.
And now I’m filming the process of catching a crab with my hands (they also showed it with nets, but this is usually the case), it’s quite interesting, the eccentric digs up special mud with a shovel, near the river, makes a trench, and finally takes out the crab, reporting at the same time that his eyes turn 360 gr, that a severed paw grows back after 3 months, that the female has 2 vaginas, talking about spawning, etc.
And then the camera shows that the card is full, that is, we have already clicked 250 pieces, and there is still more than half of Brazil ahead. Ira hides in the shadow of the mangrove forest and erases a dozen photographs. That's why we come to the hotel. And in the evening, having taken a couple of cocktails and a shower, she, out of noble intentions - and I simply can’t believe otherwise - tries to reduce these photos in volume in order to free up memory for new ones. Moreover, I suggested the collective farm, but Right way- reduce each photo from 5 to 3 million pixels. She wanted to do it all in one fell swoop and pressed the “formatieren” button. I pressed it accidentally. At first she pressed, and then she realized what she had done.
Because all 250 photos disappeared into oblivion. The whole Hacienda is gone, all the crabs, Irina's entire flight on a motorized hang glider over the ocean and Natal is gone, you know who else is gone - the ELDER SON of Princess DIANA and CHARLES, the future king of England, I clicked on him discreetly, pretending to take a photograph of Irina, he was sitting at the next table with 2 buddies, rested in our hotel for 3 days, and then suddenly left. Like a mere mortal.
We were in a special restaurant where we were fed meat baked in an oven on swords. Such an exotic grandfather did all this and handed over the finished swords to 2 young boys, who carried them around the hall on special carts. They fed us, and before that there was a buffet, well, everyone tried all sorts of goodies, no one knew what awaited us ahead. And after baked meat - beef, pork and poultry - there was baked pineapple, and out of the whole group, Irka was the first to determine that it was not meat, but something tasty. It really tasted like dessert.
After this restaurant we were taken to a cabaret where there was a 2 hour show. Without describing it for too long, it was a mini-carnival like Rio de Janeiro, women with big feathers and busts, with beautiful skin. Naturally, the uncles are also very beautiful. This is all gone too, I mean the photo. True, all this remained on video, so there is hope that we will take at least a few photos, albeit with worse quality.
A little about the beaches
There are deserted beaches where there is not a single living soul. And there are cheerful beaches where life is in full swing. Everything is here. Young guys with cars with music coming out of them - these are sellers of Brazilian music on CDs, we bought several pieces. Guys selling fruits - from pineapples to such an interesting fruit as "jaca", I ask you to remember this name. It is called the "family fruit", it is such a large yellow-green fruit, larger than a coconut, the skin of which resembles a hedgehog. Inside - unusually sweet, with such round seeds. There are in the photographs. Girls on the beaches - for every taste, but mostly mulatto. Sellers of shell and wood products - we bought ourselves one of the symbols of Brazil - a wooden parrot.
And of course - FOOTBALL! Both young people and schoolchildren play - like physical education lessons, in uniforms and with a physical education teacher with a whistle. I talked to some and realized that the question of who will lift the World Cup over their heads in Berlin on July 9 has almost been resolved. But Alemannia (that's Germany in Portuguese) is treated with respect. By the way, in the package of television programs in our room there was also Deutsche Welle, so they conveyed all the news - and especially football news - clearly. It is clear that this is a country of five-time World Champions, every grandmother knows and loves Ronaldinho, and the guy I met, about 3 years old, muttered something to me, from which I only understood Brazil and Ronaldinho. And everywhere you can only hear: “oi, Amigo”, it’s like “hello, pale-faced friend”
As I said above - we made 4 excursions for ourselves, so this is the last trip to Pipa - I’ll also ask you to remember this name, this 100 km south of Natal deserves more detailed description. This trip was 2 days. Irka and I were picked up from the hotel in a buggy, put in the back and driven with the breeze to the collection point for the remaining 4 cars with our leader Gustavo. By the way, on all 4 excursions, all the guys-guides were dressed in the uniform of the national colors of Brazil - blue shorts and yellow T-shirts with green inserts.
