Rio & the Best of Brazil

By Greenberg and Arnold

Sightseeing; places to stay and eat; Scuba diving snorkelling; rainforest tours; Carnival fun; ...and much more! With over 30 miles of white sandy beaches and the world's most celebrated carnival, Rio is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hunter Publishing
• Release date: Mar 15, 2008
• ISBN: 9781588436573

Book preview

Rio & the Best of Brazil Alive

Arnold & Harriet Greenberg

Hunter Publishing, Inc.

HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC.

www.hunterpublishing.com

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IN CANADA:

Ulysses Travel Publications

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© 2010 Arnold & Harriet Greenberg

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This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain elements of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim any responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accuracy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and hereby disclaim, any liability for loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, misleading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.

Introduction

The People

Faiths

Catholicism

Macumba

Language

Sign Language

Tastes of Brazil

Food

Drinks

A Capsule History

The 1800s

The Republic of Brazil

Modern Brazil

Geography

The South

The Southeast

The Northeast

The Central-West

The North

National Holidays

Brazilian Gemstones

Travel Information

Getting There

Customs

Getting Ready

Entry Requirements

Entry/Exit Card

Health Concerns

Travelers With Disabilities

Weather

Packing

Traveler’s Potpourri

Airlines

Consulates

Departure Taxes

Electricity

Money Matters

Telephones

Time Zones

Rio de Janeiro

Arrival

Getting To Your Hotel

Getting Around Town

Rio Traveler’s Potpourri

Airlines

Bookstores

Banks

Traveler’s Checks

ATMs

Key Streets

Music Shop

Newspapers

Pharmacies

Photographic Resources

Postal Services

Internet Access

Tourist Information

Orientation

Some Background

Neighborhoods

Zona Norte

Centro

Zona Sul

Zona West

Sunup to Sundown

Beaches (Praias)

Guanabara Bay

Atlantic Ocean Beaches

More Sea & Sand

Paquetá Island

Cruising in Guanabara Bay

Mountain Landmarks

Corcovado Mountain

Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pão de Acúcar)

A Walking Tour of Centro

Sidetrip to Fiscal Island

Sightseeing

Santa Teresa

Museums

Street Fairs

Parks & Gardens

Botanical Gardens

Zoological Gardens

Theme Parks

Active Sports

Spectator Sports

Tours

City Tours

Adventure & Ecological Tours

Special Events

Carnaval

Carnaval Today

Carnaval Balls

Samba School Parades

Best Places to Dine

Dining Advice & Etiquette

The Alive Restaurant Scale

Portuguese

French

Italian

Seafood

Churrascarias

Ethnic & Eclectic

Japanese & Sushi

Traditional Bahian Restaurants

Lighter Fare

Botequims & Botecos

Vegetarian & Salad Bars

Juice Bars

Ice Cream (Sorvete)

