After going to BA, I looked into going to Brazil. Outside of wanting to see the country
and have some fun, I wanted to see about opening up a savings account and cash in on
their 20% interest rates.

I flew into Sao Paulo ahead of cousin Bill and his friend Bob. The plan was to stay in Sao
Paulo for two days, head to Florinaopolis, and then to Rio. Going to SP after being in BA
was like going from Chicago to Mexico City. There are parts of SP that are nice but for
the most part, you feel like you are in the third world, which is not the case with BA. The
traffic, pollution, and congestion are awful. There is a thriving helicopter business in SP
because there is so much traffic and car jackings are apparently common place.

I booked us rooms at the Hotel Intercontinental near Avenue Paulista, and I very much
recommend this place. If you say you work for a branch of the U.S. government and show
them even a made up ID, you can get a room at a nice discount.

I had flown in from Miami and got there in the evening. Nontheless, I decided to hit the
clubs even though I was beat. After looking at LA’s guide of Sao Paulo, I went to the
closest club which was Bahamas. En route, I talked to the cabbie about Brazilian women,
and when I said I was going to Florinopolis, he told me that they had “muntas loiras”,
many blondes there. This line would be repeated by no less than three cabbies.

One of the big differences between Bahmas and Cafe Foto is that Bahamas has women in
bikinis and facilities on site. I will go out on a limb and say for my money, the hottest
quality women in all of SA, on average, reside in Sao Paulo.

Bahamas was rocking. In this club, you have to approach the women. You may buy them
a drink, talk to them, and then talk about taking them upstairs to the bedrooms. That was
when I saw a blonde named Marina of obvious German or Scandinavian descent. She was
from the Santa Catarina Province in Brazil, well known for their beautiful women, and
she was to die for. She was 5’7”, 115 lbs. or so, had nice firm D sized breasts au natural,
a narrow waist, and mile long legs. We settled on a $100 for an hour. Although she
performed competently and had a vice tight grip, she was a bit mechanical. I asked for a
massage and this was A++. I asked how much it was to take her out for a TLN and she
said a thousand Reals or about $400, and I passed.

After taking a breather, I then settled on Alicia, a 5’2”, 100 lb. muscular spinner. I found
her less physically attractive, a 7 compared to the 9 I just had, but she made up for her
slightly less than model looks with passion. I have to say that there are two things
Brazilians women have that stand out: tremendously tight asses and BBBJ skills second
to none. Although Alicia wanted a $100 as well, I got her for two hours instead of one
and she smiled in delight as she went down on me and heard me groan. Between sessions,
she too gave me an A+ massage. The first night in SP was a resounding success.

Bill and Bob came in the next day and we took a city tour. Apparently, the three nicest
and most distinct sections of SP are Jewish, Japanese, and Italian. There are 5 million
people in SP of Italian descent, three million of Portuguese descent, one million of
Japanese descent, and several hundred thousands of Jewish descent. I had no idea SP was
such a melting pot. Our guide told us that the slogan of SP was that Paulistas work while
the rest of Brazil plays. It stands to reason then that on tripadvisor.com, the #1 tourist spot
in Brazil was Ibirapuera Park, which was nice, but it was still just a park. There is nothing
like Sugar Loaf or Corcovado in SP.

After stuffing ourselves silly at the White Pony churrascaria, we went out to Cafe Foto.
The ratio of women:men may have been close to ten to one, and it was clear we were the
only players there. I settled on a 20 or so nymphette. She was definitely better looking
with her clothes on then off. Even though I paid $300 for a TLN, we only went at it once
and she even hit me up for cab fare.

On the other hand, Bob struck gold. He hooked up with a long legged brunette named
Julia. Bill is a 30ish, tall attractive blonde guy himself, and I could tell Julia was really
into him. She offered to drive us to our hotel and once there, she attacked Bill. He never
even settled on a price. He told me he gave her $150 for this TLN and thought she was
disappointed by that amount. Nontheless, we packed into her SUV and she drove us to
the airport in the morning. He told us that he was nearly in love and I knew after my trip
to BA all about the near love experience one can find in SA.