And off we went. Of course, it’s very difficult to describe this trip; it would be better to take part again. We stopped near fruit markets, and everywhere he fed us and told us about unfamiliar fruits. Then we went to the rocks, turning away from the ocean, where we were shown fields of smooth cacti, which are specially grown as animal feed. They showed us trees, from the bark of which we immediately added a little water and made shampoo. Everyone on the ball washed up.
We returned to the ocean again, and from the cliff we looked and photographed landscapes that were breathtaking. I will try to attach some to the letter. Then they brought us to the river, put us on a steamer, took us for a ride and moored in the desert, literally like in “White Sun of the Desert.” And also White sand, and 200 meters away is the ocean. That is, this piece of desert is located at the confluence of this river with the ocean. Can you imagine what the view was like there and what the water was like there.
Then we came to a park where they hand-fed bananas to monkeys, so small but very voracious. Here, from the cliff, we observed giant turtles that swim to the surface of the ocean for a breath of air. And then there were buggy races, buggy rallies, whatever. On the sand. On the left is the ocean, on the right are rocks, and a 50-meter strip of sand. Irina filmed everything, standing up, and I gently supported her, like Vanya Pasyuk Zheglova. Then there was a ferry crossing across the river. And we arrived at our new hotel for one night, settled in and went to the beach.
Now that was the BEACH! We took a special elevator made of bamboo down to the ocean. There is a rehabilitation center with massage, a restaurant and cocktail bar, and a swimming pool. Everything is done in such a way that you can relax both soul and body.
In the evening of this day we were taken to Pipa, and were shown her evening dress. One long street along the ocean, all in lights, shops and restaurants, where barkers stand every 5 meters.
In the morning, in this nice hotel, which is located in such a garden of Eden, and each room is MANDATORY equipped with a hammock, we had breakfast, and we were taken by bus to the ocean, where we put on life jackets and were transported on motorboats to the yacht, and then it began. We came to the place where all the tourists squealed with delight. There is a lagoon there full of sardines, and dolphins come there to eat. And this spectacle - dolphins playing and jumping - everyone is trying to take photos or videos. And they will jump out here and there. Irina managed to capture quite a lot on video.
And then there was swimming in the open ocean. At will, of course. They gave us these unique life-saving equipment - and off we went. This is how these very interesting 2 days went, and we were brought to the hotel for dinner.
And there were a lot of Brazilians there, from all over vast country. It's Christmas. Festively dressed waiters served everyone with champagne and wine, and treated them to the tricks of local confectioners. We spent the entire next day by the ocean, saying goodbye. And in the evening the bus came - and that’s it.
This is how Brazil turned out, in short. And to put it even more briefly, the impression of this cool country can be formulated in these words: sun, ocean, joy and smiles, dancing, football. And they live only for today. Punctuality is not held in high esteem. The Brazilian 10 minutes may be all 45, but that's all nonsense.
The first step in preparing for the trip was Portuguese language courses. I strongly advise everyone to pay attention to this.
If you want to travel specifically around the country, and not visit Rio and Sao Paulo, Portuguese will not be superfluous, since not everyone knows English, even in the field of tourism in Brazil. I taught him for a year. But for the trip, 3-4 months of courses would be enough to master the basic phrases and understand the answers to them. In St. Petersburg, I can recommend Adelante courses, where the language is taught by Brazilians.
Next, I began to study the country in more detail and my bright dreams collided with stories about high level crime in the country. The desire to go began to diminish, however, the sale of Lufthansa tickets still helped to take the decisive step.
I would like to immediately make a digression here - about crime. We were a little tense the whole trip - we were constantly waiting for someone to snatch our bag or camera. However, nothing of the sort happened. Moreover, we have not seen such situations on the street. Perhaps precisely because they were careful. However, I will still take the liberty of saying that everything is not so scary, follow the usual safety standards - don’t walk at night, don’t hang a bunch of jewelry on yourself and don’t wave money around - everything will definitely be fine.
Once again about buying tickets. It turns out that Lufthansa has ticket sales for Sao Paulo quite often. One round trip ticket cost 20,000 rubles (from St. Petersburg). The flight with a transfer in Frankfurt is very convenient - the transfer is 2 hours, the flight is overnight - so you can get a good night's sleep.
