Brazil - Almost Paradise - Escape From America Magazine

Brazil - Almost Paradise - Page Two: From the Network for Living Abroad Newsletter - January 2000

Brazil - Almost Paradise - Page Two

From the Network for Living Abroad Newsletter - January 2000

By Ruth Halcomb

RIO

Some people will tell you that Rio used to be much nicer, but it is still spectacular with its hills that thrust almost straight up from the water, its beaches and high-rises. It's a crowded city, with 7 million Cariocas, and about a third of them live in the favelas that cover many of the hillsides.

Rio epitomizes the Brazilian lust for life and is, of course, a mecca for tourists. It's not a bad place to work either.

Public transportation is efficient, and traffic isn't bad although pockets of pollution exist. Also, summer weather is hot and humid. You'll find books in English at Livraria Leonardo da Vinci in Edificio Marques do Herval open weekdays and until noon on Saturday. Also Livraria Siciliana, a chain with several branches. Some of the bookstores in Ipanema also have cafes.

Most middle class housing is in the zona sul, which is separated from the zona note by the mountains called Serra da Carioca. Ipanema and Leblon and the Avenida Oswaldo Cruz area of Flamengo are among the desirable areas.

Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, is a planned, easy-to-navigate city and Brazil's third largest with a population of 2.2 million. Not a tourist destination, but travelers go through it on the way to the colonial city of Ouro Preto.

Asked where he would live in Brazil if given the choice, Doug Trent of Focus Tours, replied, "In a heartbeat...Belo Horizonte." Cooler than Rio, it has brief rainstorms daily from October to February.

Curitiba, the capital of Parana. Like much of Parana, it was settled by immigrants from Italy, Germany and Poland. A planned city with a population of 1.5 million, it is one of a few places where Brazilians have been persuaded to abandon their cars for public transportation. Buses, which hold up to 400 people, stop at specially built mini-stations where passengers pay their fare before boarding. Much of the city is taken up with parks. Roger Gallo praises Curitiba in Escape from America.

When I asked Brazilians to name the places they'd most like to live, the majority mentioned Florianopolis, which is where many Brazilians vacation. The capital of Santa Caterina with a population of under 300,000 and a low crime rate, it is a city in two parts, one of which is an island which is connected to the mainland by two bridges. The island is more like a small city by itself and is the part most people prefer.

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The beaches are beautiful, and it's easy to get around on foot or by bus.

Fortaleza, the capital of Ceara, has a population of 2 million and is the
most prosperous in northeast Brazil, having been virtually rebuilt in the 70s
and 80's with tourism in mind.

FIND YOUR OWN BRAZILIAN PARADISE

It is perhaps a coincidence that the Brazilians and people who know Brazil mentioned large cities when asked about their favorite places. Brazil also has many, many smaller cities and towns. Beach or green hills, tropical or temperate, Brazil has it all.

So far Brazil hasn't been a haven for many expats or retirees from the U.S. Some might consider it too far away. However, the night flight from Miami is just long enough to get a good night's sleep, and the time difference isn't enough to cause much jet lag.

Brazil's political problems are mild compared to those in other Latin countries.

What's more, things are usually settled peacefully. As a tour guide put it, "Brazilians are lovers, not fighters. The Brazilian government would do well to ease the foreign residency requirements. The US$2,000 per month income requirement is more than enough, and puts Brazil out of reach of foreigners who could easily live there on less.

Until recently, Brazil was an expensive country. Living costs in Brazil are now considerably less than in the U.S., and household help is within the reach of many middle class families.

Norman Morrison at OceanView Tours explains that because of the current exchange rate, there has never been a better time to consider investing in property in the state of Ceara, where oceanfront properties are available at a third to a sixth of the cost in prime areas of the U.S.. Ceara has some 300 miles of great beaches.

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I visited Sao Miguel do Iguacu in Parana with a population of about 25,000, but no expats and not much English spoken. Nearby are rolling hills and farms, even some local Indians. Although there is poverty here, the local citizens have many programs to help deal with it . It's a town where everyone knows everyone else.

I also visited Campos de Jordao, which looks like a German or Swiss village, and has a population of about 45,000. There's very little English spoke here. Just three hours from Sao Paulo by bus, this is where Paulistas go to cool off or commune with nature. On the hillsides are hydrangeas and lilies of the Nile growing wild as well as some of the increasingly scarce Parana pine trees. An electric train from Campos to Santo Antonio do Pinhal is the highest in the entire country, and offers great views if the clouds don't intervene. Some 30 km further north is Krsna Shakti Ashram, which I did not visit: it is said to have spectacular scenery, a waterfall, mineral baths and vegetarian meals. Campos has some vacation homes at bargain prices beginning at about US$40,000.

