Thread: Brazil

Weather
Recife's weather is stereotypically tropical. Its proximity to the Equator blesses it with a warm, almost unchanging temperature which usually lies somewhere between 28° and 34°C. Heavy rains make daily visits during the main winter months of June and July, and the heat reaches its peak from mid-December to February, when locals typically go on vacation.
Transportation
Air - The local airport, Guararapes International, services the following carriers: VARIG, TAP, Air Portugal, VASP, TAM, RIO SUL, and TRANS BRAZIL. Taxi rides from the airport to town's main hotel area cost around $10USD, although you can catch a shuttle for $6.

Taxis - Local taxis usually average about $10USD per ride.


Medical Facilities
Hospital Santa Joana
Hospital Portugues

Sao Paulo overwhelms the senses with its sheer size. With seventeen million inhabitants, it is the world's third largest city and the largest in South America. Sao Paulo and its rival Brazilian city, Rio de Janeiro, have often been compared to New York and Los Angeles respectively. If Rio has gained fame for its striking natural setting, Sao Paulo's attraction lies in its people and its vibrant cultures. The Avenida Paulista's canyon of upthrusting skyscrapers only hints at the city's sources of energy. A more cosmopolitan city than its counterpart, Sao Paulo possesses significant ethnic minority communities, including substantial Japanese, Italian, and Arab and Lebanese Christian neighbourhoods.

The array of nationalities living in Sao Paulo have made it a legendary city among gourmands: Japanese, Italian nuova cucina, Brazilian, Chinese, Jewish, and Arab restaurants are all familiar parts of the city's landscape. Brazil's famously good beef is put to good use at the numerous rodizios and churrascarias. Succulent, roasted cuts of meat are circulated around the tables and cut to patrons' order. In fact, people often visit Sao Paulo just to dine out. The Jardins district is the center of the dining scene, and thus the center of the Sao Paulo social scene. Paulistanos eat late--restaurants often don't begin serving until 9pm or 10pm, and it is common for them to stay open until 3am.

Brazil's most modern, cosmopolitan city has much to offer in addition to its outstanding cuisines. Its museums are among the finest in South America, its surrounding coastline is graced with many lovely beaches, and its entertainment and nightlife have for years attracted some of the best performers in the world. In recent years, the city has evolved into a center for Brazil's own martial art, capoeira, whose dance-like motions are performed to music. The art has its own traditional instruments: drums and the berimbau, a stringed rod used to keep time. Originally developed as the martial art of the slaves of the Bahia, capoeira was banned by the ruling classes. To keep their art alive, the slaves turned capoeira into a dance, and the berimbau, which had warned of an approaching master, began to accompany the dance itself. As late as the 1920s capoeira was still outlawed and practiced only underground; today, it is a well-known and much-loved spectacle.

A proper description of Sao Paulo's many attractions and activities would take up more space than we can devote here. Perhaps the best way to get acquainted with the city upon arrival is to pick up a copy of the Sao Paulo edition of Veja Magazine--it has a good English section and will let you know Sao Paulo's happenings. What follows are just a few of the major, permanent attractions.

The Museo de Arte Sacra & Jardim da Luz is deemed by many to constitute the best collection of colonial art and artifacts in South America. The museum occupies a labyrinthine baroque monastery built during the eighteenth century. This charming museum, and the Jardim da Luz, are an unexpected center of tranquility. Visitors should also take the opportunity to stop by the Sao Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), which holds a very good collection of both European and Brazilian art dating from antiquity to the present.

Many visitors will make a beeline to the Butanta Institute, one of the world's leading centers for the study of poisonous snakes. At the research center, poisonous snakes are milked of their venom for serum. Although this process is itself no longer open for visitor observation, there is still plenty to see at this truly unusual place, which holds tens of thousands of snakes.

There is great shopping in Sao Paulo's malls, but the weekend markets and fairs are far more entertaining. At the Praca da Republica a fair runs from 8am to 2pm Sundays. People watching is one of the most enjoyable aspects of any fair, but an array of precious stones, leather, wood-carving, lace, paintings and more also dazzle the eyes. Another great fair is the weekend fair in Embu, 12 miles from Sao Paulo. Artists display their wares, as well as craftsmen; fine furniture is also one reason so many go to the Embu fair.