Well, tickets to Sao Paulo have been purchased. But it turned out that visas had not been canceled yet!: (I had to worry about a visa, they did it at the Golden Pelican travel agency near the Technological University metro station. It turned out to be quite expensive - about 8 thousand rubles, but traveling to Moscow twice is the same plus time. The visa is issued upon availability of air tickets, it must be entered within 3 months from the date of issue. It is usually issued for approximately the same number of days as the dates on the tickets.
The route of the trip was thought out for a long time. I had to study a bunch of sites and reviews. As a result, we came to the following: Sao Paulo (immediate transfer) - Foz do Iguazu (2 days) - (4 days) - Fortaleza (1 day) - Jericoacoara (4 days) - Fortaleza (1 day) - Sao Paulo ( 2 days).
This route requires 4 flights. I decided to take them when I learned about the existence of an airpass - the so-called air travel pass. It can be purchased by a person making a transatlantic flight. Moreover, you can only buy it outside of Brazil. In theory, it should be sold by the airline that sells you a ticket to Brazil, but Lufthansa did not provide such a service. After calling a bunch of travel agencies, I realized that I would have to do everything myself. Thus, the airpass was purchased on the website of the American travel agency Brol (www.brol.com).
On the most home page Brol you can see the Brazil Airpass section. There you fill out a form about how many flights and where you plan to take. The cost of 4 flights within Brazil will cost $582 (if you don’t fly to Brazil with their TAM company - then it’s even cheaper). Please note that 4 flights cannot look like a round trip flight. It must be something like flying in a circle.
After we have filled out the form (including, you need to indicate the number electronic ticket for transatlantic air travel), the response came very quickly with a proposal for specific flights. I changed some options (after looking at the schedule on the TAM airline website, since it flies using airpass). They changed everything for me without any problems. Next, you had to fax or scan a hand-filled application for tickets and the front of your credit card. All.
An e-ticket arrived by mail, in which 2 people were entered at once and flights were indicated. With this ticket you can immediately go to check-in at the specified airport. The agency noted that 3 days before departure you need to call the airline to confirm flights. I advise everyone to do this, because Brazilian airlines often change their schedule (although this did not happen to us). Among the phone numbers offered there will be a toll-free Skype number to call . So all you have to do is speak reasonable English to confirm everything (or find such a person).
Airpass is truly the cheapest way to travel, buying individual tickets is very expensive, and there are "special" (ie more expensive) fares for foreigners.
We made all hotel reservations through booking.com. This again is apparently cheaper than booking hotels locally. At least where we stayed.
So, now about the journey itself.
Foz do Iguazu
I think you can read a lot about the place on the Internet. I will say one thing - you definitely need to go there. Such beauty!!! If you can stay 3 days, do it. We arrived on the first day, but were already so tired that we walked around the nearby area and went to bed. And the whole next day was devoted to tourism. But this day was clearly not enough. We visited the bird park and waterfalls. But I would also really like to get to the Argentine side of the waterfalls and the Itaipu dam (hydroelectric power station).
We stayed at the Bella Italia Hotel. The hotel is, of course, a bit old. But everything is quite clean, and the breakfast is so varied that I can’t remember any other place that offers such food. There is everything from soup and pies to exotic fruits and desserts.
The hotel has a travel agency, Loumar Turismo. I corresponded with his representatives before the trip. According to our agreement, we were met at the airport and taken to the hotel (free of charge). From them we purchased a package of entertainment for the whole day, which included a Bird Park - Restaurant at the Waterfalls - Macuco Safari - an evening Latin American show in a shurashkariya. The total cost is 245 reais per person plus a transfer fee to the national park of about 20 reais). We really liked everything. Moreover, on the spot I saw the prices in the park itself, and I can say that the purchased package allowed me to save at least 50 reais.
Some tips:
-First of all, visit the bird park
- upon entering national park buy raincoats, otherwise you will get wet
- first take a walk to the waterfalls, have lunch, and then go to Makuko Safari (there will be less people).
