The Brasilian Way

PERFUMES: Brasilians simply love perfumes and you will not believe how much attention you could get by wearing a nice fragrance. It has been a conversation starter many times!

Quick Tips:

CELLULAR: Get a prepaid cell phone if you are single!!! It's so nice to hear it ringing when you know that nobody home has the number . . . it must be the girl I met a few hours ago!

Best Way To Get Around:

CAR: Avis has the best rates for compact cars with air conditioning around US a week, comparable with cheap US rates! But you need to know how to drive STICK SHIFT!!!Parking is never a problem: 1 real (US.30) with City Official Parking Authority.

This "apart-hotel" situated in the heart of Leblon, just one block from the Leblon-Ipanema Beaches (two minutes walk). Excellent security, self-parking garage with private entrance directly to elevator. Since it's an "apart-hotel", no annoying forms or extra fees to fill out for guests. It's an Accor property, so you even get the miles!!! Do not miss the pool on the 35th floor.

Carrettao is an upscale churrasqueria (steak house) with the same quality of Porcao, but half the price. They use the "rodizio" system -- all-you-can-eat with servers that go around the restaurant from table to table with several different pieces of meat. A very nice buffet complements the broad meat choice. They have another location in Copacabana too.

This place is located in Leblon toward the end. It's a bar and restaurant. One of the few places that since its opening more than two years ago has been always on top of the list. You can go alone for a drink and enjoy the beautiful mixed crowd, or you may want to try the cusine for some tipical dish like the "Escondidinho de Camarao" (Shrimp Gumbo) or the delightful teaser "Pastel de Camarao" (Shrimp Eggroll). Not to be missed: live performance by "ElettroSamba". Credit cards always welcome.

Located on the beach main avenue in Copacabana, in front of the Othon Palace Hotel. This fair goes live every night at dawn and lasts usually until 1am. Nice place for buying shirts and local stone artifacts. Usually priced very honestly, but there is always room for some negotiations . . . Very safe place to walk by . . . of course, leave your gold Rolex at home. :-)

Leblon is considered the best area of Rio. There are few hotels and usually very few tourist. If you have been in Rio, you probably know the familiar sights of Copacabana with tons of "predator" girls (usually black) looking for that white male tourist. It's a mutual thing and if you are just looking to pay for sex, stay there!

But if you are looking for normal Brasilian people, and I am speaking also to the ladies that are reading me now, Leblon is the best place. During the day, there is a constant stream of people walking here, with very few of the above mentioned categories. The hot spot in daylight is certainly the Post Office Square. Night hot spot is the Pizzeria Guanabara. Very safe to walk, but again, do not wear your gold doorknob-size pendant. Just common sense. :-)

Rio de Janeiro has an extremely articulated terrain, with moutains and tunnels in between the city. But despites these natural obstacles, the cellular coverage is far better than in many major US cities. They use a mix of technologies: American technology -- TDMA (by ATL) and CDMA (by Vivo) -- and European tecnology -- GSM (by Oi and Tim).

Unless you are a Brasilian citizen or you have a local permanent address, you only have access to "prepaid" solutions. You may bring your US cellular phone, declare it for free at arrival custom, and have it activated on the spot in one of the many cellstores, or you can buy a brand new phone for under US$100. Airtime is aproximately USD $0.33 per minute local call. Incoming call are free (like in the rest of the world . . . the United States is the only place that charges you for receiving a call!!!). Need to make international calls? Use callback providers.

My advice?? Bring your own cell. If you do not have a spare one, usually cellphones have multiple NAM so you may program the Brasilian number on an unused one.

I know, you want to know which is the best . . . Okay: TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile) is the WORLD LARGEST Wireless provider. Surpised? (I know, I thought it too.) They use the GSM at 1800MHz so if you have a compatible phone go for it. Nextel users: Rio de Janeiro has also coverage for Nextel, so just bring your phone with you and turn it on. You will retain your US number, but if somebody calls you, that's US$2.35 per minute to receive that call!!!