Brazil Guide FINAL:BRAZIL 3 19/9/09 17:35 Page 29
29
BRAZIL: The Knowledge
CRUISE SHIPS
with the front desk of the hotel or the owner The US dollar and increasingly the Euro are
Brazil is one of the main areas of the world
of the house or apartment. Not all of Brazil is the most widely accepted foreign
for cruising and Rio is a prime port of call,
127 volts, Salvador and Manaus, for example, currencies. In the main cities there is little
especially at Carnival time. Besides Rio
are, while Recife and Brasília are 220 volts. problem in changing other currencies, such
popular ports of call include Manaus, Belém,
as pounds. There is also an extensive
Fortaleza, Recife, Salvador and Vitória.
GUIDE BOOKS
network of ATMs at which visitors can use
Most of the major guidebook series publish
their cash or credit cards to withdraw reais.
CUSTOMS & IMMIGRATION
titles that cover Brazil. Many also produce a
At immigration non-Brazilians will have their
separate guide for Rio. A selection of the
Most major international credit cards are
passport, visa (if required) and any other
guides will be found in most good book
accepted in Brazil. The most widely
immigration formalities checked. Like most
stores in the UK. If not they can be ordered
accepted are MasterCard and Visa. The
airports, the airports in Brazil have separate
over the Internet at sites such as
majority of the major banks are Brazilian,
lines for national passport holders and
www.amazon.co.uk or
but many foreign banks have an agreement
foreign visitors. Foreign passport holders
www.stanfords.co.uk.
with one or more of the major players.
should make sure they get their passports
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
stamped. Visitors who miss getting the
HEALTH & INSURANCE
As well as the national public holidays
stamp will have to get clearance from the
Brazil has an excellent network of private
listed, individual states and cities also have
Federal Police to leave the country.
hospitals in the major metropolitan areas.
Private medical care is expensive, so it is
their own separate holidays. National
DRESS
advisable that visitors take out medical and
Holidays: 1 January (New Year’s Day);
Brazilians, even in the major cities, dress
travel insurance prior to their arrival.
February/March (Carnival); Good Friday;
casually outside the office. None of the top
21 April (Tiradentes); 1 May (Labour Day);
restaurants insist on collar and tie, although
LANGUAGE Corpus Christi; 7 September (Independence
the occasional club does. Collar and tie still
The language of Brazil is Portuguese. Day); 12 October (Our Lady of Aparecida);
predominate in formal office and business
Spanish and English are the most widely 2 November (All Souls Day); 15 November
surroundings in São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro
understood foreign languages. (Proclamation of the Republic); 25 December
and Brasília.
(Christmas Day).
MEDIA
DRINK
There are no locally published English- RAILWAYS
The legal age to purchase alcoholic
language newspapers in Brazil, but foreign Brazil has only 17,500 miles of railways
beverages in Brazil is 18. Brazil produces or
newspapers and periodicals are not difficult compared to over one million miles of roads.
imports most of the major international
to find in Rio and São Paulo. Hotels have The passenger rail network in Brazil is
brands. Brazilian beer is a light lager that is
satellite or cable television offering original extremely limited and not a viable option for
served in draught form (chopp) or bottled.
language programming from the US and travelling around the country, although there
The national drink is cachaça, made from
Europe and the main news channels such as are a number of scenic routes.
crushed sugar cane, which is the basis of
the BBC, CNN, etc.
RESTAURANTS
the popular caipirinha. Soft drinks are
MONEY, BANKS & CREDIT
Eating out is one of the many joys of visiting
equally popular including Brazil’s own
CARDS
Brazil. Brazilians enjoy their food and eating
Guaraná. Brazil is, of course, the world’s
out is often the main focus of the evening.
largest coffee producer.
The Brazilian monetary unit is the real,
(plural, reais). There are 100 centavos (C) to
ELECTRICAL CURRENT
Brazil offers a huge diversity of culinary
the real (R$). The official exchange rate is
delights and influences including a wide
In Rio and São Paulo, the current is 127 volts
published daily in the newspapers.
variety of regional culinary styles, most
(60 cycles) but many of the larger hotels
notably those of Bahia and Minas Gerais.
offer 220 volts. If there is any doubt, check
There is a clear influence in the cuisine of
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32