If you are hesitant about Macuco Safari, don't even think about it. This is an unforgettable experience for a lifetime!!! On a motor boat you will be taken directly to the waterfalls and taken under not the largest ones. Scary! Adrenalin! And a sea of emotions!
I recommend the Latin American show (Rafain) to everyone, half the price than in Rio, twice as tasty and no worse!
Rio de Janeiro
Information about Rio - the sea. Therefore, I will write briefly about what is difficult to find on the Internet.
About food
In Rio, as well as throughout Brazil, the food is very tasty and varied. But what you should definitely try is a huge amount of freshly squeezed juices, sweets and, of course, meat (beef), which is much tastier than what is prepared in Russia.
There are 2 types of surashkari restaurants in Rio - rodizio and self-service.
Rodizio is a shurashkaria where you pay a certain price for entry (which is indicated at the entrance to the restaurant) and eat as much as you want, drinks are paid separately. Usually in a shurashkariya there is a buffet where salads, appetizers, side dishes, desserts, etc. are offered. The cook brings the meat to you, each time a different part of a specially prepared bull. What you like you let him put on the plate. You can sit like this until you get tired. The bill is paid at the end. The average price in the Copacabana area is 30-40 reais per entrance.
Self-service is a restaurant where you pay by weight. The price is also usually indicated at the entrance to the restaurant per 100 grams. On average, again in the Copacabana area, 2.5-3 reais per 100 grams. Cheaper than rodizio, but the choice and quality of meat is slightly lower. At the entrance you are given a coupon, you pick up your food, weigh it, additionally choose a drink (pay separately), they write it all down on your coupon. When leaving the restaurant, you present it and pay.
Credit cards are accepted everywhere, they never looked at our documents, so you don’t have to carry cash with you, especially in large quantities.
Trips around the city
Among the main attractions that we decided to visit were: Sugarloaf, Jesus Statue, Maracana, city center. We lived in Copacabana, the Porto Bay Rio hotel is an excellent location, for which we had to overpay.
They decided not to attend the samba show due to negative reviews on the Internet.
Tourist excursions around the city are very expensive, especially if purchased at a hotel. There are local travel agencies on Nossa Senhora Copacabana street (parallel to the beach of the same name), which are cheaper there. However, we decided to move around the city on our own.
What is Sugarloaf? It's a one-stop cable car ride with stunning panoramic views. You can get there from Nossa Senhora Copacabana street by buses No. 511 and 512 to the Praia Vermelha stop - ask the driver to stop in advance. It's not far to go, you'll see everything right away. The cost of the bus is 2 reais (by the way, keep small change for this case). Raise 45 reais (or so). Separately, such an excursion can cost up to 200 reais per person! ATTENTION! The buses run on a circular route, so it is better to get to the Botafogo metro station and get off there, otherwise it will take a long time to travel. On the other hand, look at the city.
Corcovado and the Christ Statue can be easily reached by metro. In the metro, the system is as follows: tickets are sold either just for the metro, or for the metro + bus (from the metro to a certain stop). The cost depends on this. We didn't know how to get there and asked if there was a metro+bus to Corcovado. They sold us a ticket (3.5 reais). Let me tell you - you need to get to the Largo do Machado metro station and from there take the bus (blue with the letter M) going towards Cosme Velho (thus, in the metro, when buying tickets, you can simply announce this route).
You don't get off at the final stop, so tell the driver you're heading to Corcovado. From where you are dropped off, you will see on the opposite side the entrance to the mini-railway station, from where the electric train goes up to the statue. The ticket costs about 35 reais. It works back and forth and is tested, so don't throw it away (the same rule applies to Sugarloaf).
You can also get to Corcovado from Nossa Senhora Copacabana street by bus 583, but it takes a very long time.
We went to Maracana by metro, there are favelas nearby, so we felt uncomfortable, especially since there was a match that day and there were huge lines at the box office. We didn’t get to the stadium and concluded that it would probably be better to take a tour here.
The city center made a terrible impression - one large public toilet. We didn't really see anything. We returned to the beaches.