ITAIPU DAM

How, you might ask, did Brazil manage to run up its enormous national debt? Some of it went to finance huge projects like Itaipu, the world's largest hydroelectric plant, a joint venture with a price tag of US$18 billion. The dam, located about 20 km from Iguacu, supplies nearly all of the electrical power used by Paraguay and about 20% of Brazil's power. Lonely Planet, Brazil notes that the concrete used here would pave a two-lane highway from Moscow to Lisbon. Building the dam did not disturb Iguacu falls, but it destroyed the world's largest waterfall (with 30 times the volume of Iguacu), and although care was taken to avoid environmental changes, the full impact is still unknown.

BRAZIL IS WIRED!

Like the U.S., Brazil is racing ahead with new technology. Internet companies are springing up and are attracting investors.

SAFETY

Despite all the warnings Brazil is probably no more dangerous than other areas of Latin America and some parts of the United States. However, it pays to be careful in all of these places. Should you go alone? I didn't. Next time, maybe I will.

Don't take valuables or anything but a small amount of money to the beach. Be especially alert in crowds and on public transportation. Avoid speaking loudly in English.

Don't wear jewelry that is or appears valuable. Wear a plastic wristwatch; carry your camera and perhaps the contents of your handbag in a simple plastic bag. Turn your fanny pack or daypack to the front of your body. Carry photocopies of your passport and just one credit card; keep money and other credit cards out of sight, and that means having your money belt carefully tucked away. Do have a small amount of cash to offer in case of a robbery. Although guns are illegal for civilian use, thieves are sometimes armed.

Watch out for private taxis, especially at the arrivals section of international airports in Brazil as well as elsewhere in Latin America.

DRUGS

Marijuana and cocaine are widely available in Brazil and are tolerated by much of the general population. However, they are illegal, and penalties for use or possession are severe.

TIPPING

Restaurants usually add in an extra 10%. So do hotels although it won't necessarily go to the person who helped you. Tip 10% to 20% in barber shops and beauty salons. Taxi drivers don't expect tips, but gas station attendants do.

MONEY

The exchange rate, which varies, was recently at 1 real to US$.50, which makes Brazil a special bargain for anyone with U.S. dollars. Hotels that cost $100 per night when the guidebooks were published are about half that now. A meal in a good restaurant can cost $10 or even less.

Larger establishments and those catering to visitors accept credit cards and travelers checks. Some also take U.S. dollars. Have Brazilian money available to take advantage of flea markets, bargains and small restaurants.

BRAZIL FOR TRAVELERS RIO

Rio has posh hotels and plenty of bargain accommodations as well. Spring or fall are good times to visit. Carnival brings throngs of tourists.

For unforgettable views, take the two-stage cable cars to the top of Sugar Loaf, about 400 meters above the city. The statue of Christ the Redeemer is atop Corcovado, a 700 meter mountain which seems to rise straight up. You can go almost to the top by cog train. For gifts and souvenirs, visit the Hippie Fair, an arts and crafts fair held every Sunday at Praca General Osorio in Ipanema.

Rio is just six hours from Sao Paulo by bus; look for the leito (executive) buses which leave at night and are very comfortable.

IGUACU FALLS

The famous falls are in the state of Parana, at the Argentine border, and are well worth seeing from both sides. The falls are surrounded by rainforest with many species of birds, wildlife and plants. The best time to visit is from August to November (during the flood season, it's harder to get close).

The nearest Brazilian town is Foz do Iguacu, accessible by plane or by bus. The bus from Sao Paulo takes 14 hours and from Rio, 21 hours. On the Argentine side, the town of Puerto Iguazu is 18 hours from Buenos Aires, Argentina.

THE AMAZON AND PANTANAL

You can travel independently, armed with guidebooks and look for an Amazon tour or you can travel with a group from the U.S..

Focus Tours offers ways to see the Amazon and participate in birding expeditions to Parana, the Amazon and environmentally responsible travel. In addition to scheduled tours, you can have an expedition designed to suit your needs. President Doug Trent lived in Brazil 10 years. Write Focus Tours, Inc. 103 Maya Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505; 505/466-4688, www.focustours.com -

THE NORTHEAST

OceanView Tours and Travel, with offices in the U.S. and in Brazil, specializes in tours to Fortaleza, Ceara, in the northeast, the second most popular beach destination in the country, which is only now being discovered by outside visitors. The coast here has blue-blue green waters backed by rolling dunes. Inland is a long chain of forested mountains, which are "similar to the Smokies...with banana trees," according to OceanView's U.S. division manager, Norman Morrison. Write OceanView Tours and Travel, 126 Mattison Road, Oxford, AL 36203; 888/229-6173, fax, 256/831-9530; or visit www.BrazilAmerica.com. In Brazil, contact Flavia OceanView Tours and Travel, Av. Sen. Virgilio Távora, 269, 60170-250 Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil; phone (085) 242-4391

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