South of Brasil

Basic information;

Emergency number:

• Police – 190

• Ambulance – 193

• Fire department – 192

• 911 & 112 will also be connected

Landcode Phone: +55

Money: Brasillian Real

Bank: in every bank you’ll have to pay a tax from €5 euro every transaction. you also have to pay your own bank for the use of youre own bankcard/debit or creditcard. best and most cheap way is take a little bit more money out of the ATM. but this also mean the risk with more money on the streets.

Embassy: its never stupid to look for the embassys from your coutry in other countrys. look for the adres, Phone number of email. its easy if something happend or if you go to a place where in no connection. Then everyone know where you are.

Busses: the country is better with busses then trains or airplanes. every city has 1 or more bus terminals with a great offer at bus tours to the whole country and even capital citys from the countrys around. Its better to just go there in the morning and look for the bus youll need, and look if you can get a better price at a other company and buy the tickets there. we payed between 15/60 euros for long tours to other citys.

City busses: the citys busses youll most of the time have to pay by cash, sometimes its possible to use a bus card. price $2,50 BRl. every bus past the terminal. if you change here your bus its free.

Trains: there are not a lot of trains. youll find in some places touristic trains, most of the time really expencive.

Metro: for the metro in brasil you can buy your tickets in the subway stations. it possible to buy tickets in front, so you dont have to be back in the line every time. the subway stations work the same as the ones in europ. the price 1 ticket is $3,80 real

Tramway VLT station Rodoviaria Rio de Janairo: with this tram its easy to go with public transportation from the harbour to flamingo beach to copacabana and more. you can buy on the stations a “bilhete unico carioco pre-pago”. the price for this card is $3 real and the minium to charge is $3,80 real. the price for 1 ticket is 3,80 real but with this you are allowed to travell 2,5 hours. one of the nice stops is the biggest gravity painting in the world and the museum of torrow ( museu do amanä )

Hotel/Hostels/campsites and lodges:

We used hostelworld, booking.com and icamping.

• Hotel: we just used one time a hotel, we made the reservation with booking.com and we did this to get a good start at our journey. from here we had just some extra luxer. But this means also that it wil cost you more money then a hostel.

• Hostels: the prices are really diverent. it depants on the season, in house by people, room and city you would like to stay. it can be from 7 to 21 euros a night, and maby even more. but what would you expect from a hostel and what can you expect?! first that it is clean, keep this as your most important because you dont like to have uninvided animals. if you dont trust it or wont like it, just reservate 1 night or first ask to get a look around. all the rest you have to take as a gift. most hostels have hot showers, sometimes with a time table. if you want a cheap room you know you are with a lot of people on a room and a saturday is a party day, if you like to have a private or less big room you have to make an reservation in front, especialy in the big citys. almost every hostel has a free breakfast this also can have a big variation, keep your idea of it low, the better it will be, expect some bread, dolce de leche, jam and coffee. sometimes cornflackes and milk or yoghurt and if you have luck some cake are ham and cheese.

• Campsites: this is the most cheap thing to do in south america. there are a lot of campsites, free campsites and private campsites and even special stops at gasstations. from our experiance its save but cold. you have to be prepared for this especialy in the south and patagonia. what can you expec?! a free campsite has no or a cold shower, no cooking area ( fire is not allowed in the wild) and no protection. a private or paid campsite ( between 2,50 to 7 euro.) has most of the time a hot shower with a time table, they have cooking areas and sometimes even a laundy area, a lot of them have wifi and protection and parking lots. on this camsites they sometimes also rent tents or lodges.

• Lodges: this whas for us also a invention. a lot of the paid campsites also rent lodges. this are rooms/smal houses for a cheap price. sometimes even more cheap then a hostel. pluspoints 24/7 hot shower and private, wifi, private room, heater and sometimes even a television and stoof. but other problem you pay for the house/room this c\is for the most times a room for 4 persons if you are alone it could be expansive. campsites are not in the city centers and theres no free breakfast included

City’s:

Rio de Janairo:

Where we stayed: this our first city we visit in our trip arount South-America. we dicided to stay here 1 week and to sleep in a hotel. we dicided to stay in Arcos Rio Palace Hotel. this is a 4 star hotel in the center of downtown Rio de Janairo. €35 euro a night. This hotel had a good price for the staying and the breakfast and close to Botafogo and Santa Teresa, with a view over the old waterbridge with the Santa Teresa train and the Rio de Janairo cathadral.

What we did, what we recommend:

There is a lot to do in Rio de Janairo.

• Cathedral: its not one of the most beautiful buildings in the city but it worth it to visit. its free.

• Beaches: of course who dont now abour the famous beaches of Rio de Janairo. go for a tourist shopping very night theres a markt on Copacobana beach. or look for some sea birds or just enjoy the sun with a fresh coconut.

• Sports: they love sports in this country, go for a beach sport or on the sunday to the marathon. and on every corner oin the city and along the beach you will find sport area’s.

• Santa Teresa train/stairs: theres a lot to do in Santa Teresa. It possible to take the old train, it leaves from the cathadral and rides for 10 minutes and over the old waterbridge in the city. price $20 BRL, in santa teresa there are a lot of old restaurants or take a look at the ruins. on you way back go to the stairs, and look for the stones from your county or make just a nice photo.