Fortaleza
We spent a total of one full day in Fortaleza. If you are planning to swim on the beach there, it is unlikely, at least in the city center the beaches are dirty. We lived on Avenida Beira Mar - a very popular place in the city, many restaurants, vacationers, locals. Approximately in the center of the street there is a fair-market where a huge number of Brazilian souvenirs are sold from magnets to clothes, drinks and food at very cheap prices. If Fortaleza is on your itinerary, save your souvenir shopping for this city.
Jericoacoara
Jericoacoara is a fishing village in the middle of a national park in the Brazilian outback. Jericoacoara National Park features sand dunes, beaches and fresh lakes far from civilization. Proximity to the equator determines beautiful weather all year round. I don’t remember where I learned about the existence of this place, but we never regretted visiting there.
We stayed at the Mosquito Blue hotel - cozy, very beautiful, overlooking the ocean, good cuisine. In general, we liked everything. We booked a hotel and wrote to them in advance (here we had to communicate in Portuguese). I agreed on a transfer, for 150 reais, they pick you up from your hotel in Fortaleza and then bring you back. The road takes 4-5 hours, through small towns and villages, very picturesque. Then you are transferred to a lightweight bus (they call it “jardineira”) and taken straight through the dunes (no road) to the hotel.
What's interesting about Geri? In addition to peace and nature, you can take a buggy ride along national park. When you leave the hotel, you are immediately greeted with bugs and suggestions. We rode, it seems, from the local bug drivers association. We paid 185 reais (for two of us), we were driven around for about 5 hours, along beaches, dunes, we swam in blue lakes among the sands, and stopped at a restaurant. All in all, a wonderful day.
Not far from the hotel there is a large sunset dune, every evening everyone climbs the dune to watch the sunrise.
You can also walk to Pedro Furada, this is a huge rock on the ocean with a hole in the middle. In the evening, you can watch the sun set exactly through this hole. But it takes at least an hour to get there.
Evening on the beach local residents They practice capoeira to the beat of drums.
In general, we liked it, peace and nature.
Sao Paulo
You can talk a lot about Sao Paulo, but you can also learn a lot from the Internet.
So a little bit of my own experience.
Since we were staying in this city for 1 day at the end of the trip, we decided to leave our luggage at the airport. On the ground floor, entrance from the street, you can find a storage room. The staff there takes your luggage and even writes down your passport details, so it’s very convenient.
We got to the hotel by taxi, not cheap, but safe when you don’t know the city.
We stayed at the Estanplaza Paulista Hotel. The hotel is located in the business center of the city, close to one of central streets Avenida Paulista. Modern hotel, I liked everything. Then we were in the very center and realized that we had chosen a good place to stay. In the area where our hotel was located, everything was clean, high-rise buildings, and a decent crowd. There is much more dirt and homeless people in the center.
We walked around the city as follows: took the metro, got to Praca de Se, where the central cathedral is located, and walked to Praca Republica. The path looks safe enough. Praca Republica is quite dirty, but there is a fair.
Not far from Praca Republica is the Italia high-rise building. Tourists are allowed there to climb to the very top and see the panorama of the city. Cool!!! If you haven't eaten yet, you can also eat there; there is a not too expensive restaurant upstairs. It took us a long time to figure out where this building was, so arm yourself with a map. Although the building is tall, there are a lot of high-rise buildings there and you can’t really make out, especially since I was expecting something very beautiful, but this is a rather ordinary gray building.
There, at Praca Republica, there is a bus stop to the airport, we got there quickly. But, by the way, it’s not much cheaper than taking a taxi.
The last piece of advice is to buy cachaça in the city and put it in your luggage, because duty free didn’t sell it to us. They said it was impossible since we had a transplant. Then I actually saw in Frankfurt that it was only allowed to bring in alcohol purchased in European duty free.
Once again I want to say, if you are still thinking about whether to go or not, of course, go. Very interesting country, and Brazilians are very friendly people.
Before you go to any exotic country for the first time, you need to have at least a minimal understanding of it in order to avoid unpleasant surprises and possible disappointments. And even more so if you have to travel to distant Brazil.
Significant differences in natural conditions, a large time difference (5-8 hours), and some features of the Brazilian way of life must be taken into account before the voyage. Such preparation for a trip to Brazil will be the key to a pleasant and carefree vacation.
