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Old March 4th, 2004, 09:04 PM
Joćo Luiz
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Default Travelling to Rio



P E T E R P A N schrieb:

The hassles by Brazil's government for Americans to apply in person,
and to pay US$100 fee, for 3-month multiple entry visa, is very
inconvenient and annoying. One basically has to waste at least half a
day showing up, waiting in the counsulate office to turn in the
application, then another half a day to pick up the visa.


If you have spent just two half days, you are better off than most
Brazilians who want to travel to the USA.

For decades there used to be no need for US-Americans to apply for
a visa to travel to Brazil, while Brazilians had and still have to
prove they have a job, income and are not trying to enter the USA
to work clandestinely cleaning your toillets your mowing your lawns.


I almost skipped the visit to Brazil because of the nonsense
requirement to apply for visa in person with an intinerary, which is
dependent upon when the visa is approved, and the fact that VARIG's
quote for my intinerary kept increasing from US$620, to $980, to $1100
then US$1400, as I waited for the visa.


There is a strong seasonal variation. Prices rise as Carnival
approaches, and not only with Varig.



I met some Italian tourists in Argentina who claimed they were charged
US$140 for the visa, which they promptly skipped! These Italian
tourists are wealthy and they could easily afford the visa fee. They
could easily spend US$3000 per person or more, 20 times the visa fees
on Brazilian products and services if they visit Brazil! However,
these Italians did not think highly of the Brazilian government by its
visa requirements, so they decide not to bother visiting Brazil.


Sorry to say, but this information is as false as it can be.
No citizen from the European Union needs a tourist visa for Brazil,
the same way no Brazilians need any tourist visa for any country
in the EU.

I understand your logic, and to be sincere I do not get why some
Brazilians go through the humiliation of getting a visa for the
USA, when they could be spending their hard earned money in a
place that treats them with a lot more dignity like Europe.


I wanted to go to Rio to see the Carnaval, but it turns out to be a
big disappointment. This festival is now organized in a staged
location downtown Rio, called the Sambadromo, near the favela slum
areas.


If you had asked before, we could have warned you about the tourist
trap Rio's Carnival has turned into.
Any place e.g. in the Northeastern coast beats it by far.


Sorry to read about your bad experience, but if you ever think of
visiting Brazil again, my counsel is: just skip Rio.

JL