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Rio de Janeiro , Manaus , Tabatinga


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Travel time: December 02.
1€ = 3.2Real

Traveling in Brazil is easy and best by plane because of its huge size.

Cash money or TC from foreign counties can only be changed at Banco do Brasil or exchange booths.

Some ATM`s excepting EC-cards from European countries for cashing 700R maximum.

Rio de Janeiro
Buses inside the city generally costs 1.30 ordinary and 1.50R with air-condition.

Bus company Real takes you from the international airport to the city center, airport S.Dumont or one of many hotels in town for 5R only. So ask for a place to stay at the helpful information desk at the ground floor of arrival (next to coffee-bar) before you enter the bus. They might drop you just in front of your hotel :-))
The buses leaves at the right end outside the arrival building at the sign "Spezial bus". Tickets will be sold on the bus.
Don`t believe the taxi drivers telling you others :-!

Hotel Atlantis Copacabana*** at Rue Bulhoes de Carvalho 61, tel.: 021-25211142 has rates for single, double, triple for 235, 280, 370R and with "promocion" 150, 180R including breakfast for single, double. The respectable rooms are clean, have own bathroom, air-condition, TV, minibar, deposit box on request and the English speaking staff is helpful.
A sunroof, a sauna and a 3x4 meter pool are on the top of the building overlooking Ipanema which is only 200 meter away and 500 meters to Copa. A gasoline station around the corner sells drinks on weekend too till late and coming from the airport with the "Spezial bus" Real they drop you just in front if you ask for.
Highly recommendable. Map

Beaches:
Copa has beach with fine sand, little surf, lots of kiosks at the promenade open till late serving food and drinks and here is best nightlife too with its discos and restaurants.
Ipa has fine sand too and much better surf than Copa but no nightlife and the kiosk at the promenade closing at 10PM. The only restaurant near the waterfront is bistro Barril 1800 at Av. Vieira Souto 1800.
The main road on both beaches is closed on Sunday for all traffic.

Surf shops are on Rue Francisco Otaviano 64 (connection between Copa and Ipa). A middle class bodyboard is 90R and flippers 70R. At surfshop Spirit on Galeria River (same building) are rental surfboards available for 30R per day or less if you rent for longer. Map

Disco Bunker 94 at Paul Pompeia 94 at Copacabana charges 13R with flyer before and 16R after midnight and 20R without flyer. They have a very small techno area, a 70th music room and on with very mixed music but all are quite small and no chill-out area.
For more details: www.bunker94.com.br

To visit Corcovado take bus No 583 or 584 to bus stop Station Corcovado which is around 1/2 hour from Copa. The train to the top is 25R per person and is another 1/2 hour ride with nice views if no clouds are there.
For more details: www.corcovado.com.br

To go up the Sugar Loaf the cable car to the mid-station is 12R to the top its 24R return.

The Favela Tour with English, French and Italian speaking guide Marcelo Armstrong is very interesting and gives you a impression of parts of Rio where you never would go on your own. The tour takes 3 hours with a visit of two different favelas where you even can take your camera equipment with you. If you make reservation directly under tel.: 021-33222727 its 45R per person and Marcelo will pick you at your hotel.
For more details: www.favelatour.com.br

A tandem flight on a hang-glider across Sao Conrado west of Leblon offers impressive views. The German Konrad Heilmann speaks English too and will pick you at the hotel only when the weather is nice. So count some days delay and make reservation as early as possible at tel.: 021-98439006. Its 80€ for 15 to 20 minutes flight and 10€ for a film shooting from the edge of the wing.
For more details: www.airadventures.net

Restaurant Porcao on Av. Nossa Senhore de Copacabana 1.144 at Copa has very nice buffet and grilled meat too. All you can eat for 17R without dessert.

Coffee bar Academia da Cachaca at Rua Conde de Bernadote 26 at Leblon has a extreme wide choice of local alcoholic drinks most between 3 and 5R.
For more details: www.academiadacachaca.com.br

Attention: Rio is good party at Carnival and New year but completely deserted at Christmas where shops, restaurants, tourist attractions are closed too.
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Manaus
For the bus stop from the airport to the city center turn right in front of the main exit and walk around 200 meters down the road till you see the sign "Bus stop" at your left. Its 1.5R to the center.
The airport offers sleeping possibilities on wooden benches while early arrival or late departure when its not too crowded. Coffee and burger are available 24 hour.

Hotel Brasil at Av. Getulio Vargas 657, tel.: 092-2336575 has respectable single, double, triple for 95, 115, 140R or 5 persons for 150R including breakfast buffet if you ask for "promocion". The rooms are a little tiny and the own bathroom is even more small but they are clean, have good mattress, air-condition, TV, fridge and a pool and sun chairs at the rooftop with nice view towards the theater. The staff can speak English and is very helpful. Recommendable.
For more details: www.hotelbrasil.tur.br

Hospedaria de Turismo 10 de Julho at Av. 10 de Juhlo 679 has tiny, crummy and dark rooms with strong smell in the basement. On the first floor the rooms are more bright but same smell. Room rates for single, double, triple are 30, 35, 45R including breakfast. Feel jailed here.

The laundry service LN Lavander at Rua 24 de Maio 54, tel.: 092-2335336 is next road right-hand side of the hotel Brasil, 4 blocks down that road and open from 8AM till 6PM with 2 hour service and charge 0.5R per piece mostly. Hammocks cost extra.

Another laundry service called Jania Costa is at Rua Leonardo Malcher 734, tel.: 092-2341477.

At the botanical garden draw a deep breath from the cities smog. The staff is very informative if there are not to many visitors. Admission fee is 2R. Take bus No 519 from the city center and leave after 25 minutes. Its 1.5R and ask the conductor when to leave. From the bus stop its clearly marked and around 10 minutes to walk to the entrance.

On weekend the promenade at Porta Negra is good choice for night life. Lots of people, beer garden and discotheques are here. The Orange-Bar is one of the largest and most popular with free dance show or life music.
Disco Forro do Bagaca has canned music if no band is playing on the stage. The architecture is astonishing with its large but covered balconies with sea view It can get very crowded here on weekend. Ladies 2R, man 5R, can of beer is 2R, soft drink 1.5R. Its at the far end of the promenade just at the terminus. Don`t miss it.
To get to Ponta Negra take bus No 120 from the city center and get of after approximately 30 minutes ride at the terminus (end of bus route) or take a taxi for around 25R.
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Tabatinga
A ride in town with mototaxi is 1R, a taxi to Leticia (Columbia) is 5R.

Hotel Rio Mar at Rua Marechal Rondon 1714, Tel.: 412-3061, e-mail: fdikco@yahoo.com has smelly and crummy rooms with fan and bathroom for single, double, triple for 20, 25, 30R or a single with air-condition for 30R. They speak English and change money.
Its just 200 meters up the left road form the harbor when you arrive by speedboat from Iquitos or Santa Rosa.

Restaurant Canto do Peixado has great tasty lunch menu for 5 to 6R. Expect half hour preparation. Its at Av. da Amizade 1613 across street of Municipal de Tabatinga.

Restaurant Fazenda has delicious BBC and grilled fish with buffet of salad and sauces starting at 8R. Its on Av. da Amizade 1962.

Flights to Manaus are run by Varig and Rico for around 555R. Varig office is at Av. da Amizade 1947, Rico one block down towards the border.
More details from Rico at: www.voerico.com.br

To the airport a taxi is 10R and worth the money because its far out town. Be there two hours before departure because they have no x-ray machine and check the luggage by hand very accurate.
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