The Parque do Ibirapuera, a large grassy area, is Sao Paulo's major public park. Its lake is a refreshing presence, and the park's monuments add a touch of solemnity. But, the planetarium is what sets the park apart.

Soccer, Brazil's national sport, is big in Sao Paulo -which says a lot, considering it is big everywhere in Brazil. To see a soccer game in Brazil is to see soccer as art - no country brings so much joy and skill to the sport. Local games take place at large stadiums like Pacaembu, Morumbi, and Parque Antartica.

There are two things Sao Paulo is best known for in Brazil: business and food. Because the city's sprawling population represents every ethnicity in the country, cuisine in Sao Paulo becomes a matter of choice. There are thousands of restaurants, and if there's something you crave it's bound to be there, be it the obscurest of world cuisine or a simple slice of pizza - a local favorite.

Some popular foods in the city:

• Tutu a Mineira: Mashed beans served with roasted pork loin, cabbage, and rice.
• Pao de Queijo: cheese bread.
• Acaraje: Fried shrimp pie.
• Virada Paulista: Rice, beans and banana served with meat.
• Feijoada: A stew of black beans and a variety of meats, served with rice and kale.
• Polenta: Baked dough of corn flour with salt.
• Churrasco: Excellent quality barbecued meat
• Pastel: Fried pies eaten with various fillings like meat, cheese, guava, and condensed milk.

Nightlife is almost equally varied. In Sao Paulo, you can find nightclubs offering every beat in Brazil, as well as jazz and disco. The two main entertainment districts are Rua 13 de Maio and Jardins, and some of the best-known shows can be seen at Olympia, Palace, and Tom Brasil.

Weather
Sao Paulo generally enjoys good weather, although the seasons are not well defined. This means that the weather is not always easy to predict. Here are some typical conditions and average temperatures:

• Winter - June through August:
  Cold mornings and evenings, temperatures ranging from 8-18C.
• Spring - September through November:
  Sunny days, temperatures ranging from
  18-28C.
• Summer - December to February:
  Very hot with occasional downpours during the day, temperatures ranging from 28-35C.
• Fall - March to June:
  Days are usually rainy by midseason, with temperatures ranging from 15-28C.

Transportation
Air - There are three airports in Sao Paulo: Congohas Airport, Sao Paulo International, and Viracopos Airport -check with your airline or travel agents to see which carries fly where. Their distances from the city center are 14km, 30km, and 100km respectively, and all of them offer bus and taxi service to the downtown area. Note, however, that the cost of transportation down- town will increase according to the distance of the airport --at Viracopos, be prepared to pay $50USD, while Congohas and SP International will only cost you about $7USD.

Taxis - There are three types of taxis in Sao Paulo: street cabs, radio cabs, and deluxe cabs. Street and radio cabs are metered, but radio cabs charge extra for radio service and pre-arranged pick-ups.

Subway - Sao Paulo's subway, regarded as one of the best systems in the world, is a great way to get around and avoid the city's infamous traffic. There are two major lines: the North-South and the East- West. All lines operate from 5am to midnight, ticket windows close at 10pm.

Rail - There are four train stations in Sao Paulo. The Barra Funda Station on Rua Capitao-Mor Goncalo Monteiro offers a Silver Train to Rio de Janeiro, which departs daily at 8:30pm. The Luz Station has trains to the interior and coast. Sub- urban trains heading to Itapevi can be caught at Julio Prestes Station, while trains east to Mogi das Cruzes board at Roosevelt Station.

Health & Medical
Sao Paulo has four premium hospitals. The Albert Einstein Hospital is regarded as one of the best in South America.

Business Hours
Shops and most offices are open Monday through Friday from 9 am. to 6 p.m. and from 9 am to 1pm on Saturday. Banks are open on Monday through Friday from 10am to 4:00pm. Most shopping centers and malls remain open until 10pm. Many pharmacies and small stores are also open on Sunday.