Well, I did it. Sold all my stuff and car in San Francisco after living there for 8 yrs. Then took 3 suitcases back to New York, left them and got one backpack and a one way ticket to Rio. Crazy to compress all one's belongings to one backpack (with some gadgets/gear) but feels great.

Hopefully I'll be out of country for 6-12 months.

Right now I'm in Sao Conrado (10 mins from Ipanema) but I look forward to getting an apt in Ipanema and staying here for a month or two, doing some brazilian jiu jitsu, learning portuguese and chilling for a bit.

I've been speaking to people in Spanish and in exchange I can understand like 70% of the Portuguese spoken back to me.

I know speakeasy will be here shortly, but if anyone else is passing through, make yourself heard.

Sounds good bro. I'll probably be up there in a week and a half.

Have no idea when I'm going back, but probably in the next 6 months. Just waiting for some inheritence money, then traveling for about a year.

I'll use this thread for some observations in regard to Rio:

1. Knowing Spanish just doesn't suffice as much as I thought.
I've been in certain situations where the person just doesn't understand you (even if spanish is similar) or in some cases the Portuguese word is completely different (ie, dessert = postre (spanish), sobremesa (port)).
so it feels like starting out from scratch unlike visiting every other country in S.A. where you can pretty much express yourself very easily.

Plus Portuguese's Brazilian pronunciation makes it even tougher.

I assume there're some places where they speak English but i haven't found any yet.


2. Juices are great, food is good and well prepared, taxis are relatively cheap (not as cheap as Buenos Aires).

3. I still need to get an assessment of security in Rio but I need more time for that.

Take it easy on the juices your first few days unless you want the runs!

How long are you going to be in rio? What's your travel strategy, assuming you have one?

Download Pimsleur Portuguese 1-3. I'm on unit 2 and while many words are the same, at least half are different. The accent is much harder and portuguese is not read as easily as spanish.

If you have someone up there who can ship you things, order these portuguese grammar books. Try these:

Any introductory portuguese grammar by edwin b. williams
Essential portuguese grammar by Alexander de r. prista
Portuguese in 10 minutes a day (Bilingual Books)

(04-09-2009 02:00 AM)Roosh Wrote:  How long are you going to be in rio? What's your travel strategy, assuming you have one?

Plan is still being worked out. What I do know is that I don't wanna backpack and stay couple of days in each city/country. Instead I want to pick a country and live there (3+ months) and understand it.

But I need a goal; I can't just sit around and do nothing all day. I want to at least learn Portuguese with conversational fluency, improve my Jiu Jitsu skills, and marry a Brasilian, hehehe.

(04-09-2009 02:00 AM)Roosh Wrote:  Download Pimsleur Portuguese 1-3. I'm on unit 2 and while many words are the same, at least half are different. The accent is much harder and portuguese is not read as easily as spanish.

Will do. I'm getting it more and more, but need some sort of a base to build on.

Man, don't just sit around all day. go to the beach. its a good way to meet girls. especially girls who speak english.

I'm usually too lazy to post on forums, but I appreciate the information exchanged in this one, and thought I'd give back. I've traveled and picked up in several countries.

I just returned this Sunday from a weeklong trip in Rio with a buddy. Quick thoughts:

Best party: Tuesday night at Conversa Fiada on Rua Farme de Amoeba in Ipanema. A local cutie hooked us up with this one. This place is gay most nights but Tuesday is straight and all local. The top floor is a dancefloor with a live band and later a DJ. Packed with women.

Club with the hottest girls: Melt in Leblom. Absolutely sick on Fridays and Saturdays. Get there by 1030, or you will wait hours in line. Go in even if it is dead. It will blow up fast. Bar Vasso adjacent on the street is a good place to chill beforehand. Popular with the "in" crowd.

Fun fact: Brazilian guys in the club are your worst enemy. Unless you are in with their circle, they will cockblock you massively from girls they know, and generally suck (i.e. stiff shoulders when you try to get around them). They know exactly what you are about and rebuff any efforts to befriend them. Resource war. This changes completely outside the club; they are chill and open.