Brazil occupies a huge area in the central part of the South American continent. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean from the north and east. Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world, and the largest in South America. The official language is Portuguese. The majority of the population are Catholics. The capital is the city of Brasilia.
The climate of the country is very hot and humid. The height of summer occurs during the winter months. From January to March the air warms up to 28-30˚C, and often exceeds 40˚C. Most of the time during this period there is heavy rainfall.
In April and May, the air temperature is more comfortable, 25-29˚C. In addition, it rains much less often. But in the Amazon, just at this time it becomes very humid.
From June to August the coolest time begins, from 18˚C in the south to 28˚C in the north. And in the mountains the thermometer can drop below 0˚C.
In September-October it is dry and hot, 27-35˚C. November and December are characterized by high humidity and high temperatures - 35-37˚C. During this period the water warms up to 29˚C.
How to get there
Daily flights to Brazil are operated by many airlines with connections in major European cities. The most convenient way to fly is through Paris or Madrid. Travel time will be from 16 to 20 hours. The approximate cost of a round trip flight is from 45,000 rubles.
Prices are quite high, but often airlines have sales. If you're planning your trip in advance, sign up for an email newsletter on your airline's website to track sales. With this approach, you can buy a ticket at half the price.
On the border
Brazil is a visa-free country for Russian tourists entering for up to 90 days.
When crossing the border you need to have with you:
- valid passport
- return air ticket
- confirmation of your solvency or hotel reservation
- for children under the age of majority traveling with only one of the parents, or with another accompanying person, a notarized power of attorney from one or both parents is required
- A veterinary certificate is required to import pets
Customs formalities
There are no restrictions when importing foreign currency, but amounts over $1,000 must be declared upon entry. There are certain rules for the import and export of national currency.
There is no duty charged for transporting one copy of a radio, video camera, player, or electronic notepad. The import and export of drugs, weapons, medicines, and radioactive substances is strictly prohibited. It is prohibited to export wild animals and products made from their skins, claws, shells, etc. from the country.
The price of pleasure
It is quite difficult to determine exactly how much a trip to Brazil costs. The amount of expenses depends on several factors, and consists of how much time is planned to spend in the country, the number of stars of the selected hotel, as well as the variety and intensity of the tour program or the chosen route.
For example, a tour visiting the most popular places in Brazil lasting two weeks per person will cost from $1,700.
It includes:
- hotel accommodation
- breakfasts
- transfers
- some excursions
- health insurance
- agency commission
Everything else is paid additionally.
Price independent travel entirely depends on personal preference and financial opportunities. The main part of the expenses is external and internal flights, and housing.
During the Brazilian carnival, New Year's holidays and “hot season”, the cost of a trip to Brazil increases significantly. Prices at least double during these periods.
Money issue
The Brazilian real is the country's currency. It makes more sense to take dollars with you. They are most readily exchanged for local currency. It is better to do this at bank branches, where the most favorable rate is. Banking hours are from Monday to Friday, from ten in the morning to half past five in the evening.
Exchange offices are easy to find at airports, hotels, travel agencies and large shopping centers. When exchanging, it is better to give preference to small bills. This makes it much more convenient to pay for services. Accepted for payment and credit cards. Visa is considered the best way to travel to this country.
Taking care of your health
The question of whether vaccinations are needed to travel to Brazil arises before everyone who is planning to travel to this country. This, of course, is voluntary, but when going to the Amazon or Pantanal, you will still have to get vaccinated against yellow fever.
This procedure is paid. The vaccination is valid for 10 years. An international certificate is issued. Vaccination against hepatitis A and B is recommended.
Don't give up on health insurance either. Trying to cut the cost of your trip to Brazil by skimping on it puts you at unnecessary risk. Carefully study all the conditions of the offensive insured event and the amount of the insured amount.
A little bit about everything
Any special requirements for appearance foreign tourists not presented here. Residents of the country are very friendly and sociable, but it is still better to observe some safety measures.
Do not leave valuables unattended. It is better not to take documents with you anywhere, but to leave them in the hotel safe. Don't draw attention to yourself with expensive jewelry and pockets stuffed with banknotes. It is recommended to refrain from night walks. To get around the city, it is better to use a taxi.
