Brasil for beginner

[bert]

I would love to visit Brasil but I have no clue how dangerous the country is.

I have quite a lot of travel experience (Cuba, the Middle East, Asia....) and I know the bad reputation of Brasil for travellers.

But maybe the country has changed the last years or it depends which city one visits.  I always travel independent of course and make my own planning.

Thanks for any advice!

[Lucky]

If you look for trouble, you will find it. I didn't, and had safe trips on several occasions.

[msclelovr]

I’ve travelled solo a lot…in Latin America, Africa and Europe (but only a little in Asia and not at all in the Middle East)….and I’ve never encountered any problems. 
 

I do however act cautiously, even in places I know well. By this, I mean: I dress down and hide any obvious signs of wealth; I also ask various locals for advice on safety and what areas may be dangerous; and I keep a clear head (I like to drink with dinner but I stay sober) and always know the area I’m in. Places change over time and so I always check whether certain places or areas I like have changed since I last visited.

I think @bert that as long as you’re savvy and stay alert, you should be fine in Brazil. I feel problems arise when visitors get too carried away by the delights of Rio in particular and Brazil in general (the charming, fit young men who prefer older men, and the relaxed atmosphere at the beach).

[babybear2]

as long as you stick to tourist zone, you will be fine

I made my first trio to brazil last year, it feel better/safer compared to news reports

[Latbear4blk]

6 hours ago, msclelovr said:

I dress down and hide any obvious signs of wealth;

+1

[Axiom2020]

I've been to Brazil (all over) eleven times and had no problems, for I read and asked questions at the now defunct Daddy's that is now M4M.com (or some configuration), and I followed all guidance that was extended there.  I do hope to return in 2023 if my health warrants it, for who knows what will happen during that time or at anytime.

Folks who have NOT visited Brazil have this warped view that it's a dangerous place based on their not reading or traveling or inquiring from valid sources.  With that type of mentality, I wonder what visitors to the US think about venturing to Chicago, Oakland, Detroit, and other cities where violence is rampant, where murders have gone off the chart, etc.

Read everything that's posted at this site, read valid sources, ask salient questions.  Use your head (the BIG ONE) when it comes to seeking the services of escorts and guys in the sauna.  Jot questions here (those that have NOT already been addressed).

I have an acquaintance who is currently in Rio.  I presume he'll be there for a month, for he'd packed four bags that were shown in his Facebook feed that he shared with friends and acquaintances.    He's been there many times before, and almost each day he takes a long walk to the various barrios and shares photos on his FB page.  He's also staying in an apartment that he's renting.

Most of us here have suggested that one stay in a hotel if it is his first time.  You can read about it in archives if you do a careful search.

[SolaceSoul]

Is Brazil dangerous? Yes and no.

Eventually, everyone from tourists to locals “gets got” somehow in the major cities of Brazil — yes, even those of us who “look the part” of a brasileiro. I am referring to anything from petty theft to violent crime. The ones who say it’s never happened to them have just been fortunate thus far or are have not had enough visits to be broken in this way.

Tourist areas in Rio especially are major targets for petty theft. The young guys are the best at it. Smart phones are the biggest, quickest and easiest targets. Never, ever, ever have one of those out or within reach. Necklaces are easy to cut from the back or just snatch and grab. If you like your ear lobes, I suggest not wearing your earrings. There is a saying in Brazilian Portuguese that translates in English as “the finger is more valuable to you than the ring.” 

In this respect, I’d compare the Brazilian cities to maybe 70s or 80s New York City — when almost everyone, from locals to visitors, experienced or witnessed some form of street crime. 

But is Rio or São Paulo as bad or as dangerous as, say, Lagos, Nigeria or Kingston, Jamaica? Of course not. 

[Uqtyang]

I felt safe in Brazil as a tourist by observing the common sense as people here mentioned, but my boyfriend had his iPhone snatched by a skinny boy on his bike running away fast in the vicinity of the main church in São Paulo. Boyfriend was focusing on the phone and editing the photo in the public, guess that’s how he made himself an obvious target.

 

 

[Guest]

Since most people visit Rio….I’ll address that separately:

Is Rio dangerous ?  Yes, absolutely….100%.  Rio is a major tourist city with almost all visitors staying in close proximity to the beaches in Zona Sul. The Zona Sul neighborhoods are also some of the wealthiest areas in Brazil which happen to be adjacent to some of the most violent favelas/slums in Brazil.  So, there is extreme income inequality with many desperate people and criminals/organized gangs that have easy access to relatively wealthy tourists in a small geographic area.  Very easy targets for crime. Foreigners are easy to spot and you will be under surveillance at some point as a target.  Guaranteed.  However, that shouldn’t stop you from visiting and enjoying all Rio has to offer….just take the proper precautions.