We then flew into Florianópolis (AKA Floripa), the famous beach resort area of Brazil.
We had heard from everyone in Brazil how beautiful it was. Floripa is an island with
dozens of beaches, and it also has its own land locked lakes. There was a bus system in
Floripa, but to see it best, you really need to rent a car, and we did. Avis took our U.S.
driver’s licenses and let us have a car. I hadn’t driven a stick in 15 years, and I had to do
in again in of all places, Brazil.

We entered on a Sunday, and even in the offseason, the roads coming back to the airport
were crowded. After an hour of driving, we went to the nicest resort on the island, Costao
Do Santinho, and rented out a condo. The resort was really nice but overpriced. Meals
were included and for the most part were pretty average.

You can buy homes on the beach in Floripa for around $50k and the notion of buying a
home on the beach was appealing. However, the $50k homes and condos. were pretty
tiny. I also must say that I was underwhelemed by the beauty of Floripa.

Outside of Margarita Island in Venezuela, I think most of the beaches of SA are more
okay than great. The quality of Floripa was on par with South Padre Island in Texas. The
water was more brown than blue, and the sand was more brown than white. Head to St.
Thomas, Cancun, Western Florida, or the Caymans if you want primo beaches. If you
want OK beaches with really hot women wearing tooth floss size bikinis, go to Floripa.

The nicest part of Floripa is the area known as Jurerê Internacional. You will see large
houses that go for between $300k and several million. Seeing as how these houses rent
out in the Brazilian summer, you could get a 5 to 10% return by buying a home there and
then renting it out a few months a year.

A few miles from the central city of Floripa, there was a city named Lagoa right on the
lake. We found an Italian restaurant named Basílico with home made pasta that was to die
for. This was maybe the best meal we had in Brazil.

We went to one P4P club in Floripa. There is not much there, so I do not think you will
have a hard time finding it as I cannot remember the name. It was near a hospital in the
central city or centro. The place was small. The women were not as stunning as SP but
they were much more friendly and less business like. We saw mostly sixs and sevens with
an occasional 8. I have the feeling that you could find a diamond in the rough if you went
here often enough, but none of us did much here, a few dances nothing more.

Our final stop and what I thought was going to be the highlight of our trip was going to
Rio.

I had read so many good things about Rio that I thought it would have a hard time
matching my expectations. The reality is that I would probably never go back. Here is
what I liked and didn’t.

Likes: weather, beaches, Corcovado, Sugar Loaf.

Dislikes: the women, the food, the crime.

So we flew into Rio and use our we-work-for-the-government ruse to get a discounted
rate at the Marriott. We first go to the terma L’uomo, and I hook up with an extremely
thin brunette who gives me an okay session in a room which is the eqivalent size of a
broom closet x 2. She is nice but unlike the fresh women of SP who are part time
providers, I could tell this chick has been going at it for years. She continues the Brazilian
tradition of fantastic BBBJs so this session was okay just not top of the line.

After being blown away by Corcovado at dusk, we go out to Help at night. It was an
interesting mix of men: older white balding European and American men and young
African American men. The music was great, and the club was spaceous, but it took me at
least an hour of looking before I found a woman who was a 7 or better. And she was
immediately snatched up by a 50ish American man. For the most part, the selection of
women was underwhelming.

Bob was chasing a hot 8 or so who was one of the nicest looking women in the place. Bill
and I took off, and knowing about the muggings, we took a cab home. After the girl
wanted to stay longer, Bob decided to walk home and got mugged. The muggers got his
wallet, watch, and jewelry. Fortunately, Bob held onto his passport. After seeing him get
mugged, a cabbie offered to take him back to the hotel at double the usual rate. Bob cut
his trip short.

