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The Travel Thread - Second Destination
- Thread starter TheSpade
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Red Arrow
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lol far from it, probs just reading too many negative stories about the place on the web! even with them im still excited (not scared)
Internet tales of woe do tend to give a falsely bad impression of a place, particularly Brazil. However, you can't just ignore Brazil's problems. The Brazilian national character is all about "saudade"; happy sadness, incredible wealth side by side with unimaginable poverty. Intense beauty juxtaposed with inexorable decay. The most joyful, "alegria" filled people who deal with tragedy on a daily basis. Brazil really is the best of places and the worst of places roled into one, and you'd be doing it a disservice to come away without acknowledging the obvious, absurd inequalities and injustices that exist there along with all of its natural and cultural riches. Ultimately, that's what makes it such a fascinating place.
Doesn't mean that you won't love it though. What you need to bear in mind is the fact that there's a lot of muppets who go abroad. The people who end up in trouble are usually uninformed, feckless idiots who do stupid things. You seem like you've done a fair bit of looking into the place and that's easily the best way to stay out of trouble.
Just call people "cara" and say "falou" and "valeu" a lot and people will love you.
Anyway, you and the missus will definitely have the best holiday ever (it's scientifically impossible not to enjoy a trip to South East Brazil at this time of year) and I'll look forward to seeing the photos and hearing your stories later.
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Red Arrow
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what do those words mean hehe, i am going to try and cram as much as i can into the next week or so in regards picking up some phrases (going to use the net and stuff to try and teach myself as much as possible!!) not ideal but what can ya do!
na boa, you seem to have a better grasp of the english language than i do and english is what i speak every day! where are you actually from?
i really cannot wait for brazil, sooo excited. more exciting than i have been ever rearding travelling, entering the unknown
na boa, you seem to have a better grasp of the english language than i do and english is what i speak every day! where are you actually from?
i really cannot wait for brazil, sooo excited. more exciting than i have been ever rearding travelling, entering the unknown
^^^^^ I'm actually from, and resident in, the UK (West Midlands) but have family connections abroad and have lived in both Portugal and Brazil when younger so can speak Portuguese pretty well.
"Cara" essentially means "mate", is particularly commonly used in Rio, IIRC.
"Falou" means literally "you spoke" or "you said it", and "Valeu" literally means "it was worthwhile" but both are used in the way that we might say "sound" or "too right" or something. It's kind of hard to explain really but you'll get the hang of it, people will probably appreciate it too.
"Legal" is another useful word, generally meaning "cool" or similar things.
"Oi!" (hi) and "Tudo Bem?" (alright?) are useful words for greeting people.
"Tchau" is used for goodbye, but a particularly Brazilian way to do it is to say it twice "Tchau tchau"
Can't think of any other obvious ones that you won't be able to find in phrase books but if you think of anything else let me know.
"Cara" essentially means "mate", is particularly commonly used in Rio, IIRC.
"Falou" means literally "you spoke" or "you said it", and "Valeu" literally means "it was worthwhile" but both are used in the way that we might say "sound" or "too right" or something. It's kind of hard to explain really but you'll get the hang of it, people will probably appreciate it too.
"Legal" is another useful word, generally meaning "cool" or similar things.
"Oi!" (hi) and "Tudo Bem?" (alright?) are useful words for greeting people.
"Tchau" is used for goodbye, but a particularly Brazilian way to do it is to say it twice "Tchau tchau"
Can't think of any other obvious ones that you won't be able to find in phrase books but if you think of anything else let me know.
Crazy. Given how ethnically diverse Brazil is, it's not entirely impossible that that's where the expression comes from. The word means "face" in Portuguese so the expression obviously comes from some sort of foreign influence. Maybe it's a sign. You were meant to visit Brazil, mate, it's destiny.
Red Arrow
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just as well i booked my ticket so! 
feb 11th could not come any fuckin sooner.. just so glad we didnt decide to go at a later date cos id be sitting on the edge of my seat for so long waiting for it and then it would take forever!! i have no patience hehe
whats brazilian food like anyway? also is it an expensive place? id imagine its cheaper than europe but like how much would a beer or a meal for 1 person roughly cost on average?
feb 11th could not come any fuckin sooner.. just so glad we didnt decide to go at a later date cos id be sitting on the edge of my seat for so long waiting for it and then it would take forever!! i have no patience hehewhats brazilian food like anyway? also is it an expensive place? id imagine its cheaper than europe but like how much would a beer or a meal for 1 person roughly cost on average?
