Hi mrpapy,

I am a brazilian from Rio and these are what I think you should stick to:

- Stay away from Copacabana, specially at night. Unless you are with a local.
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Get travel insurance for you and your gear
- Did I mention get travel insurance for you and your gear ?
- Don't use public transport, rent a car. Expect to tip a kid/bloke every time you park...
- Stay away from favelas, even though they are "pacified"
- I used to live in Leblon and this is a nice neighbourhood, try to stay there.
- Don't carry "I am a tourist signs" as much as possible.
- Do carry a bit of cash, not much. Purchase things with credit card.
- People in Rio are known to be very friendly, some people take advantage of that to pretend they are nice....Don't trust everybody blindly.
- Go to "Praia do Pepe" (E - NE winds) to kite and see the most beautiful brazilian girls.
- Go to Buzios.
- Visit the Southern states of Brazil if you can ( Santa Catarina, specially Florianopolis. About 10-12 hours from Rio )
- Go to Angra dos Reis (about 3 hours from Rio), if you manage to find a friend with a boat.
- Learn a bit of Portuguese, not everybody speaks english

Have fun :)

gawker.com/check-out-this-horrifying-brazilian-testicle-mascot-490513884

MRPAPY said...
thanks so much for all the details fcalmon. interesting about Copacabana so far everything i read on touristy websites says it is safe and recommended for back packers. Lucky i checked on seabreeze :) Ill definantly try to make a trip to Santa Catarina as well.
What are the roads like for driving if i hire a car? is there a lot of traffic/busy roads? Is the main kite spot barra de Tijuca in rio? Is it another name for Praia de pepe?
thanks again.

to Santa Catarina I wouldn't drive, fly and rent a car there. In Rio, I've been away for 8 long years and I didn't kite back then, from what I know barra is the place on E/NE, on SW I heard Leblon is the go.

Roads are pretty busy and drivers are nowhere as nice as around here. Praia do pepe is just a name for part of barra da Tijuca where the kite/windsurf spot is. About Copacabana go on daytime and if you go at night time stick to Atlantica ave (Beach) and go in a group