Fun fact: Saturday night is the one night when parents let their teenagers go out on the town. You will find some clubs entirely filled with 16-18 year olds. Bail if you find yourself at such a club (such as Home Bar); it will not improve.

My friend and I had great experiences. Some general observations:

Brazilian girls are as hard as any to get past their initial barrier, but once you are in, you are in. No games. No flaking. Total accommodation to your convenience, total hospitality, and total generosity. They will pursue you hard. Minimal game required. Just be smiley, fun, and cool. Make lunch dates, juice dates, sightseeing dates. These will lead to nights out with them and their friends, it will be a blast. I think one night stands occur but I did not have any (I locked myself in with one girl early in the trip). To meet girls, use all resources: internet, girls on the plane, girls in shops, cafes, newstands, etc. Don't just rely on the clubs, though you will meet girls there too. Contra Roosh, I got the best reactions kicking butchered Portuguese (Oi, como vai? Qual e seu nome?) until they just came out and asked if I spoke English. My friend approached with English but would get rebuffed because of the perceived arrogance of not even attempting Portuguese. Tease lightly but be gentle and friendly. Your social circle will expand quickly once the ball gets rolling.

Random observations:

Casa da Matriz has reggae nights on Wednesday; great music but hipster crowd with minimal hotties.

Rio Scenarium is the current "it" spot in Lapa.

The buses are a blast. Like riding on a roller coaster.

Rio Sul mall just on the other side of the tunnel leading out of Copacabana is a good day game spot when it's not sunny.

Brazilians love to wait in line. Accustom yourself.

Avoid the bar Shenanigans at all costs, unless you like drunk Gringos, overpriced beer, and mostly unattractive tourists.

Devassa (many varieties) is the best beer. Bohemia number two, Brahma number three.

There is not a single reason to go to Copacabana. If you are staying there you have already lost the game. Enjoy your souvenirs.

The most elite spot now is the bar/club in the Fasano hotel on the corner of the beach and Rua Joachim Nabuco in Ipanema. Didn't try it out but all upper class Brazilians we met claim it to be the best bar.

Don't cheap out on the beach. Get the chair, the umbrella, the coconut, and the cerveja. It will run you less than 10 bucks and earn you priceless, unforgettable viewing of Brazilian beauty. Meet girls buy asking them to watch your things when you hit the surf.

Small bills are needed for taxi drivers and vendors. Hoard them.

Happy travels. Boa viage!

good info, thanks.

Flashman good stuff

Thanks Flashman, me and El Guapo are in Ipanama right now, we'll be using some of your suggestions fo' sho! Sounds like you made good use of your one week here. 8 days left for me here and a million things to do.

(04-20-2009 06:43 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  Thanks Flashman, me and El Guapo are in Ipanama right now, we'll be using some of your suggestions fo' sho! Sounds like you made good use of your one week here. 8 days left for me here and a million things to do.

I'd love to hear about your guys' adventures and any fresh intelligence after your trip. I still have 2 years left on my tourist visa, I'm sure I'll be back before it expires.

(04-07-2009 12:20 PM)elguapo Wrote:  Well, I did it. Sold all my stuff and car in San Francisco after living there for 8 yrs. Then took 3 suitcases back to New York, left them and got one backpack and a one way ticket to Rio. Crazy to compress all one's belongings to one backpack (with some gadgets/gear) but feels great.

Hopefully I'll be out of country for 6-12 months.

Right now I'm in Sao Conrado (10 mins from Ipanema) but I look forward to getting an apt in Ipanema and staying here for a month or two, doing some brazilian jiu jitsu, learning portuguese and chilling for a bit.

I've been speaking to people in Spanish and in exchange I can understand like 70% of the Portuguese spoken back to me.

I know speakeasy will be here shortly, but if anyone else is passing through, make yourself heard.