• Forte de Copacabana: this is an old fort at the Copacabana beach side. it worth to visit. go to the museum and take a nice view over water/beach and land. $8 BRL.

• Sugerloaf mountain: it worth to visit this amazing mountain between the 2 beaches. go climb to the top or take the elevator for $80 BRL ( if you dont climb back youll still have to pay for the full price, its a 2 way ticket ). with this view, and not so busy area in rio you have one of the most beautiful places in Rio de Janairo. Also for an great sunset i recommend to go here.

• Christo Redentor: who dont know this. this amazing statue in the center of the city with his face over the city to the sea. dont have to tell alot about this. but its alway really busy and try to go with the better weather other wise there not a good view. its possible to go by bus to the top or take the train, $25 BRL entrance or $60BRL entrance with a train ride. this ride worth the price, if you got luck you maby see some monkeys and if you sit on the right side up youll have the best view

• Botanical garden: go to this garden in the center of Rio. look around for toucans, monkeys, squirls, lizards and other birds. and with some luck a capibara ( in the park you can also vind this animals ). price $9BRL

• Museu do Amana: we didnt visit the museum but in the front youll find here the big sign RIO for a nice photo or take a look at the marina. And close to the boulevard olimpico.

• Boulevard Olimpico home base of de Guinness record wall of art. The biggest gravity painting in the world. Really Am must visit, its free. The colours and presision how its Made makes it and really piece of art

• Sambadrome: take a look at the famous Sambadrome. or rent a original costum and make a nice photo for $3 BRL

• Olympish city: its not possible to visit but ask a taxi driver to bring you around. its amazing how big and beautiful, and maby you have the luck that there is a concert or game going so you can enter a stadium

• Maracaná: this famous footbal stadium and basket and tennis stadium you can visit inside, but only with a tour. the price $50BRL

• Tijuca National Park: you can take a tour or ask a taxi driver. inside the park youll find a waterfall and some nice plants and a lot of birds and monkeys. this park is inside the center of the city

• Watch the beautiful sunset on one of the beaches, my preference Ipanema Beach. From mirador “Pedra do Arpoador” or “Largo do Millôr”.

• Surfing at the sunset on Ipanema beach

Soa Paulo:

Hostel: we stayed in Bee’W hostel. this hostel is right in the center of the city and easy to reach by metro. with a nice kitchen, rooftop and laundry area. unfortunlly its not allowed to bring your own drinks, and be early at the breakfast there is not a lot. but you can eat the whole day free fruit and clear water. staf is friendly and love to help. price $40 BRL a night

What we did, what we recommend: we found out that this city is more a student and workers city.

• Museum: there are a lot of museums to visit and most of them are free

• Parks: this city has a lot of nice parks go walk around when you have some beautiful weather.

• Food: youll find here a lot of bakkers, good restaurants and more interesting bar. most of them are 24 hours open. but also some good local food restaurants

• Food markets: the city has a lot of funny food markets, but they are based on tourist dont pay to mutch for some fruits, they try to let you pay.

• Japan house: this museum is in the center of the town with a incredible strange japaniche stuf to buy but also some amazing information about cooking and japanisch science.

• Sundays: on the sunday youll find some amazing street artist and a marathon on the street. it will bring the people together and sports is number one.

• Party: this is the city where you can go for a party, there are a lot of places for just a drink or a whole night out.

• Batman alley: in this alley youll find a lot of gravity art and look if you find out why its called the badman

Where we eat and drink;

• The Riviera bar e restaurant; a famous cocktail bar with Some great cocktails and good finger food

• Jiquitaia restaurant e bar; this is an local bar and restaurant with Some national dishes with an modern twist. And they also have a great menu of drinks and cocktails

• A casa do Porco bar; ill would recomend everyone to go here for an dinner, make sure you Made an reservation. Every thing youll eat here is great. Finger food and big dishes. And they even give you the option to choose wat part of the pork you would like to eat.

Foz Do Iguaçu

Hostel: hostel poesia, we stayed for 4 days in foz do iquaçu, the brasilian side of the waterfalls. this hostel was the most possitive hostel in our journey, they had a great selection of breakfast, nice quit area, and easy to get here by the bus. they have a movie room, bar and balkony, computers to use and in de area some supermarktes and pizzarias. its only not allowed to bring your own drinks. price € 10 euros a night. they offer cheap tours to the waterfalls bought side. and if you wants ask if they now tours to bonito or panatal.

What we did, what we recommend:

• Ofcourse the most famous thing to do here is the Foz Do Iquaçu waterfalls, this amazing falls will blow your mind and when you walk in the nature park dont miss the idea of beeing watch. if you got luck youll maby see a jaguar, coatis, snakes, lizards or monkeys. there are a lot of beautiful plants and animals living next to this worlds massive falls. entrance price €25 euro

• Paraguay is nearby. there is a bus going from the city to Paraguay price $5 BRL. the bus goes to Cuidad del Este, you dont have to go to the embassy if you stay inside 30km to the border of brasil, but a nice stamp is fun for your passport. go cheap shopping here!

• Triple frontier: yoou can visit easy all of the tree monuments who connect the 3 countries. Brasil, Argentina and Paraguay.

• Go to the Argentina side of the waterfalls.

• Its possible to arrange here your trip to Bonito or Panatal. ( also from the hostel they sell trips and they have tips)