^^^^ I've not been in Brazil for about 5 years so don't take my pricing info as gospel but I'll do my best.
Generally speaking, Brazil shouldn't be too expensive for you, particularly with the Euro doing so well. Obviously, there's a lot of fantastically wealthy people in Brazil so some restaurants and bars will be as expensive, if not more so, than their European equivalents but I'm guessing you're not a millionaire so proabaly won't end up in those areas.
Brazilian food is ace (provided you're not a vegetarian, that is) It's not noted for its culinary heritage but what the fuck do foodies know?
Seeing as you're going to Sao Paulo, the number one thing to do food wise is smoke a big fat "baseado" and go for a "churrascaria".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churrascaria
Essentially, you get to eat as much barbecued meat as you want for a flat rate. Hold out for the "picanha", though, don't let them fob you off with the cheap cuts. Sao Paulo and South Brazil is the home of this kind of thing. Expect to pay maybe 20 - 30 Reais per head for a reasonably nice place in Sao Paulo city, although it can be done cheaper.
Sao Paulo is ludicrously ethnically (and therefore gastronomically) diverse, but the biggest communities are Japanese (concentrated in the suburb of Liberdade) and Italian (all over the place). Look out for "rodizios" of either type of cuisine. These essentially operate on the same principle as "churrascarias" but with dishes of those nationalites rather than barbecue stuff. Expect to pay a little bit more for these than the Churrascaria, especially Japanese food.
There's also loads of Middle Eastern people in Sao Paulo (mostly in Sé, which is right in the centre) so you'll find loads of places doing Lebanese and Syrian food. Habib's is a chain of Middle Eastern fast food places which makes good munchies food.
The main Brazilian dish though (which you have to have at leasy once whilst you're there) is the "feijoada".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada
It's traditional to have this on weekends, especailly at carnaval time (which is supposedly how it was invented) Would expect to pay less for this than a rodizio (maybe 10-15 Reais) although will depend on where you go. Otherwise, most of the time people eat a combination of rice, beans and meat with this stuff on top (this usually weirds foreigners out at first so you'll get extra brownie points for knowing what it is first time):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farofa
You'll come across all the usual street food sellers too. I'd reccomend "espetinhos" (little skewer type meat things) and "coco gelado" (chilled green coconuts with the tops chopped off so you can drink the milk from them)
There's obviously loads of crazy fruits about which you can have in smoothies ("batidas") Try some with Acai in as you can never get that over here and it's well good for you as well as being a unique taste.
Brazilian beer is all much of a muchness. Main brands are Brahma, Kaizer, (incredibly) Skol (yes, the Skol) and Antartica (probably the best, tbh) but they tend to serve it as cold as is physically possible so you can't really tell the difference and you'll often find that the contents of the bottle they bring will be frozen. Expect to pay about 1 Real for a can ("lata") at the beach or in a bar or around 2 Reais for a 600 ml bottle in a bar (nb: it's traditional to share these round rather than drink the whole thing yourself) Draft beer is called "chopp" (pronounced "shoppee") and will probably cost a bit more and isn't as common. Be warned, Brazilian beer is full of additives so will give you a ludicrous hangover.
Drink plenty of cocktails, especially Caipirinha:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha
which is pretty much the national drink and Capeta, which is chocolate with cachaca and powdered guaraná and will send you mental. Cocktails will obviously be a bit more than beers, probs 2 - 3 Reais, more in posher places.
If you can get hold of wine (not common in Brazil), have some of the locally produced red wine (ask for "suave" instead of "seco") It's really sweet and nothing like European wine, goes down a treat. Italian places will usually have this.
Last but not least though, make sure you drink some Guaraná: a soft drink made from the guaraná berry, which is a natural source of caffeine. This stuff is quite possibly the nectar of the gods and gives you a brilliant slow release of energy throughout the day too. The best brands are Kuat (pronounced "Kwachee") and "Guaraná Jesus" (this stuff is bubblegum pink, but is more popular in the North East so you might not be able to get it where you are)
Generally speaking, Brazil shouldn't be too expensive for you, particularly with the Euro doing so well. Obviously, there's a lot of fantastically wealthy people in Brazil so some restaurants and bars will be as expensive, if not more so, than their European equivalents but I'm guessing you're not a millionaire so proabaly won't end up in those areas.
Brazilian food is ace (provided you're not a vegetarian, that is) It's not noted for its culinary heritage but what the fuck do foodies know?