It should be taken into account that almost no English is spoken in Brazil, but in hotels, restaurants and airports there are always English-speaking staff.
Blue payphones are used for international calls in Brazilian cities. To use red ones, you need to purchase telephone cards or tokens. They are sold at every turn.
Regular stores are open until half past six. Large shopping centers- until ten o'clock in the evening. On Saturdays all shops close their doors at one o'clock in the afternoon.
Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean is not at all safe due to treacherous ocean waves and underwater currents, so it is better not to swim far from the shore.
As soon as it gets dark, the police immediately leave the beach, so foreign guests should do the same. Otherwise, if they want to rob you, there will be no one to help you.
Don't forget to take all necessary medications with you, including anti-malarial drugs and repellents. To avoid problems, do not drink tap water. Extreme heat requires a hat, sunscreen and glasses in your luggage.
Brazil is a large country with rapid economic growth and, despite the distrust of self-organized trips (especially in terms of safety), more and more tourists are organizing traveling to Brazil on your own. If you are one of these tourists, you will probably be interested in some tips and tricks from the experts of the country of football and coffee, which are aimed at those who intend to visit it.
Travel when Brazilians don't travel
It seems that Brazilians always travel around the country at the same time, namely between the months of June and school holidays, the world's largest Carnival, and during national holidays, which turn into long weekends, no matter what day of the week they fall on.
During the rest of the year, most Brazilian destinations (with the obvious exception of Rio) are almost empty, although in most cases the best climate is in the low season.
Wait for the magic date
January 10 is the date when summer in Brazil finally stops being so expensive. Brazilian families have emptied their bank accounts for New Year's holidays and are starting to save for Carnival. At this point, prices drop and hotel and small hotel owners are more than willing to make concessions. The best place where you can stay - in the state of Bahia, in one of the beautiful coastal villages that are located in Morro de Sao Paulo, as well as Barra Grande, Itacare, Santo Andre.
Autumn in Rio
Winter in Rio de Janeiro, the period from July to August, can be cold, even less warm than you expect. The ideal time to visit the city is in the fall (it begins here in March), after Easter, in May with warm, dry days and cool nights.
Use the buses
Not many people know this, but the bus system in Brazil works well in general terms, especially if you're traveling less than 300 miles. The main difficulty is for foreign tourists. This is because there is very little online information about the routes, and most of them are only in Portuguese. Most the best option- this will go to the bus station, where all routes are clearly laid out at the ticket office. Take into account the keyword "directo", which refers to a route with fewer stops. And, of course, as in all crowded places, beware of pickpockets.
Search for accommodation online
There are many online booking sites that have grown rapidly in Brazil. On these sites you can also find hotels and small hotels in remote locations, avoiding the need for a complex booking system. You can use: Hostelworld - an online resource for booking and accommodation in hostels, or Airbnb - a platform for posting and searching for short-term rental housing online around the world.
To rent or not to rent a car?
Renting a car in a big city is synonymous with stress. Finding a parking spot is a difficult and, in some cases, expensive process, and even when you find a space, you may encounter abusive Brazilians. It's better to look for alternatives such as metro lines in major cities, which although small, are clean and practical for reaching tourist attractions. In the northeast, you should rely on taxis, they are relatively cheap here. Outside major cities renting a car may be the right choice.
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Russian travel agencies are actively offering more and more exotic routes, and tourists are increasingly choosing the countries of the South and Latin America. Brazilian beaches and picturesque cities are especially popular. Although Russians will have to prepare and break their piggy bank to visit them, the experience is worth it. Where to go
It is believed that Brazil is worth visiting at least once in your life. The best place to start exploring the country is Rio de Janeiro. This city in 1960 transferred the status of capital to Brasilia, built by architects Oscar Nemeier and Lucio Costa.
Even though Brasilia looks very modern, Rio de Janeiro is still considered the most beautiful city Brazil. There are also unique architectural monuments: colonial churches, monasteries of the Capuchin Order and, of course, the giant statue of Christ towering over the city. The carnival in Rio de Janeiro is also worthy of attention, for which Brazilians prepare for the whole year, although it lasts only four days and four nights.
