From all of my trips to Rio, this is an update to what I have observed and learned

Updated 12/2003


Vitamins and your Immune System

As Sandman says, take Echinacea and/or Vitamin C a week before you leave, and during your trip. Whether it is a placebo effect or not, it tends to work. I also take an amoxicillian a day on some of my longer trips. The more trips you make the more natural immunity you will build on your own though. My most recent trip, I didn’t take anything and never got sick.

Extra Set of Sheets for Apartments

Consider bringing a couple of extra sets of sheets for the bed and maybe a blow up mattress in a separate checked bag. It’s worth the hassle because you can come across bad bed situations in apartments. The elastic in the fitted sheets are hardly ever any good and it tends to come up off the mattress if you roll over in bed, leaving you exposed to a dirty mattress. Some of the sheets I have seen are so thin they are scary.

Airline Reservation Desks in Copacabana

There is a Varig office in the Othon Palace Hotel. There is an American Airlines and a Continental Airlines office in the Copacabana Palace.

What do I eat if I can’t read a menu?

Have no fear, McDonalds and Dominos are in Rio. Most of the food in the kilo restaurant buffet line is recognizable…. sort of. I wouldn’t recommend experimenting on any strange meats you don’t absolutely recognize.

Washing clothes

It is very inexpensive to wash your clothes in Rio. There are Laundromats on nearly every street. You can go do it yourself or have it done for you. I have had a large sack full of clothes washed for me for less that $10.

Your first trip to a terma

Don’t do a dupla your first time. It will be too much for you to handle. Ease into your debauchery.

What is Vips?

This is basically an upscale motel where you can take girls. This is the link to the website.
http://www.vipsmotel.com.br/

Drogarias

Shop around for the best prices on Cialis, etc. There is one on nearly every street. The prices will vary by as much as R$10 to R$25 with each store.

Cash vs. Credit

Using your credit card instead of paying with cash usually costs you about R$.10 when the credit card company converts it. It's no big deal when you consider that is about 3 cents, but just be aware of the difference. Some termas charge an extra R$10 if you are paying by credit card, and some termas make you pay the girl's part in cash. If using cash, your bank will typically charge you $2 - $3 per withdrawal.

Christo and Sugarloaf

Take the time to go to both of these places. I have only been to Christo, but I will make it to Sugarloaf one of these days. Most cab drivers outside Alcazar will take you up there and wait for you for R$60 - R$80. It costs R$5 per person to get in.

Terma Etiquette and Jealousy

Never do a girl in a terma twice in a row unless you understand that after that point, every time you come in you will be considered her property by her and the other girls, especially in the smaller termas.

Paying at 4X4 and Centaurus– The tourist tax

When you are paying at 4 X 4 and the Asian girl asks you to round up your amount for a "tip" for them, tell her to eat shit in a nice way. Since when do you have to tip someone for them taking your money? She only does it to Americans. This is the only place that I have witnessed anyone try to do this though.
As for Centaurus, I have never been, but a couple of friends assure me that if you argue with them, tell them you come a lot and turn around to leave, they will not make you pay up front. Try it at least.

Renting a Cell Phone

Get a cell phone after a couple of days if you have a lot of friends in town and are going to be there for a week or more. It works out to about $5 or less a day. Calling home from a cell phone is relatively inexpensive and very convenient also. It also provides a degree of safety. Besides, there is nothing like calling your friends back home while you are lying on the beach looking at beautiful Brasilada ass.
That being said, during my last 3 trips, I have not rented a cell phone. The internet places have booths where you can call the States for about .50 a minute. Now I also buy one of the Telemar street telephone cards from one of the newspaper/magazine stands for $R5 to use if I need to. You just slide the card in and dial and it deducts credits from the card.

Apt vs. Hotel

If you don't like sleeping alone, hotels can get expensive when you start adding up R$50 -$R70 a night for a girl. Most apartments give you plenty of towels and you can arrange for a maid to come in every couple of days for around R$15 - R$25 in most cases. There are some nice hotels to stay at though, so it is just personal preference. I personally don't like the idea of the walk of shame to the front desk to register the girl. From what I have seen, the girls don't like it either and if given a choice, always prefer the apartment route. They get embarrassed too. Besides, they figure that the money you are paying to get them in a hotel is coming right out of their pocket.
Having said that, I really liked the Mariott. They do not hassle you with the girls either. You can walk right in past them and they won’t say a word. Having a girl without puta gear is recommended though whenever possible.

Guide vs. No-Guide for your first trip

A guide is not necessary with all of the information on this website. However, if you are lazy, or don’t have time to research, hiring one for a day or two might be beneficial for you. I used a guide during my first week. Email me if you want to know more.