Hey! Big thumbs up for your courage to leave US behind you!

My best party memories in Rio are from Lapa. I reckon it was the saturday night when the suburb got completely mad and full with ppl. Two minutes after entering a random club in this area, pretty much all of our crew had hooked up with some girl on the dance floor. The crazy thing is, though, no one actually f-closed, just got some serious grinding (where the girl does the work as you sip beer leaning against a wall) and kissing. I have to say I've never got so aroused before on a dancefloor

Ok it's time for my update now that I've been in Rio for few weeks.

- Security.
I'm staying here in Ipanema (one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Rio) and not a day went by when someone wasn't robbed at knife/gun point right outside the hostel door. Everyone here had stories. If the internet didn't exist, you'd probably think South Zone is one of the safest areas you've been to. Appearances can be deceiving however.

Things I learned:
1) You're more vulnerable when in a group with other gringos. Especially if they're from northern european countries and have sunburn marks all over (Irish, UK, etc). Regardless, a group of gringos is much easier to spot than one gringo walking by himself.
2) Don't think you're safe when there's alot of people around you. The rest of the people won't stop to save you--no one will.
3) Be wary of anyone asking you for directions/time, etc. They could be fishing to see if you don't speak Portuguese and are a foreigner and/or buying themselves some time.
4) Be paranoid, especially at night. If there's a person waiting by a bus stop, he can be waiting for you to pass by to rob you. Change directions/streets/walk around the block if necessary.


- Learn/Attempt Portuguese:
Coming into Brasil, I never bothered with Portuguese thinking that my Spanish would suffice, boy was I wrong.
If you don't speak Portuguese/fluent Spanish at least brush up on the basics before coming. I speak fluent conversational Spanish and it helps about 40-50%, but the rest of it is what really gets you. I have met some girls in richer areas (Leblon, Ipanema) who speak fluent english but you'll be missing out on Lapa, etc. if you don't speak Portuguese/fluent Spanish. One thing I noticed is that if I start the conversation in Portuguese (ex. voce sabe... / do you know) I get a response and then if we switch to english she will make it a point to remind me of my 'great' portuguese.
English openers (ex. voce fala ingles / do you speak english) are tiresome.
They're really proud of speaking Portuguese here, and I have a new found respect for the language.

- The nightlife is not the greatest since Cariocas have a great beach to look forward too. It's not bad though, as you always have street parties which I prefer to loud bars. Most of the girls I met were on the street. Having said I haven't much done any daygame due to my non-existant portuguese. Might have to fix that soon though.

- Some say that with all the crime, corruption, etc, the only good thing about Rio is the girls. It's not all easy though as minimal game is required. I have a buddy here (American) who hasn't been laid in the 3 months he's been here and his game pretty much sucks. He is not timid, does tons of approaches, but is needy and has no idea how to build an attraction. In the few weeks I've been here I've done pretty well.

Hate to use the PUA terminology, but what you need is solid inner game (if you're traveling alone in an unknown place you should have it covered), tease them lightly, i also like to make her qualify me, feel the kiss vibe, then go for it. If you're a good kisser, the night won't end there.

To build attraction, you use the same game as on Americans, but when you do, and it works, you're golden. You don't need to think in terms of numbers game, because flakiness is very low here. In fact, they're very accommodating of making future plans, etc. On quiet a few occasions the girl even insisted on paying for drinks, food and rebuffed my attempts to do so.

I'm Russian, and I pretty much gave up on US gaming because girls should be easier than that. I hate that the first question is always 'what do you do?'. I don't need to pass a million shit tests before I can kiss her. And we all know that the shit tests will never stop; they will go on forever. Brasilian girls remind me a lot of Russian girls in a sense is that they actually value their man and want to please their man. But you need to be a man to get with them not some whimp/pussy that changes shape to please his girl.

It's 10:40pm and I'd probably be out if I hadn't caught some fever/flu and been chilling by my bed last few days.

