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== Overview ==
Brazil is a major punting destination for some people. Prostitution is legal (there are no laws against adult prostitution) although it is illegal to operate a brothel or to employ prostitutes in any other way. There is a big range of punting options available, from very cheap ("trash" places) costing only a few pounds to high-flyer, which can easily set you back several hundred pounds. As Brazil combines many different ethnicities, the range of girls is also impressive. The main cities are Rio de Janeiro (a major holiday destination in its own right) and Sao Paulo. There is also well-established prostitution venues in most other major cities of the country. The country itself includes rainforests, the pantanal wetlands, near-deserted beaches away from the cities, mountain Swiss-style hideaways, vast trekking areas and a far south with an almost European flavour.
== Challenges ==
== Cities overview ==
'''Rio de Janeiro''' is the main tourist destination. It can be confusing to a first timer, but not nearly as much as Sao Paulo. It has numerous beautiful beaches and tourist sights, fabulous hotels, mostly good weather, and many beautiful women. It is at heart very much a party city and the beach is the 'summum bonum' of existence. The subway system is very safe. Tourists generally stay in "Rio Sul" the southern half of the city, and especially in Copacabana, Ipanema, Leme or Botafogo. For someone downtown rather than with a beach, consider Leme, which has the best nightlife. Note: If you are going explicitly for Carnaval (which can be costly) do lots of research about the show itself and the performances/schools and also consider how far you will be from the Sambodrome. Also be aware that Barra da Tijuca, an upmarket suburb where the Rock in Rio festival is held, is a very considerable commuting distance from the rest of the city for anything.
'''Sao Paulo''' is the business centre of Brazil and also one of the biggest cities in the world, which makes navigation an immediate priority. Prices for punting are generally cheaper and better value than in Rio, but more travelling may be involved as they are rather spread out. (Count on a couple of subway rides and then a walk or a taxi for the last bit). The trendy heart of the city is along Avenida Paulista (south-west of the downtown/city centre) and often compared to New York’s Times Squareand is a good area in which to stay. Public transport is excellent (though the bus system is complicated — use googlemaps on your phone to get GPS travel directions). The Metro system is straightforward but expect main stations that are bigger and more crowded than those of London with pedestrian flow systems in operation. Taxis are relatively inexpensive but can mount up due to the considerable distances across town that can be involved. There are no beaches and no obvious tourist attractions to compare to Rio, but it has some of the best restaurants in the world (if you can afford them) and a vibrant art scene. For regular nightlife there is no shortage of either hectic or sophisticated options. Many Paulistanos tend to be sophisticated and well-educated.
North of Rio & São Paulo are cities such as Salvador , Belo Horizonte and Belem with smaller but exciting hobby opportunities but even more so definitely not for beginners. Brazil is the biggest country in South America and travelling to the more northerly places involves internal flights or bus journeys last up to several days. Rio and São Paulo however are connected by frequent short flights and premium bus services. The south of the country can be rather cool in winter whereas the north goes from sun-baked to tropical.
== Transport ==
Brazil is an enormous country, roughly the size of the USA. Internal flights can sometimes be picked up quite cheaply. Brazilians think nothing of overnight (or 24h or more) bus journeys. Intercity buses are fairly comfortable on the whole and the ones running between Rio and Sao Paulo have deep recliner options. Trains are almost non-existent other than one or two scenic lines. Driving is not particularly recommended unless you are very familiar with the country... the big cities are more complex than London or L.A. to negotiate in and out of. Carjackling is not unknown. Roads vary from excellent to very poor.
'''Rio''' has two airports: Santos Dumont, which is amazingly close to the city centre but with limited international flights, and Galeão (known as GIG) which is some distance away. Rio's city transport is very well integrated and you can pick up a card, load it with an amount of money of your choosing, and then use it on buses, metros and the tram. Taxis/Ubers are very reasonable, but as with anywhere, not always available when you want one. Learning to use the bus system is safe and easy. The big bus stops have a list of buses stopping there, the bus number and the destinations. Tell the bus to stop with a firm, downward movement of the arm. When you get on, use your travel card to pass through the turnstile (if your card has run out, pay the driver using only small bills). If you are not familiar with the place where you want to get off, work out how to pronounce it in Portuguese beforehand and ask the driver or another passenger to advise you. Be polite. Don't be shocked if you are standing up and someone offers to hold your shopping on their lap for you.
'''Sao Paulo''' has three airports. The main one is Guarulhos (GRU) use for most international flights and the most developed. Beware that if you get a flight to Viracopos or Congonhas airport, the connections into the city are much poorer (Viracopos will take quite a while from downtown SP). Sao Paulo is the biggest city in the southern hemisphere. It has a highly developed but very complex transport system. As for Rio, get a card that covers all forms of public transport including the suburban train. Taxis/Ubers are inexpensive but may be hard to find in rush hour (in rush hour, the metro, however crowded, is often quicker).
== Apartment Rentals (RJ) ==
If you are planning to stay more than a week then an apartment rental offers advantages over a hotel. These can be booked online or by walking into a rental agency, of which there are many in Copacabana (for instance along the parallel main streets of N.S. Copa and Barata Ribeiro). You can come and go as you please and with whom you please. There is usually no room safe -- hide your stuff under the mattress or lock it in your rucksack. Get on good terms with the security guy on the ground floor: he is God as far as that apartment building is concerned and all its comings and goings. An apartment close to a metro station may be very convenient for a beginner. Although the state of apartments -- or AirBnBs for that matter -- vary immensely, the biggest complaint is the noise of building works in an adjoining apartment. It seems someone is always knocking down or building something! One way of guarding against this is as follows. Travel light, or at most with what you can carry on your back. Check in to a hotel somewhere for your first night or two nights. Then go to a few agencies, ask what they have on offer and go and view the apartments. Most will let you leave your luggage in the agency while they send a lad with the keys to show you the flats. That way youi actually see what you are getting and can choose. A third option is an Aparthotel. This gives you a reasonably swish apartment where a maid comes daily to do the cleaning. There are often part of a complex that includes shops and a gym in the same building. If you do end up staying a hotel you may end up paying not only for a double but for an extra fee for any visitor, and all at their discretion on who comes in with you.
== Currency ==
It's not a bad idea to familiarise yourself with the appearance of the notes before you go so you don't accidentally give someone ten times what you intended. It's common policy just to carry as much as you intend to spend, and to keep small notes in a separate pocket to large ones (so you don't advertise how much you're carrying when just buying a small item). Small bills can be horribly grubby, as if someone has wiped their arse with them, thrown them away, then rescued them and dried them in the sun.
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