Project Brazil (final part)

Brazil is the largest South American country that stretches from the Amazon basin in the north and the massive Iguaçu falls in the south (at the border of Argentina).

There are two major cities - the lively but dangerous Rio de Janeiro, and the business hub Saô Paolo. Rio by far is the most famous but most expensive as well.

The average meal in an average restaurant in Rio (not fast food food) would cost 50-100 Reals (x 13.50 pesos). Even a small pizza in the stand by the beaches would cost 48,50 Reals (around 654 pesos, not including taxes yet). A 10% service charge is mandatory in all restaurants as well as taxes for food. Basic commodities are much more expensive in Rio than in other places in Brazil. Even the most modest hotels are pricier in Rio than in Saô Paolo. Maybe it's the proximity to the beaches, or probably the touristy area, or that the Olympic will be held here in the summer.

Places to see: Christ the Redeemer, Corcovado, Jardim Botanica, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Lapa and Santa Teresa areas. If you're thinking of going to a mall, think again. Brazil IS NOT a shopper's haven. If you plan to buy your LV or Prada or Apple watches or any other name brands, Brazil is far far more expensive than Manila. It has poor choices and their shopping malls are a paltry compared to what we have in the Philippines.

Are the beaches beautiful? Yes. But you get better and clearer water in Boracay or in Palawan and less prone to mugging on the streets or on the beaches in the Philippines compared to Brazil. However, the waves that lap at the shores in Brazil are worth the relaxation by the beach (just make sure you don't bring even your cameras or cellphones unless you want them to disappear). Clothes are optional. The less you wear the better. At least you'd blend in with the locals.

Are the places worth the visit? Yes. But reserve only 3 days for touring Rio. That's enough. Take the time to go to Saô Paolo as well so you can do the Iguaçu falls. That way, you'd get the best of your trip.

Is there a night life? Yes. That's what my friends tell me. The men and women are hot and the bars open early. There are also a lot more sexually transmitted diseases you will pick up with the locals, so I wouldn't suggest the night life as a tourist destination. In addition, most of them are found in really sleazy areas and you may end up naked in Copacabana beach begging the embassy to bring you back home.

Can they speak English? No. Unfortunately, the language barrier is a big disappointment. It's like learning sign language. I can speak and understand Spanish but there is a particular accent to their language which is - Portuguese. And not just Portuguese but Brazilian Portuguese. Make sure that you have the address of your hotel or your destination written down so that they know where to bring you. It's weird that they can read the address but can't understand the English language. But hey, who cares? If you know a bit of Spanish, you'll survive. I was able to purchase movie tickets with my credit card in spite of the fact that everything was in Portuguese!

Should Brazil be a destination on your bucket list? Yes. But a one time destination that should include many other South American countries. I think that's where I failed in this itinerary and should have been a bit bolder in choosing other South American countries as destination points. Brazil, like many third world countries is boring. Nothing much to offer and too much bucks to spend. My basic comment was that the guy who was able to sell Rio for the 2016 Olympics must be elected president for Brazil for selling a country, a city, that had very little to offer.

It was like being contestants for the Amazing Race.

Till my next destination...

Project Brazil (Part 2)

Rio de Janeiro alone has 10,000,000 people. A couple of million less than the people in Metro Manila.

4. Their most reliable means of transportation is the taxi. Meter starts at 5.40 Reals (about 75 Pesos or $1.60 flag down rate). While taxi is relatively not expensive, moving from one part of the city to another part is quite expensive if you're using a cab. A whole day of travel would easily be around 100 Reals (1,350 Pesos). Word of advise - ask the concierge where are the places you want to go to. See if your schedule can work around those that are nearest to each other so that you won't have to spend too much on cab fare. The bus and other systems are not as reliable and you don't want ending up getting mugged. Get the yellow taxi cab and one that has a meter. Oh yeah, and always ask for a receipt after!

5. Plan your day ahead. Don't have random thoughts. For example, you can do Christ the Redeemer in 15 minutes. The travel time, however, is a different story altogether. Even the Sugar Loaf Hills can be accomplished in 1 hour or less. For both these historic sites in Rio, you can have one morning or one afternoon and you'd have seen both. But that's about it. There's really nothing much to see in these sites and on a weekday, there's absolutely no queue and you get the best photo ops. The Jardim Botanico is also one of the recommended places to go, but I would ask every one to skip it especially if you don't like getting bitten by mosquitoes. While we ventured to the place to see the orchidarium, the orchids were not in bloom and was a paltry compared to the Singaporean Orchid Gardens. For all these three places, nothing was free. There is an entrance fee.

6. Don't act like the millionaire from the other side of the world. Most of the people here in Brazil are poor. Even the cars that are on the street are older versions compared to what we have in Manila. The malls are not hip or jaw-drop fabulous compared the malls in Manila. They are small, expensive and way more expensive than if you buy them in Manila. Their most modern mall is the Village Mall in the Barras area, around 1 hour away from Copacabana and Ipanema (or almost 100 Reals taxi ride).