I think my boy El Guapo has come down with mono from all the chics he's hookin' up with. Play on, playa.

I agree with all your points above, especially the safety issues. Just to add one thing to that, the name of the game when it comes to staying safe in Rio is to NOT stand out. I admit, I felt pretty scared about this place on first arrival. My bus must've rode through shantytowns for about 30 minutes before getting to the bus station and as the cab taking me to my hostel drove through the streets, I imagined carjackers running up at redlights. But it was just paranoia. After a few days, you start to get a feel for what you can and can't do. It also seems to me that the crime in Rio(which is pretty high by any standard) is not random. It seems targeted and I get the feeling that the thugs choose their victims carefully. If you look like a stereotypical gringo and you're walking around Rio at night, getting robbed is a virtual certainty. If you can blend in perfectly with the locals like me, you shouldn't have any problems. As I kept joking about with El Guapo, the Cariocas seemed like they were more afraid of me than I was of them half the time, probably thinking I was the one from the favela.

I think I look brazilian because i've ventured off at night alone (in both copacabana and ipanema) and never had safety problems. I think some gringos may be making themselves a target.

In Rio for the next couple weeks and have already been here about 3 weeks. Coming from places in Colombia and Peru makes Rio a little harder. There, it seemed you walked in the place and could pick tops of the litter. It would make more sense to come here first, ramp up your game, and then hit the jackpot in a city like Lima or Bogota. Below are some insights:

Security: Been robbed twice, now don't leave the apartment (in Copa) after dark (unless taking taxi to a club) unless I really need to. If I NEED to, I wear a baggy Tshirt and pull my hat down low and slightly to the side to look thug and walk with my chest out. I figure, as stated before, if I can pull off looking like a favela dude then chances are people will be less likely to F with me. So far it works. Generally, here you have to amp up the street smarts you would use where I am from (Philly). If you come from Texas or somewhere like that, it may be a shock.

Nightlife: Been to a variety - Melt, Namaste, Lapa, Casa Da Matriz, Mariuzin. While all the guidebooks say don't go out until 12 or later, that is BULLCRAP. GO OUT AT 10. The reason I say that is anytime I have had any success, it was early in the night. Almost anywhere in this continent it has been the same. If you arrive at 1 or 2, it is almost pointless, the girls at this point are all paired up. And Brazilians are quite aggresive about stuff, I've had a dude pick a fight with me at relatively upscale Melt for stupid crap. Needless to say, my JiuJitsu skills aren't up to par so I bowed out.

- If you like college girls, try Namaste in Gavea on a Thursday
- If you like hipster chicks, go to Casa Da Matriz almost any night
- If you like a complete mix, go to Lapa
- If you like 50 dudes surrounding a group of 5 16 yearolds on the dancefloor waiting for their glory day, go to Mariuzin (i.e. dont)
- If you like upscale educated girls who have probably spent time in the US France or England, go to the numerous spots like Melt, Baronetti, Nuth, ect... These girls are hit or miss since they've already presumably had their fill of gringos (literally and figuratively), but I've witnessed some success by a buddy.
- If you want to see 50 english speaking dudes a couple gringas and three brazilians who are already taken by some DB, then go to Shenanigans (I.E. Dont Go)
- Emporio was dead when I went

Copa - Yes, there is nothing beautiful about Copa other than the beach. It is not ghetto, but more of a working upper middle class section. The nightlife here is spotty at best. Hookers on the beach, and then on the street at night. Still, it is a pretty wild place because of the cross section of society. Its hilarious to see an old fat white whale sitting at a beachside kiosk with a stunningly hot woman though. I stay here and would recommend it because it is fairly light on the budget, and even if you do live in Ipanema (which is better), you STILL have to take a taxi to go out since walking on the street anywhere is unsafe. If you have the money to burn, stay in Ipanema or Leblon. If your a broke 24 yearold who just graduated and scrounged enough money from a job as a waiter to travel abroad (like me), stay in Copa.