Seeing as you're going to Sao Paulo, the number one thing to do food wise is smoke a big fat "baseado" and go for a "churrascaria".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Churrascaria
Essentially, you get to eat as much barbecued meat as you want for a flat rate. Hold out for the "picanha", though, don't let them fob you off with the cheap cuts. Sao Paulo and South Brazil is the home of this kind of thing. Expect to pay maybe 20 - 30 Reais per head for a reasonably nice place in Sao Paulo city, although it can be done cheaper.
Sao Paulo is ludicrously ethnically (and therefore gastronomically) diverse, but the biggest communities are Japanese (concentrated in the suburb of Liberdade) and Italian (all over the place). Look out for "rodizios" of either type of cuisine. These essentially operate on the same principle as "churrascarias" but with dishes of those nationalites rather than barbecue stuff. Expect to pay a little bit more for these than the Churrascaria, especially Japanese food.
There's also loads of Middle Eastern people in Sao Paulo (mostly in Sé, which is right in the centre) so you'll find loads of places doing Lebanese and Syrian food. Habib's is a chain of Middle Eastern fast food places which makes good munchies food.
The main Brazilian dish though (which you have to have at leasy once whilst you're there) is the "feijoada".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feijoada
It's traditional to have this on weekends, especailly at carnaval time (which is supposedly how it was invented) Would expect to pay less for this than a rodizio (maybe 10-15 Reais) although will depend on where you go. Otherwise, most of the time people eat a combination of rice, beans and meat with this stuff on top (this usually weirds foreigners out at first so you'll get extra brownie points for knowing what it is first time):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farofa
You'll come across all the usual street food sellers too. I'd reccomend "espetinhos" (little skewer type meat things) and "coco gelado" (chilled green coconuts with the tops chopped off so you can drink the milk from them)
There's obviously loads of crazy fruits about which you can have in smoothies ("batidas") Try some with Acai in as you can never get that over here and it's well good for you as well as being a unique taste.
Brazilian beer is all much of a muchness. Main brands are Brahma, Kaizer, (incredibly) Skol (yes, the Skol) and Antartica (probably the best, tbh) but they tend to serve it as cold as is physically possible so you can't really tell the difference and you'll often find that the contents of the bottle they bring will be frozen. Expect to pay about 1 Real for a can ("lata") at the beach or in a bar or around 2 Reais for a 600 ml bottle in a bar (nb: it's traditional to share these round rather than drink the whole thing yourself) Draft beer is called "chopp" (pronounced "shoppee") and will probably cost a bit more and isn't as common. Be warned, Brazilian beer is full of additives so will give you a ludicrous hangover.
Drink plenty of cocktails, especially Caipirinha:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caipirinha
which is pretty much the national drink and Capeta, which is chocolate with cachaca and powdered guaraná and will send you mental. Cocktails will obviously be a bit more than beers, probs 2 - 3 Reais, more in posher places.
If you can get hold of wine (not common in Brazil), have some of the locally produced red wine (ask for "suave" instead of "seco") It's really sweet and nothing like European wine, goes down a treat. Italian places will usually have this.
Last but not least though, make sure you drink some Guaraná: a soft drink made from the guaraná berry, which is a natural source of caffeine. This stuff is quite possibly the nectar of the gods and gives you a brilliant slow release of energy throughout the day too. The best brands are Kuat (pronounced "Kwachee") and "Guaraná Jesus" (this stuff is bubblegum pink, but is more popular in the North East so you might not be able to get it where you are)
Red Arrow
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just about to read the part of your post past the vegetarian bit, my GF is a vegetarian lol
is she gona be fucked? im going to be eating loads of meat and all that so im glad the foods good but it wud be a shame if there was little veggie stuff (to keep her happy!)
speaking of baseado, is it easy to come by some of this? i read on one forum that said DONT GET DRUNK and whatever u do DONT TAKE ANY DRUGS, EVEN GANJA! ... lol...
just finished reading ur post, sounds amazing.. will be sure to remember all the things ya advised, heard of a couple before on other online forums, its great cos 3 R$ = 1 Euro at the moment so it looks like it could be a cheap trip (spending moneywise!)
pps: is it advisable to avoid cocaine when there? its not going to happen as i want to tick of trying cocaine in south america from my to do before i die list, so am gona get a bag one night anyway so any advice on what kinda people i should ask/avoid.. i presume ex pats or ppl in hostels wud be best to ask eh
is she gona be fucked? im going to be eating loads of meat and all that so im glad the foods good but it wud be a shame if there was little veggie stuff (to keep her happy!)
speaking of baseado, is it easy to come by some of this? i read on one forum that said DONT GET DRUNK and whatever u do DONT TAKE ANY DRUGS, EVEN GANJA! ... lol...
just finished reading ur post, sounds amazing.. will be sure to remember all the things ya advised, heard of a couple before on other online forums, its great cos 3 R$ = 1 Euro at the moment so it looks like it could be a cheap trip (spending moneywise!)
pps: is it advisable to avoid cocaine when there? its not going to happen as i want to tick of trying cocaine in south america from my to do before i die list, so am gona get a bag one night anyway so any advice on what kinda people i should ask/avoid.. i presume ex pats or ppl in hostels wud be best to ask eh
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The Kid
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I got a 2 month visa from the Thai consulate in Auckland when we went.