Internet Places

I used the one on Rua Xavier da Silveira on my first trip. However, I used the one on Rua Miguel Lemos my last few trips and I like it better. It tends to be less crowded and you can get out of there quicker. I have waited at the one on Xavier for 5 minutes or more trying to pay.

Kilo Restaurants

The kilo restaurants are great. It's all you can eat basically, but you only pay for what you eat because they weigh it. Because of that, there is a disincentive to pig out at the buffet. If we had these in the USA, maybe we wouldn't have so many lard asses. Go between 11:00 and 1:00 for the freshest food. You can’t beat it for the money.

Ipanema vs Copacabana

Ipanema is a much nicer area than Copacabana. Eventually I will stay there. I love the Logoa area also. Copacabana has serious infrastructure problems. You can pick any given street and they will have some or part of it dug up working on something below. It really is decaying fast.

Laptop

I've taken my laptop twice to play music. The last time I didn't use it all that much, especially when I came across Direct TV in my other apartment. I also got tired of carrying it around in the airports and having security people grope it and turn it on and off. I will take it again only if I am going to do some work while there, which is what I did on my most recent trip.

Digital Camera

A digital camera is must for scenery and for women. You will kick yourself in the ass when you get home if you don't have a photo of the women you were banging on your trip.

Hang with a local whenever possible

When with a Brasilada, for the most part, the locals won't try to rip you off. Whether it was in restaurants or the beach, I found this to be true. If you are with a feisty one like I was, she will rip them a new one if they try. However, watch what you say to some of them because they can be some shady characters and in the end, you are arguing over a dollar or two maybe. I have had bad taxi experiences with a Brasilada with me though. Just know that there are a lot of crooks and thieves in Rio whether in taxis or roaming the streets.

Condoms

Bring your own condoms. I've had a Brazilian one break on me before, as have many.

Leave your Rolex at home

Forget about impressing the girls with your jewelry. It’s more likely to end up on the wrist of some savage.

What do you mean by going to Blockbuster?

People say that because there is a Citibank ATM located next to the big blockbuster on Copacabana Avenue just down from Luomo.

Rio Sul

Rio Sul is worth the trip, whether alone or with a date. If alone, you need to speak Portuguese though to carry on a conversation and be successful. If you take a girl, expect to end up buying her something. That is the only reason she is going there with your ugly ass.

Terma Sex

Most terma girls will fuck you as you have never been fucked in the States. They have a reputation to maintain (that sounds funny) and they know that word will get around if they are terrible.

Piranhas and Sweethearts

Every one of these girls on the programma have a sad story. Some try to use it to their advantage, and some do not. It does no good to generalize about all of these women. It’s enough to say that there are some good ones and bad ones. Some are con artists and if you look like an easy mark, they will scam you if you let them. Some of these girls make more money than you think, and if you converted their earnings into $, they would be doing well even in the USA. It’s Darwinism at its best. They prey on the weak hoping to pair up with the strong before their looks fade. If you let them know up front that you aren’t a sucker, they will drop the con or drop you……… either way, you win. My advice is to keep your wits about you when in Help late at night. The world will not end if you have to go back to your room alone. It never ceases to amaze me when I read stories of guys on this website that suspend their common sense just to blow a load late at night, when they could go to bed and get up the next day and blow away in safety and for less money at a terma.

As for the sweethearts, some will never ask you for money. They won’t even look at it when you try to hand it to them. Most are just doing what they have to do to get out of poverty. It’s a tough choice I imagine. I cannot judge these girls one way or the other. Just be nice to the sweet ones and you will be treated well.


Beggars

Never give the beggars money. It only encourages more begging and harassment when they are successful. That may sound harsh, but beggars also attract an element of crime and that puts us all in danger because of your bleeding heart. Some are very aggressive and will not take no for an answer. It is best to steer your way through one of the restaurants like Bob’s or Alcazar as they will usually not follow you.

Please cum for me…

You have never seen a look of disappointment in your life until you see the look on some of these girl's faces when you tell them that you can't cum.

Safety around Help and Alcazar late at night

The block by Alcazar and Debret can be a little dicey after Alcazar closes around 3:00 AM. However, in the outside area of Alcazar, there are guys that sit outside in the dark until around 4:00 AM waiting to escort the owner outside. I say dicey because I know of one hombre that got mugged as he approached between Alcazar and the tables outside walking from Help. Basically, two guys came up to him, one grabbed his girl, and one grabbed him and said, “Give me your money”. They knew what they were doing. Alcazar had closed though and no one was sitting outside. I personally have never had a problem.
When in doubt, take a taxi. Your safety is worth more than a couple of dollars.

