Adequacy front page
Stories Diaries Polls Users
Google

Web Adequacy.org
Home About Topics Rejects Abortions
This is an unofficial archive site only. It is no longer maintained. You can not post comments. You can not make an account. Your email will not be read. Please read this page or the footnote if you have questions.
 Travel advice

 Author:  Topic:  Posted:
Mar 25, 2002
 Comments:
I'm going on a business trip to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil next week and will be gone about 10 days. If anyone knows the city, I'd welcome your advice about two issues.
diaries

More diaries by hauntedattics
Why boys are better than girls
Terrorism in the PRC
I am so completely enamored...
My New Heroine
Where is he???
Now I May Have Seen Everything
Stranger in paradise
Vandalism in the PRC
Fun with fatties
An announcement
1. Security - how safe is it as a female traveling alone?

2. Fun - what should I do after work or over the weekend, taking into consideration #1?

As sophisticated and urbane people with considerable world experience, I know I can count on you. Thanks in advance.




Assuming you are American... (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by dmg on Mon Mar 25th, 2002 at 11:43:56 AM PST
As a frequent business traveller, I think Brazil could be quite dangerous for you. Here's what I do whenever I get sent somewhere new.

Start with our government's own advice.

Kidnapping is the main threat in Latin America. KIDNAPPING: A LATIN AMERICAN GROWTH INDUSTRY

From the State Department site: Rio de Janeiro: The city continues to experience a high incidence of crime. Tourists are particularly vulnerable to street thefts and robberies on and in areas adjacent to all the main beaches in the city. Walking on the beaches themselves is very dangerous at night. In Rio de Janeiro, motorists are allowed to treat stoplights as stop signs between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. to protect against holdups while their cars are stopped. All incidents should be reported to the tourist police, who can be reached at 511-5112.

Basically what I do is, check into an expensive hotel in the business district, and essentially stay in it, until it's time to go home. Most modern hotels have airconditioning and cable TV, its as comfortable as being at home. I even do this when I stay in Chicago, so its not like it's that much different to being in the USA. Take a laptop with some DVDs and games to keep you entertained.

Since it's a business trip, perhaps its wise to get some help from people who know about this sort of thing. I tend to prefer Kroll, but CRG have a good reputation as well. After all, the beauty of Capitalism is that you can pay someone to worry on your behalf.

You might also want to check the safty record of the Airline you intend to use.

On a personal note, perhaps you might also want to consider the ethics of doing business with such a corrupt country: About half of all Brazilians are black, and they make, on average, about half of what the whites make. In Brazil, nearly one-fifth of the population is illiterate. The country also has one of the world's most disparate income distributions: 60 percent of the national wealth is possessed by one percent of the population, with maybe 50 percent of the population living in poverty. Since World War II, the purchasing power of Brazil's minimum wage has been cut in half. Because of widespread inefficiency and corruption, only 8 percent of the government's social spending reaches the poorest of the population

Enjoy your trip, and above all - Have Fun !

time to give a Newtonian demonstration - of a bullet, its mass and its acceleration.
-- MC Hawking

 
My advise is to (none / 0) (#2)
by Anonymous Reader on Mon Mar 25th, 2002 at 03:20:26 PM PST
carry a gun with you at all times.

Street thugs (especially in Brazil) don't respect you unless you're packing heat.




 
2nd Hand Advice (none / 0) (#3)
by jvance on Mon Mar 25th, 2002 at 03:28:16 PM PST
A friend of mine has managed to duck, for more than a year now, getting sent to São Paulo. I'll give you the advice he was given. Stay in the affluent parts of the city. Don't stray into the barrios, and never under any circumstances leave the city.
--
Adequacy has turned into a cesspool consisting of ... blubbering, superstitious fools arguing with smug, pseudointellectual assholes. -AR

 
Hello, (none / 0) (#4)
by derek3000 on Tue Mar 26th, 2002 at 01:14:06 PM PST
I have no evidence to refute what anyone else here is saying. My honest advice would be to go to Lonely Planet and look up Brazil. They usually have a shitload of info on just about anywhere you would want to go.


----------------
"Feel me when I bring it!" --Gay Jamie

 

All trademarks and copyrights on this page are owned by their respective companies. Comments are owned by the Poster. The Rest ® 2001, 2002, 2003 Adequacy.org. The Adequacy.org name, logo, symbol, and taglines "News for Grown-Ups", "Most Controversial Site on the Internet", "Linux Zealot", and "He just loves Open Source Software", and the RGB color value: D7D7D7 are trademarks of Adequacy.org. No part of this site may be republished or reproduced in whatever form without prior written permission by Adequacy.org and, if and when applicable, prior written permission by the contributing author(s), artist(s), or user(s). Any inquiries are directed to legal@adequacy.org.