Where to buy camping gas in Rio?

Hi,

First time to Brazil. I'm going to hike 2-4 days in Itatiaia or most
probably in Petropolis/Teresopolis near Rio during March 2006.

Questions:
Where can you buy camping gas in Rio? In Venezuela it was an article
sold in a hardware store, also in Brazil? If nothing else... is there a
large super market near the Novo Rio bus terminal to start searching?
Is it open on Sunday too?

Regards,
-Janne

I live in Brasil, in Petropolis even, and rather well known re. Rio.
About camping gas: sorry to say, but I never came it across, not in the
bigger supermarkets, nor in a hardware store. Camping as such is not
very well known here, I am afraid (they call it programa de indio). Are
there, BTW any camping sites ? (something I never came across either,
but if there are, they should have something to cook on)
However, I will ask around, this may take more time...

Yes, botteled gas is there, if you want to carry 30 kg, but that is
propane gas, not butane.

I don't know about a supermarket around the busstation but you will
find a large number of little shops, certainly at the other side of the
big road (Av. getulio vargas ? ) .
Remember, that if you travel to Petropolis you will end up in the new
busstation, which is unfortunately outside the city (Quintadinha).

Maarten van Tilburg wrote:
I live in Brasil, in Petropolis even, and rather well known re. Rio.
About camping gas: sorry to say, but I never came it across, not in
the bigger supermarkets, nor in a hardware store.

I would be very surprised if camping gas were not available in Rio : we
recently found gas in every little town in Argentina and Chile. The brand
may be different : we found cartridges manufactured in Italy, but with the
same screw pitch.

In Ecuador, we could not find matching cartridges, and we had to buy a new
gas stove - but this was not expensive.

A place to look would also be a sporting goods shop.

The first time we went to Argentina, we asked http://www.campingaz.com/,
and they answered very quickly : cartridges are available, even though
Argentina is not on the list of countries where CampingGaz is distributed...

Hi Maarten!

Thanks for hints on shops. Are they open on Sundays? (I'm asking this
because here in Finland shops are closed on Sundays, it's the law.)

BTW, my goal is to walk from Petropolis to Teresopolis such as
advertised in this link:
http://www.adventuresportsholidays.c...ProductID=4243

... though I want to walk alone and use my time to stay longer where I
want.

Regards,
-Janne

schreef:

Hi Maarten!

Thanks for hints on shops. Are they open on Sundays? (I'm asking this
because here in Finland shops are closed on Sundays, it's the law.)


I think it is still the official law in Brasil too, but you will find a
lot of supermarkets open, certainly on sunday afternoon. The bigger are
open 24 hours a day (like Sendas, Zona Sul, Pau d' Açucar etc).
The little shops in the center of Rio may well be closed, however.

If you don't find any near the rodoviaria in Rio, you may wait for the
arrival in Petropolis. There is a Sendas in the quintadinha area and
two more in the center (near the old busstation, i think) (perhaps too
far to walk, you arrive at the Bingen busstation, from there take a
local bus or a taxi).
However, they do not sell any camping gear, I am sure. There is an
"Adventure" shop in Itaipava, which may sell replacement gas
cartridges.

BTW, my goal is to walk from Petropolis to Teresopolis such as
advertised in this link:
http://www.adventuresportsholidays.c...ProductID=4243


That must be a beautiful track. I have seen the photos. I think it must
be possible to extend the walk up to Nova Friburgo, that is how far the
protected area goes at least (the rests of the Mata Atlantica, or the
forest of the Atlantic coast).
Theresopolis in not really the place to be, in my opinion. (Petropolis
is nice, visit at least the summerpalace of the Emperor) .
BTW, now that you mention that you come from Finland, you may be aware
that there are a lot of Finnish emigrants living near Itatiaia
(Resende). The reason being the much more agreable climate, due to the
elevation.

Boa sorte !

maartent at yahoo dot com

The bigger are
open 24 hours a day (like Sendas, Zona Sul, Pau d' Açucar etc).

Thank you for these supermarket names.

BTW, now that you mention that you come from Finland, you may be aware
that there are a lot of Finnish emigrants living near Itatiaia (Resende).

I didn't know that. Thanks for info. Itatiaia is the other possible
place for me to go hiking. It also depends on weather. I've heard on
March it rains a lot near Rio (I prefer less rain), but perhaps it
doesn't make any diffrence whether to go to Itatiaia or Petropolis?

Regards,
-Janne

schreef:

BTW, now that you mention that you come from Finland, you may be aware
that there are a lot of Finnish emigrants living near Itatiaia (Resende).

I didn't know that. Thanks for info. Itatiaia is the other possible
place for me to go hiking. It also depends on weather. I've heard on
March it rains a lot near Rio (I prefer less rain), but perhaps it
doesn't make any diffrence whether to go to Itatiaia or Petropolis?


Yes, march is the rainiest month in this climate area. However,
everything is relative, as they say. According to the graph in Lonely
Planet you should expect a medium downfall of 120 mm (a month) while in
the same month Manaus (Amazonia) endures 250 mm.
It is also summer, so you may expect heavy rains but also many hours of
sunshine.
In Rio de Janeiro it can be unbearable hot (up to 40 degrees, and even
worse, not lower than 25 in the night).
Although the climate does not really differs over the whole state RJ,
the medium temperatures in Petropolis (ca 900 meters altitude) and
Itatiaia (even higher) are about 10 degrees lower.
Much more convenient for us northern Europeans (I am Dutch) .