Brazil & Argentina
 

I know there's at least one RS member from Brazil but was also wondering if anyone had visited before?

Was thinking this route:
Rio > Ilha Grande > Paraty > Sao Paulo > Iguacu Falls > Buenos Aires

brazil (rio and SP) were great. I was there last year the week before carnivale (Rio)

i'd be a little more cautious now....with the gov cuts the police have been scaled back and the gangs are taking over the favelas again in rio

just you just need to be very careful where/when you go and what you take with you.

Thanks for that, yes I've heard of the issues Brazil has been having as of late but still want to go. I'll probably just stick to the tourist areas though.

Did you go out at night? Where did you stay in Rio/SP?

If you are sticking with tourist area, some common sense would be fine. But as blkgsr commented, it's really a shitty time to be visiting brazil.

I'd probably shift toward Argentina/Chile combo instead of Brazil/Arg.

Argentina is in a much better shape now after the political switch and even for a foreigner who doesn't manage the language, you can have a blast. Buenos Aires, Bariloche, Ushuaia, Perito Moreno glacier... etc can keep you busy for weeks. Throw Chile (Santiago/Puerto Montt)/Uruguay (Punta del Este, Coronia) into the mix and you have an awesome vacation.

Thanks, I want to visit Chile and Patagonia too but I'll save that for a separate trip.

Mainly looking for a beach vacay (in June, their winter) and Rio is a place I always wanted to visit. We're pretty experienced travellers and should be able to keep our wits about us for the most part.

Anyone have experience getting a Brazillian Visa in Vancouver?

i'm packing for Patagonia right now, and will be heading to BA after it. I'm expecting it to be like another European city.

Originally wanted to do Iguazu & Uruguay (Montevideo & Punta del Este) from BA but I found affordable airfare to Easter Isl. so I've scrapped the those plans.

The Brazilian consulate in Vancouver just opened a year or two ago. You need to show that you have funds in your bank account and get a letter from your work :derp:

Awesome, post pics when you get back!

Did you pay the reciprocity fee online for Argentina yet?

yes...dont have to fill out paper work for that, just name and passport number, pay 78 USD and print out a receipt.

brazil visa was easy


in rio we stayed in a favela right up from copacabana....it was pacified when we were there but has since been taken over by the gangs again

we were backpacking at the time but it was still "expensive"...nothing compared to hotels though

and yes we did go out at night, quite a few times....but again, be smart about it. take taxis, don't walk the beach too late at night

Re: Brazil Visa - I'm assuming you applied in Vancouver consulate? Did you really have to provide them with your Bank Account statements, Letter from your employer, AND CRA Notice of Assessment? Seems excessive for a visa application and I've been to Russia!

How much time do you recommend for Sao Paulo? Is there anything really worthwhile there? Reading about it seems like it's just a huge 3rd world metropolis.

Sao Paulo is a dump imo. I've been there 3 times, once alone and twice with parents visiting their friends there. Parents' friend had body guards (yes, body guards) on a 24hr basis and even then it didn't provide much a sense of security.

Then when I was older, I traveled there alone backpacking South America... and the things you see on the streets can be almost shocking and I think that's an understatement. And this is from a person who gets by with basic conversation skills in Portuguese... they seemed much more rude (especially local young people) toward foreigners.

I'd avoid downtown SP at night time at all cost. Poorer areas on the outer rim of the city is dangerous day in/out without a local guide. If anything, stick with the green line. I'd actually recommend to hire a local guide who knows their shit to guide you around and make sure you stay out of trouble if you really want to see the city. I had a Brazilian friend who I was backpacking with, and he got us out of trouble encounters so many times.

Thanks,

I lived in Jakarta so I'm not shocked seeing abject poverty and general crime. Bodyguards are a bit new to me though.

I assume by Green Line you mean Avenida Paulista? Looks like just a long, wide modern boulevard with Offices and Malls along the lines of Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City or Jalan Sudirman in Jakarta.

