Brazil

Brazil Region: South America Links: CS Group Wikipedia Wikitravel HitchWiki

Brazil is a country in South America. Brazil is the largest and most populated country in Latin America, it is also the 5th largest and most populated country in the entire world. Brazilian Portuguese is spoken, as it was the only Portuguese colony in America. Bigger than Australia. The only countries in South America that don't have borders with Brazil are Chile and Equador.

Places

Brasil is HUGE. So there are many options to choose from. You are very unlikely to see most, let alone all, of the country in only one trip. Many people only ever see the big cities of the southern states, which is nice as an opening exposure to the country. However for a more traditional "Real Brazil" experience, head to the NordEst. Don't forget to find time for the Amazon too. You can plan your own route out of infinite possibilities. Here are some of the most popular destinations:

Cristo Redentor

- Sao Paulo - As most of the flights to Brazil go directly to Sao Paulo, probably if you come, you're going to step in the city. It's the biggest city of the Southern Hemisphere, and the 3rd biggest of the world, only behind Tokyo and Mexico City. It is the business and cultural capital of Brazil. Most people only stay for one or two days, in the way to different locations. But it has got a lot to explore, great nightlife, very good museums, lots of interesting people and lots of couches to surf.

- Ceará - You can find a lot of fun in this state: Pretty beaches, hot sun and very nice people. Fortaleza, like any big city has a lot of entertainment both night and day. Some suggestions of places to visit: - Fortaleza: Mercado Central, Dragão do Mar, Catedral Metropolitana, Cine São Luís, Estátua de Iracema, Farol do Mucuripe, Feirinha da Beira Mar, Ponte Metálica, Praça do Ferreira and Theatro J. de Alencar. Other places to visit: Jericoacoara, Guaramiranga, Ubajara and Quixadá.

- Niterói - Across the Bay of Guanabara, Nikiti, as is called by local people, has the most wonderful view on the Sugar Loaf and the Corcovado Mountain. Is full of beautiful oceanic beaches and has an interesting Museum of Contemporary Arts, designed by Oscar Neimeyer.

State, Capital

South

1 Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre

2 Santa Catarina, Florianópolis

3 Paraná, Curitiba

South East

4 Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo

5 Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro

6 Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte

7 Espírito Santo, Vitória

North East

8 Bahia, Salvador

9 Sergipe, Aracaju

10 Alagoas, Maceió

11 Pernambuco, Recife

12 Paraíba, Joao Pessoa

13 Rio Grande do Norte, Natal

14 Ceará, Fortaleza

15 Piauí, Teresina

16 Maranhao, Sao Luís

17 Tocantins, Palmas

North

18 Pará, Belém

19 Amapá, Macapá

20 Roraima, Boa Vista

21 Amazonas, Manaus

22 Rondônia, Porto Velho

23 Acre, Rio Branco

West Centre

24 Mato Grosso, Cuiabá

25 Mato Grosso do Sul, Campo Grande

26 Goiás, Goiânia

Federal District, Brasília

Easy couches

CouchSurfers

There is a very active CouchSurfing group In Rio de Janeiro

Carlos is a guy that lives in Amazon, and guides tourists through the jungle. If you are going up or down the river, be sure to stop for a beer or four, and to hear some legends and facts about the region. Be sure to check his photography and extensive music collection. He may also take you for a nice bike or boat ride.

Arlene/Gabriel: they´re a nice couple who like to talk and walk around. If you´re coming to Fortaleza, Ceará, you can contact them and have dinner or visit some places together and maybe have an accomodation.

Pablo is a crazy dude who lives in São Paulo and works with the internet. Although he knows nothing about all the nature surrounding him, he'll definetely guide you to the bohemian places Rio has to offer. When in rio, shoot him a message, and let's have some fun!.

Tips and trivia

• There are almost no railways, so be prepared for long bus rides if you're budget travelling. Buses are usually very good. Yet you should compare buses ticket prices with some airlines like Gol (www.voegol.com.br) and Tam (www.tam.com.br). If you buy tickets in a couple days in advance you can get prices really close to buses tickets.
  
• People are very friendly, mainly in the North and Northeast. You may even meet someone in the bus or restaurant and be invited to surf their couch! If you think the person looks trustworthy, don't hesitate, couches and new friends are always welcome.
  
• The country is not as dangerous as many people think. But it's always good to be careful, as in any part of the world.
  
• Most of the population does not speak a language other than Portuguese, but if you have a good Spanish, that will probably help a lot.
• Films in movie theaters are usually subtitled. Usually the ones dubbed are made for kids. If you're in doubt, check for subtitled (legendado) or dubbed (dublado) on the poster or ad, usually quite visible. In video stores, movies usually have the original audio, and many times English and Spanish subtitles.
• If you are a student or under 21, you can get half price admission to almost anything from movie tickets to museum entries to concerts. If your student ID doesn't have a year or expiration date on it, try to get an international student ID before you go because a lot of places will only accept an ID with a date on it.

How to be a good guest

wikipedia:Brazil wikitravel:Brazil hitch:Brazil