Generally speaking, the routes are very diverse. You can go on a yacht cruise to tropical islands, you can wander from resort to resort, you can go on a jeep safari, watch crocodiles, kayak and even catch piranhas. On the Russian market, such Brazilian routes are dealt with, for example, by the Astravel company.
Among the famous resorts it is worth mentioning Costa de Sauipe with its five-star hotels, as well as the resorts of Angra Dos Reis and Buzios. In the latter there is even the possibility of real ocean fishing, and in Costa de Sauipe you can attend interesting oceanological night excursions - there is a scientific station for the study of sea turtles.
Little-known places are also interesting. For example, the beaches of Sao Luis in Maranhao, where you can come all year round - the city is surrounded by the warm waters of Sao Marcos Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Norte is also gaining popularity. You can take a charter there. And those who love a variety of experiences should visit the Lencois Maranhenses National Park, where sand dunes coexist with mangroves.
Winter is the best time to visit the Pantanal, the largest freshwater wetland in the world. This is one of the most biologically rich areas on Earth, with about a thousand species of butterflies and 650 species of birds, and fish can be caught by hand.
For exotic lovers, there is also such a vacation spot as the five-star Iberostar ship-hotel - Grand Amazon. The ship's route includes stops at various points in the Amazon forest, as well as civilized relaxation in lounges.
Of course, there are also regular hotels in Brazil. For example, the best resort hotel is Hotel Transamerica Comandatuba - it is located on the island of Comandatuba with kilometers of sandy beaches and botanical gardens. Jubarte whales are found off the coast of Komandatuba. Experts on Brazilian routes also recommend the Iberosnar hotel, which is located on Praia do Forte, 60 kilometers from the city of Salvador.
And for those who do not want to travel far from Rio, there is the Blue Tree Park hotel-resort, located 150 kilometers from the city in the Angra dos Reis area. Safety
It is necessary to thoroughly prepare for a trip to Brazil. If you are planning to visit the Amazon or Pantanal, it is advisable to get vaccinated against yellow fever. This vaccination will be useful in other tropical countries. Also, do not drink raw tap water.
To protect yourself from the “evil” sun, you need to use good and powerful sunscreens (they are marked with numbers; for Brazil, those over 15 are suitable). You should also be careful when swimming - currents often change and large waves are frequent on the beaches.
Among the dangers of the animal world, the only dangers that await tourists are sharks near the city of Recife and bandits in big cities. You should not take anything valuable outside, much less to the beach. It is better to try to stay in a group and with a guide. In addition, you need to be careful when crossing roads, as Brazilians are disciplined in observing road rules they do not differ. Price Brazil is not a cheap country. A ten-day vacation will cost one person about a thousand dollars, plus excursion fees. True, you can save a lot on vacation if you eat, for example, in traditional Shurascar restaurants. In this case, it is better to spend money on Brazilian jewelry and gems.
Traveling to Brazil is best suited for wealthy lovers of exotic and extreme sports. It is better not to fly to Brazil for children and elderly people, since many flights and temperature changes are better tolerated only by strong and healthy tourists. However, if you check into a hotel prepared for a family vacation, like Blue Tree Park, then all these problems will disappear on their own. In this case, children and teenagers will only have to be protected from the carnival - this is still entertainment for adults. Tourists recommend visiting Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu, Manaus, Pantanal, Salvador, and Brasilia
It is best to go to Rio in April-June or September-October, when it is not hot there. Then both children and pensioners can come there. And you don’t have to choose a time to travel to the north of Brazil - the weather there is good all year round.
From Rio you can cheaply travel to any point in Brazil using local airlines. Thus, starting from Rio de Janeiro, a tourist can visit the Amazon forests and Iguazu Falls at a significant discount, as well as admire the fauna of the Pantanal and the architecture of large cities.
Of course, a lifetime is not enough to visit every country in the world. But you can start with Brazil. Brazil has everything that the tropics can give a tourist - hot sun, warm sea, wildlife and jungle. In the cities there are cultural monuments that are hundreds of years old, and, of course, a carnival. After all, in other countries there is no such carnival, and there will not be!!! Based on materials from the Astravel company