By green line I refer to the subway.

Some stations can be sketchy... but the green line as a whole are clean and in good shape.

So I'm thinking either 4 days in Ilha Grande/Paraty or 4 days in Salvador.

Thoughts?

Whelp I just got back from Buenos Aires, Colonia, Iguazu Falls, Rio, Paraty, and Ilha Grande. Didn't get robbed, mugged or really even witness any civil unrest or anything. But thanks to all the warnings we were on guard a lot in Rio. We even risked going clubbing at night which was interesting with Military police guarding the whole street like the Granville Strip. Rest of Brazil felt fine and I didn't even really break too much of a sweat since it was their winter. In all a good trip but a long way to go flight wise and more expensive than we thought it would be. Here are some pics I took with my phone:

Buenos Aires:

Big slabs of beef grilling is a common sight in BA
http://i.imgur.com/nLgKcBkh.jpg

Tango on the Streets
http://i.imgur.com/jCBKpTRh.jpg

El Caminito - a former slum turned into a touristy street
http://i.imgur.com/PauZvMVh.jpg

Iguazu Falls - Amazing, definitely the highlight of my trip. The waterfalls are immense and there are over 275 of them!
http://i.imgur.com/WKVeV6gh.jpg

You can walk right up to the edge of many of them as they built walkways up to a lot of them
http://i.imgur.com/Pp2yEs0h.jpg

Toucans are amazing birds and they fly right up to you -no fear of humans!
http://i.imgur.com/DPz9WCUh.jpg

Rio de Janeiro

Ipanema Beach - it was their Wintertime so not very crowded at all. Still very nice for us Canadians with 24C weather.
http://i.imgur.com/Vc6yJ5Oh.jpg

Christ the Redeemer statue
http://i.imgur.com/Beg5xnkh.jpg

The classic view of Rio from the statue's Corcovado Mountain
http://i.imgur.com/ukdNgZSh.jpg

The Selaron Steps
http://i.imgur.com/cFmKZ5Ph.jpg

The famous Sugarloaf mountain encased in fog
http://i.imgur.com/cCiBEqwh.jpg


Paraty - a colonial town about 3 hours from Rio
http://i.imgur.com/bYpJr4Bh.jpg

Ilha Grande- a lush green island about halfway between Rio and Paraty

The approach
http://i.imgur.com/7nGQTm9h.jpg

Lopes Mendes beach
http://i.imgur.com/w8DWvORh.jpg

And I end as I begin wth food: Moqueca - Brazilian Seafood stew served on the beach !
http://i.imgur.com/ZIoYVeNh.jpg

did you do both sides at Iguazu?
hopefully I will get a chance to visit before my Argentina reciprocity document expires
read stories of people sneaking through for the day...yeah no thanks to messing with border guards esp. in South America

The key getting around in that area is for "tour groups"... but you basically pay some guy who have "arranged" with the officials in the area. That would allow you to roam around in all 3 countries (including Paraguay) visa-free. Not even a damn stamp on your passport... haha.

Yup, went to both sides - one day each. IMO both are worth seeing although the Argentina side has more pathways and gets you closer to the falls. The Brazil side has a more panoramic view but you can see it in half a day. The Brazil side also has the awesome Parque das Aves nearby where I took that toucan shot.

As for border crossing, I'm not an expert but from what I observed, citizens of Brazil/Argentina pretty much cross unhindered (kinda like US/Canada pre-9/11). This is apparent if you take a bus across the border in which they don't stop to check IDs. We took a taxi between the two cities (Puerto Iguazu/Foz do Iguacu) and the driver was kind enough to stop and come out with us thru immigration to get our passport stamped. He just barely flashed his ID and was let through. That being said, it's illegal as a foreigner and you might get caught so it's probably safe to get a quick visa at the consulate.

loved rio, stayed in the Favela just up behind Copacabana (i think it's call Leme, can't remember). apparently it's been taken over by the drug gangs again though