I was determined to get an interest bearing account and after striking out at various banks,
I enlisted the help of a lawyer. To open up an account or buy real estate, you have to get a
CPF number. I applied for this number at the consulate in Houston, paid $10 for it, and
promptly learned in Brazil, the money probably went into someone’s pocket, and the
application placed in the trash. After having paid an attractive female lawyer, we spent
half a day getting this number. She had an aunt at a local bank, and I thought I was in
business. Even though there is no law against an American having such an account and
being willing to pony up a large minimum, I was met with a stone wall. For some reason,
no one was allowing foreigners to open up accounts in Brazil even though it was legal to
do so.

En route to the bank in Rio’s centro, Bill almost met the same fate as Bob. Two men
approached him and tried to grab his wallet. The response was incredible. Almost fifty
national guardsmen types swarmed on and caught the attackers. Upon reflection, this
really pissed me off. When it came to mugging tourists in tourist areas, no one gave a
damn but when it came to the mostly Brazilian business areas, no crime was tolerated.

The only highlight of the day was eating at a mall style Brazilian lunch buffett in the
centro area. That night, I went to Terma Monte Carlo and had an incredibly uninspiring
session.

The next day we headed to the Marriott’s pool and heard what I thought were the giggles
of a child. In reality, there was a MABA, middle aged bald American, swimming with his
20 something garota in the pool. When people here talked about hotels being chica
friendly, I wondered how the hotel would know if a chica was in fact a provider or
someone’s s.o.. When I saw a MABA going in the hotel with another 20ish provider with
painted on jeans and a tube top, I saw picking out providers would not be that hard.

Having not seen any true stunners in all of Rio, I decided to go to the top of line place for
women in Rio, Barbarela’s. After about a half an hour there, I picked out a stunning
blonde aerobics instructor who was a definite 9. I knew she would not be cheap and we
agreed upon $300 for 3 hours. This girl had great BBBJ skills, a super tight ass, and
firmest body of any of the women I had been with. But she too was more mechanical than
fun and wanted to cut out around two and a half hours. I was so tired I let her go.

All in all, I was disappointed by Rio. Far from being an undiscovered paradise, the place
had more Caucasian and African Americans than one sees in Miami. Also, constantly
having to look over your shoulder for muggers was a real drag. People in Rio brag about
not being mugged. That is not the case in BA or even SP. If people are into a place with
great weather and beaches, then I would recommend Rio. However, for the hottest
providers, I would go to SP any day. If you want a crime free atmosphere with friendly
women, head to Floripa.

How much did you pay for your room at the Marriott?

Hi Vido,

Nice report. Although I live in Rio, I have often thought that the best looking women and service is Sao Paulo. Definitely agree that you have to keep your eyes peeled, and Rio is a more dangerous place for tourists than Sao Paulo. I have found that you are just more cautious when out at night. There is one simple rule. Don't let anyone get near you. If you see someone approaching you that you don't know, just run.

I opened up my bank account in Brazil in May 2003. At that time, only a CPF was required. Some time between then and now, the law changed, and you also much have residence in order to create a bank account. In order to establish residence, you can get a retirement visa, or an investment visa.

Good luck.

Info on Brazil Bank Account for foreigners:

http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=1578

http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=1030

There are some emerging market bond funds that invest in Brazilian Bonds but they also invest in other countries bonds as well to lower the risk profile. Nonetheless, they can yield quite well. Then you have to figure in the currency translation risk as well. With the dollar so weak right now, it could be quite risky.

You can't get the CPF without the following:
To get the CPF you need the following documents:

* Passport
* Prove of residence in Brazil (phone or light bill)
* Wedding or Birth Certificate

http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=1554


(Message edited by vagabond on May 15, 2007)

(Message edited by vagabond on May 15, 2007)

Actually, if you apply for the CPF through a consulate office in the US, you don't need to prove residence in Brasil. I applied for and received my CPF through the NY consulate. I have to renew it annually, but can do this on-line.

The thing is, even with a CPF, that still might not get you a bank account without a residency visa. There is always a variety of opinions on this subject, probably because there are a variety of results depending on what bank you try, which person at the bank, etc.

Did you get a bank account in Brazil with the CPF? If you deposit money you will have to pay taxes on any interest you earn. It seems like it could get complicated!