Best Places to Stay

Hotel Price Scale

Hotels

Long-Term Stays

Rio After Dark

THE MUSIC

Samba Shows

Beyond the Clubs

Nightlife 101

Event Listings

Night Life Centers

Night Clubs & Music

Bars & Pubs

Gay & Lesbian Hangouts

Clubs That Cater to Men

Concert Halls

Classical & Cultural Venues

Cinema

Samba School Rehearsals

Attending a Macumba Service

Shops & Shopping

Shopping Tips

Customs Regulations

Shopping Venues

Shopping Centers

Rio’s Best Shops

Jewelry

Swimwear

Handcrafts & Folklore Shops

Resort Wear

Lingerie

Shoes & Leather Goods

Sports Gear & Clothing

Gift Shops

Art Galleries

Coffees & Cachaças

Books & Music

Day Trips

Petrópolis

Places to Stay & Eat

Getting Here

Búzios

Sunup to Sundown

Pousadas & Hotels

Dining Spots

After Dark

Getting Here

The Best of Brazil

Destinations to Consider

Getting Around

Manaus

A Brief History

Getting Here

Packing For The Amazon

Exploring Manaus

Exploring The Amazon

Hotels

In Manaus

Jungle Lodges – Barges

Longer Tour Options

Restaurants

Iguaçu Falls

Getting Here

Tourist Information

Exploring the Brazilian Side

Exploring The Argentinean Side

Hotels

Restaurants

Brasília

Getting Here

Getting Around

Tourist Information

Climate

Exploring Brasília

Hotels

Restaurants

Shopping

Salvador

Getting Here

Exploring Upper City

Exploring Lower City

Forts

Beach Areas

A Day-Trip to Itaparica Island

Salvador’s Three Cs

Candomblé

Capoeira

Carnaval

Hotels

Restaurants

Recife & Olinda

An Orientation

Getting Here

Climate

Exploring Recife

Exploring Olinda

Beaches

Beach Towns

Scuba Diving

Hotels

Restaurants

Shopping

The Pantanal

Climate & Time Zone

Cuiabá & The Northern Pantanal

Getting Here

Exploring Cuiabá

Hotels

Restaurants

Day-Trip

Chapada dos Guimaraes

Reliable Local Tour Operators

Campo Grande & The Southern Pantanal

Getting Here

Exploring The South

Day-Trip

Bonito

Reliable Local Tour Operators

São Paulo

Some Background

Getting Here

Getting Around

Weather & Clothing

Exploring Centro

Ethnic São Paulo

The Financial District

Jardims

Hotels

Restaurants

Introduction

Cariocas (residents of Rio) love to say that God created the world in six days and on the seventh day he outdid himself and created Rio. Once you’ve been here, you might agree. Rio is a unique city and your vacation here will be different than any other vacation you’ve ever taken. It takes just a short time for your inner clock to slow down, for you to unwind and forget the scores of things you left undone, for your feet and spirit to begin to move to a different beat.

There are other wonderful cities in the world – New York, Paris, Hong Kong to name a few. Each has a special quality that sets it apart. Rio is a combination of what nature and man have wrought.

Nature has certainly been kind to the city. Guanabara Bay, on which the city was founded, is a definite 10 on any rating scale. Tiny islands dot the blue water and its graceful curve is marked by inlets and coves. Stretching westward are over 30 miles of beachfront – thick, white sandy beaches as fine as those on any Caribbean island. The weather is first rate all year.

It is the Cariocas, however, that have taken these fine raw materials and transformed them into the city you see today. Their love of the sun, sand and the good life forced Rio to expand from the narrow confines of the bay along the Atlantic coast, where they established what we call the beach communities. Over the years, these have become the most important residential and commercial areas of the city. They are also the most interesting areas for visitors to explore. It is the Cariocas themselves who flock to the beaches and restaurants, shout themselves hoarse at soccer matches and dance till dawn at fabulous night spots. It is the Cariocas, too, that have created the most celebrated Carnaval in the world. The hotels – which are for the most part unobtrusive (no Miami Beach strip here) and dotted throughout the city – are the Cariocas’ way of welcoming you to join them in their love of their city and of life.

Any city, no matter how overwhelming, is a reflection of the nation of which it is a part. Brazil is a fascinating mix of three distinctive cultures, European, African and Indian. Founded and colonized by the Portuguese in the early 1500s, the earliest settlers mixed with the indigenous Indians, who are believed to have numbered one million souls. Gradually, much of the Indian culture was lost (except in the midst of the vast Amazon Basin) as it was absorbed into that of the Portuguese. In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, an event took place that was crucial to the development of Brazil. Large numbers of slaves were brought to Brazil to work on the sugar plantations. They brought with them the culture, religious practices and mores of Northwest Africa. Rather than being absorbed by the Portuguese, their culture blended with it and so the culture of Brazil is a hybrid one. The slaves also gave the country its distinctive hue and beat. Although nominally a Roman Catholic country, millions of Brazilians are guided, in ways small and large, by the African religions Macumba (Rio) and Candomblé (Bahia). These religions are complete with saints (aligned with Christian ones), ceremonies and houses of worship called terreiros. Some of the mediums through which the rites are expressed have become known worldwide.

The African influence is also apparent in the foods of Brazil. Traditional dishes use shellfish, coconuts, sweet potatoes and manioc flour. The Portuguese introduced meats and chicken, while gauchos in southern Brazil contributed the grilled meats that tie Brazil to its southern neighbors, Uruguay and Argentina.

Modern immigration, starting in the mid-19th century, has brought Italians, Germans and Japanese in large numbers, and many Jews fled to Brazil from Europe as Hitler came to power.

Brazilian architecture has left its mark on both Brazil and the world. Oscar Niemeyer, one of Brazil’s most famous architects, is best known for his design of United Nations headquarters in New York. Here in Brazil, he is known as the moving force and architect of Brasília, the futuristic capital in the interior of the country. The Contemporary Art Museum in Niterói is a stunning example of his work.

Until Brasília was built in 1960, Río was the capital of the country. Far from the city being diminished by losing this special status, it has continued its growth and expansion. It remains the mecca for Brazilians and foreign visitors alike.