Which goes to the point that unless you plan to drive your own car or get a chauffeur from the hotel to bring you from point A to point B, leave your valuables and your jewelry in the hotel. You don't want to get robbed in broad daylight. As one Filipino OFW told us, don't flash your cash and your stash around unless you want to end up dead.

Brazil was one of the more affluent South American countries. Unfortunately, according to people here, corruption in the government has driven the country to the brink of bankruptcy. Denominations are old. Politicians are corrupt. Poverty is at an all time high. Health problems like the Zika virus and sexually transmitted diseases have pushed the country to the brink of global health emergencies.

While people love to party, be careful where you go to and whom you bring home with you.

7. The standard shops abound - Starbucks, Outback, McDonalds....but don't expect convenience stores like 7/11, Family Mart and Mini Mart. Supermarkets are rarely found around the area and when you do get to find a convenience store, it looks like it was raided by thugs an hour ago. Food is not cheap, but it's not too expensive either. The average meal should cost you around 25 Reals in the fast food shops (that's around 350 pesos). A churrasco would cost you around $100 (350 Reals) for two people, not including drinks. The cost of living is high, which explains why more people are pushed into more poverty. Coming to a third world country with a high standard of living makes you feel how lucky one is to live in the Philippines (seriously)!

(To be continued)

Project Brazil

It was a 37 hours flight from Manila to Singapore to Barcelona to Sao Paolo to Rio de Janeiro on Singapore Airlines. I didn't think I would have lasted a flight this long or a trip this far. But we landed in Rio a few hours earlier and for those traveling from the Philippines to any South American country, here are a few trips, which I will call - Project Brazil:

1. Don't fly on economy class if the trip will take more than 24 hours. It's bad enough to be on a plane that will take more than 10 hours on economy class. It's guaranteed that when you arrive, you will feel like part of the baggage compartment. With that said, there are many flights into Brazil from Manila, Philippines. Because Brazil is on the East side of the continent, flying through Europe or the Middle East will be the shorter route. Emirates will take you there with one technical stop in Dubai. Qatar & Etihad have no direct flights into Rio de Janeiro and will need to stop through Sao Paolo. From Sao Paolo there are several local airlines that you can take to Rio. I suggest that instead of going into the Galeao International Airport (GIG) in Rio (if you're coming into Sao Paolo), take the SDU or Santos Dumont Airport. There are more flights from Sao Paolo and it's already in the heart of Rio (a 17 mins taxi ride from the airport to Copacabana Beach). For the mile rackers, KLM or Air France are European airlines you can opt for. KLM/Air France will fly you from Manila into Taipei then to Amsterdam then to Rio de Janeiro. It's about a 32 hrs flight altogether. The only Asian airline that flies into Brazil is Singapore Airlines. This airline was chosen over the other airlines on the list because of the very comfortable large bed on business class (the widest in all business class planes) with a 1-2-1 configuration on its 777-300 planes. The seat folds into a flat bed with beddings and linen all tucked in the back of the seat. Seriously, I would have recommended Emirates or Qatar. Unfortunately the planes that Emirates or Qatar uses from Dubai or DOHA, respectively are not in the 1-2-1 configuration but the 2-2-2 arrangement.

Remember, if you need to fly this long...make sure that you're pampered in the sky as well. Believe me when I say that it would be a let down if you flew like garbage to another third world country.

2. Stay in a hotel that has the "wow" factor. Luxurious hotels are not plenty in Rio. There are only two, according to my standards - The Fasano and Belmond Copacabana Hotel. The Fasano is located in Ipanema beach area while Belmond Copacabana Hotel is in the Copacabana beach area. The Ipanema area is more posh and more elite. But Fasano is far more expensive than the Belmond. The Belmond Copacabana starts with its superior city room at $400 a night with breakfast.

So if these pictures of the hotel didn't "wow" you enough, you should see how much let down the other hotels would be. The pool is very inviting and large at the Belmond and the food is quite good at the Pergula. Of course, you have two other restaurants which are Michelin starred, but I didn't bother to spend more money than I already spent on food.

3. Currency exchange in Brazil is a let down. I get the fact that the country is in crisis. A few years ago, the exchange used to be $1 = 2 Reals. It is now $1 = 3.55 Reals. This is how large the economy plunged. I've also said time and again that you can tell how bad the economy of the country is doing based on the quality of the denomination that is circulating. The Real is really bad. I have not seen a new currency since I was here and have changed several Reals. All the Reals are dilapidated and look like they have come from the marketplace. And the exchange is terrible. Don't change at the airport. They deduct 10% service charge and 5% in taxes from your dollars. Change in the hotel. They will take 5 Reals no matter how much you change and 5% in taxes. If you change more, you get a better rate. The current exchange rate is $1 = 3.05 Reals. Which sucks big time because you're losing 0.5 Real for every dollar you're changing. The best option is not to change a large amount of cash. Just pay with credit card and let the bank take care of the exchange rate.

(To be continued)