Dancing

Most of these girls love to dance, but nobody will dance with them. If you can dance, you will be popular in Help as long as you don't look like a goon.

Sylvia at 4X4

Always tip Sylvia at 4 X 4. She is a sweet lady and will personally watch your luggage when you arrive from or leave for the airport

Taxis

Never use the taxis outside of Help or Rio Sul. When at Help, always walk out onto Avenue Atlantica and flag one down off the street. When at Rio Sul, walk under the pedestrian walk-way to the other side of the street and flag one down.
Yellow taxis have meters that start at a set price and have two rates: "1" for before 8 PM and "2" for after. The "2" rate also applies to Sundays and holidays, the month of December, the neighborhoods of Sao Conrado and Barra da Tijuca, and when climbing steep hills. (This all comes directly from the Rio Mariott website.)
Also, not all yellow taxis are created equally and neither are all “1” and “2” settings. It is not my imagination. Some are rigged. If you complain they will usually turn it off.

Clubhombre members

Most of the guys you meet off of this website will be very cool because you are no longer just a screen name. There are plenty of non-contributing dicks that will flame you on here though.
No one person knows it all, so never let anyone intimidate you on this website or anywhere. It is true that some know more and have been more places than others, but they had to start somewhere too. Take their advice and use your common sense and you will be fine. There are new guys going to Rio all of the time, so don't let yourself feel stupid just because you don't know everything about the game. I have met guys down there that were on their fourth or fifth trip and still didn't know what a kilo restaurant was or where Blockbuster was located. You will make some mistakes, but you will learn.

Calling Brazil with Noblecom.com phone cards

Never buy from the internet phone card service noblecom.com. I have never experienced such a shitty connection in all of my life. It’s hard enough talking to someone who doesn’t speak a lot of English, but when you have to listen to your own echo, it’s impossible. I finally told them to shove the card up their ass and had my credit card company take it off my bill. I would have had better success tying two tin cans together with string and trying to talk on it.

Brazilian People

From my experience, the Brazilian people are very nice. Some of that is probably because they know you have money though. I have never experienced any outward animosity, although the Brasilian men aren’t overly friendly in the termas though which has led me to refer to them as Brazidicks lately. As a friend said, I don’t think “excuse me” is in their vocabulary. It’s their country though, so I try to keep a low profile on the streets, at Terraco and in the termas. I can imagine that there is nothing more annoying to Brasilian men than seeing loud ass Americans in groups, yucking it up outside Terraco, or termas.

Meia Petaca

Meia Petaca might have been a cool place once, but I avoid it. I just haven't seen a lot of appealing things in and around that place when I've been there, but I also walk by looking straight ahead. Then again, I don't like pulling strangers out of Help either, so make your own mind up. Meia Petaca tends to be the hardcore girls. I would fear for my belongings if I took one of these girls back to my apartment.

Getting a Brazilian Visa

When applying for the Brazilian Visa, if you have to send it off in the mail as I did, just put on there that you are traveling there soon on vacation for a week, but you will be returning in 6 months or so. I put that on there just in case. They seem to give out the 90 day visa randomly though, but I didn't have a problem getting a 5-year visa. You will need to show a ticket unless you are in the airline industry.

Who really has the power in Rio?

Finally, never give up your power. What power? Well, you have it, and if you don’t know you have it, get your head out of your ass. Rio and places like it are what I call “the great equalizer”. You have the power, not the girls. If they give you any lip or want money for every little thing, show them the door. These women, and for that matter, women in general, do not respect weakness or perceived weakness. That is something I am constantly trying to reinforce to a couple of my puss married friends.


(Message edited by aldaron on December 08, 2003)

Good advice overall, thanks for the tips for everybody.

About taxis - Bandeira 2, as far as I know is ONLY for after 8PM, Sundays, Holidays and December (it's the cabbies' Xmas bonus) - in other words it's time-based. The "Sao Conrado, Barra da Tijuca, and when climbing steep hills" stuff is bullshit, invented for tourist suckers (they try to pull it on out-of-town brazilians too), and I dunno why Marriot is repeating it (of curse, they are also in the tourist business). In general,you wouldn't believe the bullshit the cabbies come up with - on my last trip one wanted to take me to Barra Shopping instead of RioSul where I asked him to take me because he claimed RioSul was closed! Its a good idea to have at least a general notion of where you are going ans how to get there (get a map)in order to avoid crazy trips. i.e.if you are going from Copa to the Centro, you should be passing under the tunnel, by the Rio-SUl and by Flamengo Bay...if you wind up in Ipanema and going by the Lagoa, you know you are being scammed... Lastly, never, EVER use the "independent" cab drivers who offer rides at the airport - use the standard yellow cabs (in other words, if it doesn't have a meter, don't get in it!). Of course, if you've pre-arranged a driver,that's different. Yeah, there's the pre-paid cabs at the airport too,they save youfrom getting scammed with a longer ride, but are otherwise way more expensive and the ride to Copacabana is pretty straightforward (20 minutes of highway, long tunnel under Cristo Redentor,around the Lagoa, snake through some hills (Cantagalo/Pavao), and there you are - should be about US$15 on a regular cab).