Yeah Catocony, that's what the author at one of those links I posted says as well...it can depend on their mood (did their favorite futbol team just lose for instance?)

This is where a bribe could work well? It is their culture after all!!!

Oh, a CPF definitely does not get you a bank account on its own. I know from experience what it takes...

You need permanent residency card or a visa type that allows for a continuous stay of more than one year. They changed the banking laws while I was living in Brasil in 2005. I had opened an account because all you needed was a non-tourist, non-business visa (I had a "Temporario 1" visa). But in early 2005 they changed it so that the visa had to be of a duration of more than 12 months, so they made me close my account, took away my Visa Electron card, and handed me a bag with over 75,000 reais and said "boa sorte." They offered to call a cab to get me and my $ home safely, but my apartment was in the same building as the bank.

I went to every other bank in town and was given the same story: the Central Bank had issued new rules, such that having a CPF no longer was sufficient to open an account, and that I needed a visa that allowed a stay of 1 year minimum.

I've tried twice since 2005 and was given the same message.

You got two $200R ($100US) sessions in a row at night time in Bahamas with hot girls on your first trip there?

Enjoy is while it lasts. The Real just broke 2.00 analysis forcasting 1.7-1.8 by end of year especially if US interest rate is dropped. It's going to be interesting.

Commenting on Mitchc's observation about $100 equaling $200R (and the skepticism about getting two sessions at Bahamas with hot girls for this amount), I wonder whether the events described by Vido2005 took place sometime ago, when the exchange rate was more favorable. Interest rates have not been 20 percent for quite some time but the report references a 20 percent interest rate.

Just a thought that may or may not be correct.

Thanks for the detailed info on Floripa. Your report was a great read and comparison of the cities.

Could you share what your government rate was at the Intercontinental in SP?

You guys are right. This trip took place in 2005. The rate at Intercontinental was $150 a night. I went back three months later and paid $180.

Bwana Dik, I should have listened to you. Never did set up an account despite two trips there. I had to be living in Brazil. However, the ultimate irony is that I went back to BA in Dec. 2005. I talked to the folks at Raymond James, and they have a mutual fund. 50% of the fund tracks the overall Brazilian market and 50% tracks Brazilian interest rates. Apparently, the Argentine govt. holds the money for six months to prevent massive cash flow into and out of the country. However, the broker there said they could do a bond swap if you had a U.S. Raymond James account and bypass the waiting period. So to take advantage of Brazilian rates, it would have been best to go to Argentina. How messed up is that?

Given the exchange rate change and interest, I would have been up 40%, and yes, I am still sick about missing out on that return to this day.

I think we paid $170 a night at the Marriott. The dollar to real rate then was 2.4 to 1.

Banking in Rio is almost impossible for a gringo, that's why they call them banks. I lived in RJ 2003-2005. You can get 20% at Cambio Viajems Norte, on NSC, close to Bobby's. They have been in business for 27 years and I trust them more than banks. As soon as the U.S. stops warring and gets back to bidness, things will change, vai,fodendo W!
You way overpaid in SP and under-got in HELP. Some nites are good some nites are gooder they are GDP. Love is an illusion, seduction is real and dependable.
L'uomo suffers from their own greed. Monte Carlo and Solarium are better these days and 4x4 should be able to cover your delicate sensibilities.
Your friend got mugged in Rio, wow amazing, how could THAT ever happen? It ain't Dizneyland. Sorry.

If he "didn't see a real stunner" while in Brasil, he wont find one in 4x4. Save it. I've been there.
The only cat who could find a stunner there is a MABB. Middle aged Brazilian businessman.

For eye candy paradise, Ave Paulista during the day is hard to beat.

This was great report. I am thinking of doing the same trip in the next month. SP and then Rio. i am somewhat familiar with Rio but am a newbie to SP. I would appriciate any more info/suggestions one may have on SP...also, anyone know the most convenient airline to get you from SP to Rio? how much does a oneway tik cost?
Thx again fellas