When I’m in Rio, I do not carry my smart phone, wallet, jewelry or anything of value in public.  I carry only the amount of cash I’ll need and get majority of reais before I leave US….avoiding the need to use Brazilian ATMs.  I only take cars to/from airport that are from the hotel where I stay.  I’m not a fan of AirBnB in cities with security issues because the locals on the street know which apartments have tourists inside & those AirBnBs do not have same security protocols as major hotels.  Many AirBnBs don’t even provide a basic safe. 

I’ve been to Brazil many times and never had a problem other than once having my debit card skimmed and $900 taken from my bank account.  Not a big deal as Bank of America refunded the theft immediately.  Just don’t have much in your pockets to steal and if the worst happens, turn over the goods immediately.

While I’ve never been a victim of violent crime in Rio - I’ve witnessed enough of it to know that it’s very dangerous and things happen there I’ve never seen before.  Once had to be rerouted on way from airport to Ipanema because the tunnel had been blocked by bandits at each end and they were systematically robbing the cars inside.  Another time was in the middle of a shoot-out on Farme de Amoeda and the restaurant asked everyone to come inside and they lowered the steel gates until it was over.  And a mid-day gang assault on an oceanfront apartment building in Ipanema….either a robbery or kidnapping.  Not to mention the shakedowns that used to happen by police on the way into GIG for nightflights to US.

So, yes …Rio is dangerous.  Proceed accordingly. It’s still worth it.

 

[msclelovr]

Very well written @Slvkguy .
 

You’ve perfectly described the hazards of being a rich foreigner in Rio. Personally I have always considered Rio to be a more dangerous city than Cape Town simply because the poor areas are much closer to the tourist zones. 

[numazu]

Just to add to the ample warnings from previous posters. I've seen two thefts happen in front of me during all of the 4 years I've been going to Brazil. Oddly enough these two thefts happened within a week of each other, and within the last month. 

First one happend last week. I was walking on the sidewalk by the beach in copacabana. I was with a GP. He wasn't a slouch - he's 6'3, muscular, young. He had his shirt off (as you do), and was wearing his cheapie "gold" necklace. I was noticing a younger guy on a bike eyeing him as we walked past. A few steps further a taxi driver shouted to us to "be careful". As we approach posto 4, the same kid who was eyeing us quickly rode past us and snatched that necklace from my friend. The kid quickly disappeared in his bike. 

My friend should have known better. He was a Carioca after all. He was shaken after the incident, and wanted to look for the thief. I had to calm him down by disappearing into one of the quiosques and shared a beer with him and tried to just talk him out of it. He was left a bruise in his neck where the necklace was snatched. This was like 2 pm in the afternoon in broad daylight.

The second one happened two weeks ago in Sao Paulo. I was in Higienopolis with another GP friend and we were just heading back to his condo from a Cafe after breakfast. We were walking in a quiet street with other people when a woman in the further side of the same street started screaming. A thief snatched her cellphone while she was walking. As the thief tried to run away from her, I see the thief trip and fall to the ground. A group of older guys happened to manage to trip him and pin him down.

My GP friend, not a stranger to confrontation, quickly rushed to the scene and filmed the whole thing. The older guys were punching him and kicking him. The woman whose cellphone got snatched joined in, and retrieved her cellphone. Some other passers by also joined in the melee. Pretty soon the police arrived. The guy was bloodied when all was said and done. The mob was rightfully angry, probably frustrated by all the theft happening lately. This was before noon.

While all this is horrible, this two incidents have done nothing to change my view about Brazil. Its a dangerous place for sure, but if you know how to be careful, and to be mindful of your surroundings, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine.  The pros way outweigh the cons. 

Did I mention that sex after an exciting incident is just way better? You already have all that adrenaline flowing!

[Latbear4blk]

4 hours ago, Slvkguy said:

So, there is extreme income inequality with many desperate people and criminals/organized gangs that have easy access to relatively wealthy tourists in a small geographic area.  Very easy targets for crime. Foreigners are easy to spot and you will be under surveillance at some point as a target.  Guaranteed.

Washington, DC

[babybear2]

5 hours ago, numazu said:

Just to add to the ample warnings from previous posters. I've seen two thefts happen in front of me during all of the 4 years I've been going to Brazil. Oddly enough these two thefts happened within a week of each other, and within the last month. 