Brazilian government is based on the American model and since 1985 it has been ruled by a civilian president. For the previous 20 years it had been ruled by military leaders. Brazil owes its freedom to Napoleon, of all people, for it was Napoleon who in 1808 forced the Portuguese King Dom João VI and 15,000 nobles to flee from Portugal to this colony. He Europeanized the colony and brought it new wealth. After Napoleon’s defeat, Dom João VI returned to Portugal, leaving his son, Dom Pedro in charge. A year later Dom Pedro proclaimed Brazil’s independence and became its emperor. This did not sit well with his father or the Portuguese parliament, and he was eventually forced to resign in favor of his son, who became Emperor Dom Pedro II. A popular leader, he encouraged education and opened Brazil’s doors to new immigrants. These newcomers brought important skills that Brazil lacked. Emperor Dom Pedro II’s rule came to an abrupt halt when, in 1889, his daughter declared emancipation for the slaves. She neglected to provide compensation for the slave owners, who led a revolt against the Emperor. The country became a republic on November 15, 1889.

You can spend your entire vacation in Rio and have a terrific time – most people do. But if time permits and if you enjoy variety in your travel experiences you should plan to visit other parts of this vast country. In the Best of Brazil section, we have selected other places of interest in all parts of the country. See The Brazil Airpass callout for details about getting around Brazil.

Whatever your time frame, Brazil is a special place and Brazilians are a warm and generous people. Enjoy your stay in Rio and wherever else time permits you to visit.

Boa Viagem!

The People

Brazil’s indigenous people were Indians, who numbered about one million when the Portuguese arrived. When sugar plantations were established, Indians were forced into slave labor. Some fled to the interior of the country and into the Amazon region, where a few isolated tribes still exist. Although the Portuguese settled in the region in the largest numbers, there were small pockets of French Huguenots and Dutch settlements in the northeast. Many Africans were brought to Brazil as slaves. They worked on the sugar plantations and then on coffee plantations. By the 19th century, blacks far outnumbered Europeans. Intermarriage created a population that is a blend of all three cultures. Many Brazilians are brown-skinned.

Modern immigration began in the mid-19th century with Italians, Spanish and Germans arriving in large numbers. Japanese, too, arrived in such quantities that São Paulo is currently home to the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan.

Before World War II, large numbers of European Jews arrived in Brazil just ahead of Nazi armies. Today, while Europeans dominate the economic structure, it is the African culture that has had the most influence on Brazil’s music, foods and religions.

Figas

A clenched fist good luck charm with the thumb extended between the second and third fingers, the figa, came to Brazil with African slaves in the 17th century. It is carved from wood or precious stones and can be worn on a chain or as earrings, or it can be large enough to sit on a desk. To bring good luck, a figa must be a gift.

Faiths

Catholicism

Officially, Brazil is a Catholic country with the largest Catholic community in the world. It was one of the first countries visited by Pope John Paul II, who spoke to thousands at Maracaná Stadium. All the fabulous churches, monasteries and convents in Rio’s historic quarter and throughout the city are Catholic, with the earliest ones built by the Franciscan, Benedictine and Carmelite orders. In recent years, Evangelical churches have become increasingly popular. Usually small and simply furnished, they appeal to many in poorer sections of the city who want a more personal relationship with Jesus. There are churches for Protestant denominations such as Baptists, Anglicans, Methodists and Lutherans. And there is a vibrant Jewish community in the city with synagogues in Botafogo and Copacabana. There are several mosques, Greek and Russian Orthodox Churches and a Buddhist temple.

Macumba

While Catholics continue to practice their traditional faith, millions of them also take part in ceremonies and rites of another faith. Macumba is the general term that Cariocas use to describe two types of African spirit worship: Candomblé (practiced in the state of Bahia) and Umbanda (a newer form that originated in Rio). Macumba, like most things in the new world, came from another continent and culture. It originated with African slaves in the 1550s, who continued to worship their gods, called orixás, when they arrived in Brazil.

Macumba’s survival in Brazil is a history of adaptation. Suppressed by both slave owners and the Catholic Church, the faith went underground and secret ceremonies were held on beaches and in the forests. While the country had many religions in the 16th century, slave owners prohibited slaves from practicing their African form of worship, so the slaves incorporated their beliefs into the spirits and rites of the Catholic Church. The faiths merged. The god Exú became St. Anthony, Iemanjá became Our Lady of Glory, Oxalá became Jesus Christ and Oxumare became St. Bartholomew. So while slaves outwardly followed the Catholic faith, they secretly practiced their African beliefs until they were freed in 1888. They summoned their gods with their drums, which they were permitted to use.

