RIO Feb 20 to Feb 24

[gulliver]

Just returned from 2weeks Jan 15 and booked my next trip. Got a non stop NYC-RIO on Varig for 653.00 and will be in Rio for 5 nights -

Feb 20 thru 25. Called Rene at Atlantico Copacabana and booked the top floor suite for the five nights. They really go out of their way to accomodate customers they see are their regulars.

 

Somehow it seems kind of excessive to be going to rio on a monthly basis but i probably spend less in rio considering the high prices of an escort in NYC. Also, the overnight flights and lack of jet lag due to the slight time change make it such a easy weekend for me.

 

If any of you posters/readers are going to be there, let me know. It is always fun to meet others to hang out with. Meeting Trilingual and the canadians, as well as other US visitors, led to some fun meals

and chats.

 

Since I went to grad school at Tulane and liked Mardi Gras EXCEPT FOR

THE FINAL THREE WILD DAYS, I wanted to experience the pre Carnival feel of rio but get out of town before the real craziness. Can anyone tell me what Rio is like PRE carnival??

 

Also bought the Pimsleur intro 4 tape Brazilian Portugeuse set and will buy the advanced set today. Really found it easy to learn using their method. Have an idea that it might be fun to study for an hour or two a day down there. Does anyone know a tutor who would come to the hotel or a school close to the Atlantico? Thanks for any information and hope to meet some of you there.

 

Trilingual - will you still be around the area?

[trilingual]

Uh-oh! Is someone about to become another Brazil slut? No, I won't be back until late March.

 

I noticed a language school called CCAA advertising Portuguese for foreigners. They were on Copacabana, near Figueiredo Magalhães (near the Blockbuster/Citibank branch) as I recall. They're probably on the Internet. You might check and, if they are, e-mail them with your inquiry about a tutor. I'm sure they can be found for about US$15 an hour.

 

Pre-Carnival is fun, and slightly less crazy. The samba school rehearsals are all going strong. Every weekend there are street carnival processions in various neighborhoods. The Banda de Ipanema is famous; it usually heads off on Saturdays for a long boozy cruise of the neighborhood, starting around 4:00 at the Praça Osório (where the hippie fair is held in Ipanema). It's often followed or joined by the très gay Banda de Carmen Miranda. On Friday and/or Saturday nights, there's a very gay samba party at the Elite Club, downtown on the Campo de Santana. This is best accompanied by a local. It's in an old building above a funeral parlor. The building literally rocks to the beat. If that doesn't awaken the dead, nothing will. Think Preservation Hall, but with samba and dancing, and you'll have a fairly good mental picture. No air-conditioning, just fans and huge windows open onto the street, so wear shorts and very light shirts, and only take enough money for admission, drinks and cab fare. R$100 in smaller bills would be more than enough! Ernani would be a good source of info about pre-Carnival stuff, and would be good company to the Elite. However, any other local friend who'd like to go would be fine. The place is an institution, and well known everywhere in town. By the way, in Portuguese Elite Club is pronounced Eh-LEE-chee CLOO-bee.

 

And Torontonians T. and J., hope you got back OK. Please e-mail me at trilingual1946@yahoo.com to stay in touch.

[Guest sucker]

Going to be in rio at the same time as you.

Lets touch base if you like. I live in sf...and will arrive in rio on Feb 15 or 18 until the 23.