First one happend last week. I was walking on the sidewalk by the beach in copacabana. I was with a GP. He wasn't a slouch - he's 6'3, muscular, young. He had his shirt off (as you do), and was wearing his cheapie "gold" necklace. I was noticing a younger guy on a bike eyeing him as we walked past. A few steps further a taxi driver shouted to us to "be careful". As we approach posto 4, the same kid who was eyeing us quickly rode past us and snatched that necklace from my friend. The kid quickly disappeared in his bike. 

My friend should have known better. He was a Carioca after all. He was shaken after the incident, and wanted to look for the thief. I had to calm him down by disappearing into one of the quiosques and shared a beer with him and tried to just talk him out of it. He was left a bruise in his neck where the necklace was snatched. This was like 2 pm in the afternoon in broad daylight.

The second one happened two weeks ago in Sao Paulo. I was in Higienopolis with another GP friend and we were just heading back to his condo from a Cafe after breakfast. We were walking in a quiet street with other people when a woman in the further side of the same street started screaming. A thief snatched her cellphone while she was walking. As the thief tried to run away from her, I see the thief trip and fall to the ground. A group of older guys happened to manage to trip him and pin him down.

My GP friend, not a stranger to confrontation, quickly rushed to the scene and filmed the whole thing. The older guys were punching him and kicking him. The woman whose cellphone got snatched joined in, and retrieved her cellphone. Some other passers by also joined in the melee. Pretty soon the police arrived. The guy was bloodied when all was said and done. The mob was rightfully angry, probably frustrated by all the theft happening lately. This was before noon.

While all this is horrible, this two incidents have done nothing to change my view about Brazil. Its a dangerous place for sure, but if you know how to be careful, and to be mindful of your surroundings, I'm pretty sure you'll be fine.  The pros way outweigh the cons. 

Did I mention that sex after an exciting incident is just way better? You already have all that adrenaline flowing!

It has been a long time since Numazu last shared his trip

[floridarob]

9 hours ago, babybear2 said:

It has been a long time since Numazu last shared his trip

There must be a shiny object that drew him away.....or a big dick 😆

[Guest]

on my very first trip to Brazil I was confused because at that time Condé Nast had rated Rio de Janeiro as the friendliest city in the world and yet the press reports were full of dangerous warnings for tourists.  I couldn’t understand how both could be true - and that’s sometimes the problem.  Tourists quickly get drawn into the carefree & friendly Carioca way of life, while danger is literally lurking in the shadows.  Add in the glorious physical beauty of the city and the people - it’s an intoxicating mix that frequently results in letting your guard down too quickly.

the examples I posted of violent crime witnessed in Rio were all true and shocking at the time - yet, none of it seemed directed targeted at tourists….except for maybe the police shakedowns going into GIG: when stopped by the police my driver said “stare straight ahead, do not look at them and do no speak English”….we were released in 5 minutes after a brief search.

I always felt 100% safe in the saunas and with the GPs.  No question about that.  The saunas reputation is everything and the tourists must be made to feel safe.  Boys that don’t play by the rules don’t seem to last long.

The reality for most tourists visiting Rio is you may be a victim of petty street crime if you’re using your phone or doing something similarly foolish.  Follow reasonable precautions as several have discussed here and you’ll be fine.  Take extra care in monitoring your surroundings in public places as there can be real violence, not directed at tourists but easy to become collateral damage. Never purchase drugs or associate w those who do - the police are corrupt it could easily be a set-up for extortion.  

Rio is my favorite city in the world, even w all the problems.  It’s not for everyone and perhaps that is part of the charm & allure.  If visiting Rio has been on your mind, then by all means go & experience all of the magic.  I’d heard about it for years before my first trip and didn’t think it could possibly be true - it was all that & more  

[SolaceSoul]

On 12/7/2021 at 3:26 PM, Slvkguy said:

Once had to be rerouted on way from airport to Ipanema because the tunnel had been blocked by bandits at each end and they were systematically robbing the cars inside.

I can verify that this is really a thing. In Braxil, it’s called an “arrastão”, when a robbery is quivkky done by a big group targeting many people or places in the same facility. This kind of arrastão is quite common at the tunnels on the NW end of Lagoa that go under the mountains and forest with Christ The Redeemer, and less common (although they do happen) at the Alvim Tunnel that runs under the Cantagalo favela, connecting Copacabana and Ipanema. I have been re-routed twice and Brazilian and expat friends of mine have gotten caught in an Uber in those robbery raids (they quickly hid their smartphones in a floor compartment, took out some several hundred Brazilian reais and handed it to the armed robbers when approached).

they’re not trying to kill or harm anyone. They just want a quick grab. But they will kill or hurt if you resist. 

“Toto, I don’t think we’re in Kansas, anymore.”