Got fined when we left as we overstayed our visa by about 20 days. That bit was a bit scary, as we were taken by immigration at the airport, shouted at in Thai and made to sign stuff we couldn't understand. Then we had to give them a load of cash.
Got fined when we left as we overstayed our visa by about 20 days. That bit was a bit scary, as we were taken by immigration at the airport, shouted at in Thai and made to sign stuff we couldn't understand. Then we had to give them a load of cash.
Apologies for slowness of reply, mate, it's been a busy weekend!
I'd say the guy advising you not to even get drunk is exaggerating wildly. Like I said, the thing to do is to keep your wits about you and not take any stupid risks.
As regards the coke issue, I'd say you've got the right idea. You'll be better able to judge how trustworthy people who speak your own language are so ask around in hotels and touristy bars first of all. If you do have to go through locals, try and avoid dealing with street people or dealers and go through local users who know the safe spots and people to buy from. Like I said, Brazilian people are really unbelievably friendly so it's quite likely you'll find someone willing to help you out. The same goes for weed really. Be aware that both are very illegal and if you get caught, it's not like Europe where you'll most likely get a slap on the wrist. Bribes may be involved and, trust me, you do NOT want to end up in a Brazilian jail under any circumstances. (Obviously, your average coke dealer in Rio is going to be a pretty hard individual. Being a foreigner makes it much less likely that you're going to be harmed but makes it a whole lot more likely you'll get robbed. The other problem associated with coke over there is that it can be highly addictive)
Ultimately though, you're faced with the same problem everybody from Europe or North America is when they travel to somewhere like Brazil. You're looking for some hard and fast rules where, in reality, there are none. There's no magic code which determines whether or not someone's going to rob you so relying on your gut feeling is all you've got and even that is far from infallible. For example, I know a guy in Caracas who used to live in Texas for a while and can speak English so well you'd never know he wasn't American. He now makes a living hustlng tourists in Caracas city centre by taking them to an upscale bookies where he claims he knows the results of all the races as they're fixed. In reality, the races are videotaped and he gets the results right of the first 4 or 5 then gets the last one wrong, by which time he's convinced the hapless tourist to stick their life savings and all their winnings (which he splits with the bar owner later on) on the last race, then takes a few punches afterwards for extra authenticity and moves on to the next victim.
Anyway, apologies for the long winded story but the point is that there are some incredibly committed scammers out there and nobody's clever enough to see through them all, whatever smug bastards on travel websites say. If you make a decision to do something illegal in somewhere like Brazil, you're taking a calculated risk and there's not really any amount of good advice that can protect you against things going wrong. Bearing this is mind, I'd say that, as you're only there for a couple of weeks, don't make getting coke or weed the focus of your trip (believe me, they'll be plenty going on to keep you occupied without it) Obviously, if it falls in your lap go ahead but if something feels wrong at all, the chances are that it is.
Oh, and as regards you're girlfriend being vegetarian, I'm afraid she might struggle a bit with the food side of things. Brazilians really aren't big on vegetables but they ARE big on fruit so it might be alright. If she eats fish, she'll be sound too.
glitterbizkit
Bluelighter
Booked my ticket to go to Zambia over the easter holidays for three and a half weeks. It's not extremely exciting in the travel sense since it's home for me... I want to go somewhere I've never been before! We're going to Lake Malawi for a week though, and my mother is paying for everything since I'm a poor student. Yay!!!
RA you're so lucky you're going to Brazil. I really want to go at some point, esp since I've gotten to know many Brazillians and they're all so much fun and really cool people!
I'm also trying to plan a Europe road trip with one of my closest friends for the summer...
RA you're so lucky you're going to Brazil. I really want to go at some point, esp since I've gotten to know many Brazillians and they're all so much fun and really cool people!
I'm also trying to plan a Europe road trip with one of my closest friends for the summer...
TheSpade
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£20 Argos rucksack FTW! :D