Although Umbanda, Candomblé and Macumba share the same set of beliefs, their rites and ceremonies differ from one terreiro (house of worship) to another. There are many orixás (gods), each with its own rituals, colors and habits. Each person has an orixá that attends to his needs from his birth to his death. To discover one’s personal orixá, a ceremony is held in which a medium (called a cavalo, a pãe or mãe do santo, the saint’s parents) throws a handful of shells and reads their message. There are male and female orixás, and some that switch gender. Food is offered to orixás to keep them happy and they are summoned by singing, chanting, drumming and perfume. The believer, now possessed by the orixá, goes into a trance, starts talking in tongues, and adopts the voice, movements and personality of the orixá. Ceremonies are held in the Yoruba language.

CULTURALLY CURIOUS

The god Exú acts as a messenger between other gods and the human world. Having both human and animal characteristics, he is often shown with a horn and an erect penis. Not understood by the traditionalists, he was labeled the devil.

Some terreiros allow non-believers to attend ceremonies. Check the Rio After Dark section for details.

Macumba & New Year’s Eve

December 31st is a special time to be in Rio, especially on Copacabana Beach. At midnight, fireworks fill the sky, rising from platforms in the ocean between Leme and Copacabana Fort. Huge crowds gather for the spectacle.

But what makes New Year’s Eve special in Rio starts earlier in the day when adherents of the Afro-Brazilian faiths – candomblé, umbanda and macumba – stakeout places on the beach and begin making sand altars. By late afternoon you’ll hear the sound of drums and you’ll see men and women, all dressed in white, gathering to be blessed by mediums.

As fireworks soar overhead, worshippers wade into the ocean carrying large bouquets of white flowers. Others fill small blue and white boats with offerings such as champagne, perfume and costume jewelry and send them out to sea. They hope that their gift is accepted and that Iemanjá will bless them for the next year. Rejected items, washed back to shore, litter the sand on New Year’s Day. After midnight, roving bands start playing samba music that heralds the start of pre-Carnaval season in earnest. It’s an event you’ll always remember.

Language

Portuguese is the national language since it was Portugal that colonized the country in 1532 and ruled it till independence was declared in 1822.

Surprisingly, English rather than Spanish, is Brazil’s second language, even though all of Brazil’s neighbors are Spanish-speaking. Only in southern Brazil is Spanish the second language. English is taught in secondary schools and most educated Brazilians speak it. At the better hotels, restaurants and shops, the staff will include some English speakers, and it is not too difficult to navigate Rio and Brazil’s other urban centers using only English.

Some Rio residents speak Spanish, too, so if you can speak that language and you have exhausted your English, try it. However, be forewarned that Brazilians resent visitors assuming they are Spanish-speaking. Every region of the country has its own intonation and Rio’s Portuguese is more guttural than São Paulo’s.

Sign Language

Cariocas use a thumbs-up signal constantly. It can mean tudo bem (everything is fine), it can mean okay, and can even mean hello or goodbye. It’s always accompanied by a wide smile.

Tastes of Brazil

Food

Brazil is a vast country. Its land mass encompasses a huge variety of vegetation zones and climates. So it is not a surprise to find a smorgasbord of cuisines and regional dishes as well.

Dishes

Dishes from the north and the Amazon Rainforest show Indian influences in the use of local fruits, vegetables and animals, as well as freshwater fish, including piranhas.

Dishes from the less verdant interior around Minas Gerais use lots of pork, plus vegetables and beans that grow in the area.

Two broad types of food define Brazilian cuisine. The first is the traditional dishes from the state of Bahia and the northeast region of the country. These regions had the largest sugar plantations and thus the largest number of African slaves. With meat a rare commodity, traditional Bahian dishes use lots of fish and shellfish, coconuts, rice (arroz), black beans (feijão) and farofa (from the root vegetable manioc) served browned with onions or bacon, or ground into flour. It’s an acquired taste.

Here are some of the most common dishes found on Bahian menus:

•  Canja is a soup that is thick with vegetables and pieces of chicken.

•  Acarajé (ah-cahr-ah-jay) is like falafel. Diced shrimp, peppers and tomato sauce, called vatapa, are enclosed in a coating of brown beans and onions, then fried.

TIP: Avoid eating acarajé fried in dendé (palm oil). Your cardiologist will appreciate it.

•  Empanados feature ground beef (chicken or crab), vegetables, olives and eggs enclosed in pastry dough and then fried. Empanadas in Spanish.

•  Moqueca (moh-keck-ah) is a fish stew using coconut milk, lime juice, spicy peppers and onions in the sauce. It’s traditionally cooked in a clay pot.

•  Xinxim (jin-jim) de galinha is a chicken dish with chunks of meat marinated in garlic and lemon.

