Brazil
For hundreds of years, Brazil has symbolized the great escape into a primordial, tropical paradise, igniting the Western imagination like no other South American country.

From the mad passion of Carnaval to the immensity of the dark Amazon, Brazil is a country of mythic proportions. All the while, the people of Brazil delight visitors with their energy, fantasy and joy.

Full country name: República Federativa do Brasil
Area: 8,514,215 sq km (3,286,487 sq mi)
Population: 175 million
Capital city: Brasília
People: 55% European descent, 38% mulatto, 6% African descent (according to the 1980 census). In reality, these figures are skewed by whiteness being equated with social stature in Brazil.
Language: Portuguese
Religion: 70% Roman Catholic; also a significant proportion who either belong to various cults or practice Indian animism
Government: Federal republic
President: Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

GDP: US$650 billion
GDP per head: US$4060
Inflation: 8% (1999)
Major industries:Textiles, shoes, chemicals, lumber, iron ore, tin, steel, motor vehicles and parts, arms, soya beans, orange juice, beef, chicken, coffee, sugar
Major trading partners: EU, Central and South America, Asia, USA

Facts for the Traveler
Visas: Passports must be valid for at least six months from date of entry. Visas are required for tourists of many nationalities, including Australia, Canada and the USA; visas are generally for 90 days, with one extension of up to 90 days possible.
Health risks: Dengue fever, malaria, meningitis, rabies, yellow fever
Time: GMT/UTC minus 2 hours for the Fernando de Noronha archipelago; GMT/UTC minus 3 hours in the east, northeast, south and southeast; GMT/UTC minus 4 hours in the west; and GMT/UTC minus 5 hours in the far west
Electricity: Unstandardized; mostly 110 or 120V, though some hotels have 220V; 60 Hz in Rio and São Paulo
Weights & measures: Metric



When to Go

Most of Brazil can be visited comfortably throughout the year, it's only the south - which can be unbearably sticky in summer (December-February) and non-stop rainy in winter (June-August) - that has large seasonal changes. The rest of the country experiences brief tropical rains throughout the year, which rarely affect travel plans.

During summer (December-February) many Brazilians are on vacation, making travel difficult and expensive, and from Rio to the south the humidity can be oppressive. Summer is also the most festive time of year, as Brazilians escape their apartments and take to the beaches and streets. School holidays begin in mid-December and go through to Carnaval, usually held in late February.



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Events

Although there are festivals taking place all year-round in Brazil, the country's most famous event is Carnaval, beginning at midnight on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and lasting for five days. It is celebrated all over Brazil and there are more authentic versions than the glitzy tourist drawcard held in Rio, but Rio's is a fantastic spectacle nonetheless. In the sambódromo, a tiered street designed for samba parades, the Brazilians harness sweat, noise and mayhem as the 16 top samba schools each have their hour of glory.

The four-day Carnival commences on the following dates: March 1 2003; Feb 21 2004; Feb 5 2005.

TextFacts for the Traveler

I like variet but am more attracted to black, mixed-race, light-skinned women. I'm told Bahia is the place to go in Brazil for such women. Any body out there who can fill me in on this?

Hi guys - I'm making my first trip to Rio from the 13th-26th February, where I'll be staying in either Barra da Tijuca or Ipanema. The trip is mainly business orientated but I do want to get some hobbying done! Are these two areas far from Rio/central Rio? Are they suitable for the hobby? Are there any must-see/visit locations? Any advice as to what definitely to do and not do?

Ladies/guy, you will be staying in the high class neighborhoods. And will be only a taxi ride away from all the great termas or "T's" to see (a must visit)! Barra is a little farther away than Ipanema.

Do your homework on what has already been much written on the subject.

Help Disco is located in Copacabana. Be careful late at night when taking a taxi back to your hotel. Don't use the taxi's parked directly in front, use the one's who park on the side street.

You're gonna luv Brasil:-) sf4dfish

Thanks sf4dfish - message taken on board!

Here is one of my favorite sectional maps that gives you a good idea of all of the areas.

Thanks Aldaron - it's useful to get a visual perspective of the area. As a complete newbie to the hobby I really appreciate the advice and help you guys give. I've travelled quite extensively in Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Europe, and have always made great efforts to sample the local dishes everywhere I go. But it's always been as a lone ranger, successful a lot of the times, totally dire at others. Having the CH organisation makes the hobby far less hit and miss and takes a lot of the uncertainty and guesswork out of travel preparations. For example, I was in Cairo last week for four days on business, which went well, but not a hope in hell of scoring. It's good to be forewarned and fore-armed! Cheers!

Look up Bwanadik's and GCL's Guides to Rio on here. They both give a good description of the hotspots.

Ladies,

I'd think that even in a Moslem city such as Cairo one could talk with a cab driver or hotel doorman and find out where the hookers are. Or, would that be too risky, in most Moslem countries, for an outsider?

(Message edited by avisar on January 04, 2004)

Aldaron - thanks for the previous hotspots message and Robert, you hit the nail on the head. I laid down some heavy tester hints like "where are all the women?" etc. One reply I got was "Egypt is a country of men!" Reading between the lines I felt it better probably not to push and offend my business associates. It felt like a "closed shop" system was in operation.