Overall Rio is a fun place and extremely beautiful, but the fact you cannot walk around at night is a drag. Although I prefer it to BA, I went exploring in BA from the hours of 11 to 4 one weeknight, and never felt unsafe. Here, I would've been robbed multiple times. Definitely worth the cash to get here, but I'm thinking maybe an excursion to Recife, Belo Horizonte or Salvador would be fun. Any thoughts?

Still trying to find a good spot in Lapa. I can't dance Samba and don't speak portugese, so I like places where the music is loud enough (preferably techno or hip hop) that language doesnt matter. If anyone knows a place like this in Lapa, let me know.

Any other advice would be appreciated!
Eric

Chicks in Salvador are disappointingly ugly with a few exceptions

That part of Brazil is ethnically very african.

Recife is not much better.

Try Florianapolis if you want an excursion.

(05-12-2009 04:45 PM)EricShlaf Wrote:  And Brazilians are quite aggresive about stuff, I've had a dude pick a fight with me at relatively upscale Melt for stupid crap. Needless to say, my JiuJitsu skills aren't up to par so I bowed out.

I've heard a lot about the rich boys that go picking fights in the Leblon clubs. With those Jujitsu guys, just be like Chuck Liddell and learn how to avoid take downs and you'll be alright. The Jujitsu guys don't train much in striking, so learn some Muay Thai and you'll pound them.

(05-12-2009 04:59 PM)Lumiere Wrote:  Chicks in Salvador are disappointingly ugly with a few exceptions

That part of Brazil is ethnically very african.

Recife is not much better.

Try Florianapolis if you want an excursion.

I wouldn't skip Salvador. Everybody that goes there raves about it and the architecture, history, music, and culture are supposed to be pretty interesting. It'd be foolish to skip out on one of the most colorful cultural capitals of Latin America if you've never been. I'm definitely going next time I'm in Brazil.

Yeah, if you just want white Brazilian girls with blonde hair then sure, go to Florianopolis. But most don't consider that the "real" Brazil.

I've heard from a couple of people here that chicks in Floripa are amazing. I've been happy with chicks here but might plan a couchsurf to the south (Porto Alegre, Sao Paolo, Floripa) in some weeks.


As far as Copa goes...

I've stayed in Ipanema for about 2 weeks and checked out Leblon. I'm now living in Copa for about 2 weeks.
I actually don't mind Copa, my apartment is cheaper, the food (comida a kilo) is much cheaper, maybe supermarkets as well. It's not as nice as Ipanema/Leblon that's for sure, but it's close to my Jiu Jitsu school and has everything I need. I feel that I'd blow my budget very quickly going out in Ipanema for food few days a week. For going out, I can take a cab or a bus to Ipanema/Lapa or whatever.


Lapa...

I have had good success in Lapa.
On fridays I usually just do the street party as there tons of people (all kinds of chicks, and not many gringos) very social and approachable.
On saturdays I went to Rio Scenarium and had a blast, definitely recommended. It's a big house where you can dance samba on first floor, or just chill on other floors. Third floor has a regular club that was completely packed with girls waiting to be picked up.
In fact I wouldn't mind going there again this weekend.

Shit, I wish I'd gotten into Rio Scenarium. That line was just too damn crazy. Guapo, how'd you manage to get in? Did you have to show up super early?

(05-12-2009 08:17 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  Shit, I wish I'd gotten into Rio Scenarium. That line was just too damn crazy. Guapo, how'd you manage to get in? Did you have to show up super early?

First of all, I think last time it was maybe some kind of special event. This time the line was not bad when we rolled in at 10-10:30.

Also, your boy Ronnie befriended a couple of chicks on the beach and they were way in front of the of line so we were able to join them in the line. Saved us a bit of time.

We would've been able to do so much damage at the club. I just finished seeing a girl last night that I met on Saturday.

Sounds good man! I hit Ronnie up for a trip report to compare notes but haven't heard back from his ass yet. Must still be going through Rio withdrawls.