For what it's worth, most Rio cabbies (70% or so) are in fact honest.. it's the other 30% you have to watch out for!

BS

I agree with the 70% good estimate.

For what it's worth the cabbies outside of Help are ripoffs but given the choice of a ripoff cabbie or taking the chance of getting mugged. My choice is to take a cab. Your health is not worth what you may save by walking, no matter how big you are.

All you have to do is walk out in front of Help and flag one down off Atlantica. Just ignore the rifraf.

Aldaron has a point there. For the most part the rip-off artists in Rio come in clusters, in their own tightly-defined zones, and all you have to do is take an extra step to avoid them. As we've been discussing with taxis, there are a cluster of sharks when you step off the plane at the airport.. take aother step out into the street and get an honest cabbie. At Help avoid the sharks diretly in front of the steps and just step out to the curbside and flag down a cab. Ditto at Sugarloaf or Corcovado.

To give another example, at "whore beach" in front of the Othon, I never sit in the midst of the mayhem right in front of the hotel, but rather about 25 meters to the right (towards Leme/Corcovado) at the first beach hut without wall-to-wall gringos, sharks, and putas (Barraca da Baiana, run by a lady). Avoids the obnoxious "chair boys", Baiana never overcharges me for drinks, shoos off the most obnoxious vendors and sends a boy to fetch any girl that I'm interested in from the main action (and I still get to flirt with the non-pros). Last time around it was Baiana's birthday and we had cake on the beach and free drinks all around. ;)

But back to rip-offs, in general the "easiest" path that everyone is herding the tourist towards is a rip-off... observe what the locals do, and do what they are doing instead. By taking just one step off the beaten path, you have a lot more fun and avoid getting robbed.

BS

You're taking a taxi from Help to your hotel or apartment, which is -- most probably -- about US$2 away. So, we are talking of being "rip-off" US$1 by the taxi driver! Even if you are staying in Ipanema, your taxi fare is only US$4! My advice, follow your girl's lead. If she walks you to the side street to take a taxi, go with her; if she takes the one waiting in front of Help, follow her.

For long trips, like the airport, shopping with the GF, city tour, etc. I have two regular taxi drivers that I call (both speaks fluent English). I even call them from the US to fetch me from the airport. I pay more, but I prefer to pay more because I want to pay more, not because someone else wants me to pay more.

Hey, BS... we're still here talking of rides!

You are right.... still talking of rides! And you're also very right that nobody should get too hung up over saving a few bucks in Brazil - I don't like getting ripped off, but I'm on vacation, it's not worth getting frazzled about either! Lastly, the best thing to do is get yourself a "regular" driver - every cabby in Rio carries a cell phone. If he does a good job for you, ask for his cell # and use it next time you need to make a longer trip.

Enjoy!

BS

On my second trip, I met a good one outside GIG. He took me to Rua Xavier de Silva in Copa around 11:00 for about $R24 on the meter. He gave me his number and told me to call him and he would take me to the airport when I left, but I never did. He was a good guy though and spoke some English. All I can remember is that his name was Alex. I wish I still had his number.

I have these two taxi drivers that I call in Rio. Anyone who wants their cell phone number can PM me.

I have yet to have a problem grabbing a taxi outside GIG (on the curb, you must pass all the bad cabi's first, and that is a chore...), and paying about R25 meter or negotiating a R25 flat fare (my preference).

When I arrive at GIG, I always go upstairs where the departure level is. I always get an honest cabbie who just dropped someone off and is happy not to go back empty. All the cabs on the arrival level are scammers. With no traffic and rate #1, I can get into Copacabana for 23Reals

What about the cab companies counters, right outside of customs? [upon arrival].

Those cab companies are honest, but because they are "radio cabs" and just slightly larger than most of the "meter cabs" they charge more. A radio cab will cost you 45-50 (hint, ask for a discount; the rate IS negotiable) reais while a meter cab will usually be in the 25-30 reais range. All the radio cabs have AC, not all meter cabs do, and they are allowed to charge extra for its use (a higher meter setting).

DC, that is a good idea. I'm always so turned around when I arrive and when I get dropped off at GIG that I didn't think to do that. I've never stopped long enough to notice it is a different level. I may try that next time.