•  Frango com arroz is comprised of chicken, rice, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs and olives. It’s rather like paella without the shell fish.

•  Feijoada is Brazil’s national dish. It is a mixture of stewed meat (beef, pork, sausage) cooked in a spicy sauce and served with black beans, cabbage and farofa (a grain made from manioc). It is traditionally served for lunch on Saturday and on holidays.

In Brazil’s smaller southern region, descendants of German, Italian and Swiss immigrants have retained many old-world customs and national dishes. But menus here, as well as in Rio, reflect the country’s status as one of the world’s biggest producers and exporters of beef. They also reflect the fact that Brazilians love red meat, usually eating it for both lunch and dinner. Churrascarias (restaurants serving churrasco, or red meat) are the most popular eateries in the city, and Cariocas frequent them to celebrate family occasions, for business lunches, and to enjoy holiday dinners.

THE CUT

There are an incredible number of cuts of beef and many ways to prepare them, but the most common is to season them with rock salt and cook them over open fires using charcoal or wood. Sometimes they are cooked and served on elongated spits. The picanha (pih-cahn-yah) cut is a Brazilian favorite, but there are filet mignons, top sirloins and baby beef cuts as well.

Beef in Brazil is very lean. Picanha is fattier, and it’s what most Brazilians prefer. In Argentina, very lean baby beef is the top choice.

Portuguese specialties such as codfish with onions and tomatoes remain a perennial favorite, and sushi is enormously popular.

Fruits

Brazilian fruits are exceptional. The pineapples here (abacaxi, pronounced ah-bah-cahshi) are so juicy and sweet that they hardly resemble those from Hawaii. Other fruits include mamão (muh-MOW, papaya), melancia (meh-LAAN-seeyah, watermelon) and manga (MAHN-gah, mango). Fruit juices are extremely popular here, and juice bars often offer over 50 different fruits from which to choose.

Drinks

Cafezinho is the most popular drink. It’s an espresso-size cup of thick black Brazilian coffee served with spoonfuls of sugar. Guaraná is a sweet fruit-based carbonated soft drink that is more popular than cola. American carbonated beverages are also consumed here. They are bottled in South America.

Bars and botequims (larger bars) are crowded from early afternoon till well into the night and beer is the overwhelming drink of choice. Unlike in the US, where beer is commonly consumed right from the bottle or can, draft beer (called Chopps) is more common. The most popular brands, Brahma and Antarctica, are available in bottles and cans as well.

You can’t leave Rio without savoring the national cocktail, caipirinha (ky-peareen-yah), a refreshing drink that packs a wallop. It has diced lime, sugar (although you can request it without) and ice cubes. The alcohol is usually cachaça, a sugar cane-based brew, although you can substitute vodka, making the drink a caipiroska. New blends include passion fruit, strawberry and grape in place of the lime.

The foods and drinks we mention above are typical, but restaurants serve all kinds of cuisines, from burgers to sushi. Enjoy!

A Capsule History

Almost the size of the United States (3.6 million square miles for the US versus 3.2 square miles for Brazil) this mammoth country embraces half the land mass of South America.

Discovered in 1500 by Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral, Brazil’s first settlement was Salvador, today in the state of Bahia. In January, two years later, a Portuguese ship sailed into Guanabara Bay. Thinking it was a river, they named it Rio de Janeiro (January River).

The land was densely forested so lumber became the primary export until it was superseded by a growing sugar market. Huge plantations were established and marauding groups of bandeirantes (mixed Portuguese and Indian men) supplied the plantations with Indian laborers. When the numbers did not prove to be enough, blacks were imported from Africa. The Portuguese, Indians and Africans intermarried freely, thus creating Brazil’s brown-skinned population of today. For most of the 17th century, Brazil was the world’s largest supplier of sugar. It was during this time that a wealthy elite emerged.

As the bandeirantes traversed the interior in search of Indian labor, they went as far west as the Andes and well into the Amazon Basin, in effect creating boundaries for the Portuguese colony. New sources of wealth emerged. Diamonds, colored gemstones, rubber and coffee were noteworthy, but it wasn’t until gold was discovered that the population exploded. The gold rush created boom towns that boasted gold-laden Baroque churches. Since the most direct route to Lisbon was overland to Rio and then by sea to Portugal, the port and the population of Rio grew and by the early 1600s the population numbered over 3,000. The settlement expanded along the waterfront (today’s downtown) and in 1763, Rio was named the capital of Brazil.

The 1800s

Napoleon’s rise to power was a turning point in the country’s history. As his armies advanced on Lisbon in 1807, Prince Regent