Generalities
Banks
Banks are open from Monday to Friday from 10:00-16:00.
Climate
Rio de Janeiro is a tropical city. Summer runs from December
through March with temperatures ranging from 25º C (77º F) to
42º C (108º F) while winter runs from June through August when
temperatures can drop to around 20º C (68º F) in the day and a cool
16º C (60º F) at night. The average temperature in April is 24º C
(75.2º F).
Currency & Credit Cards
The Brazilian monetary unit is the real (plural, reais). There are 100
centavos to the real.
The US dollar is by far the most widely accepted foreign currency in
Brazil. There is also an extensive network of cash points at which
foreign cash cards can be used and all major credit cards are
accepted in Brazil.
Current
In Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the current is 127 volts (60 cycles)
but many of the larger hotels also offer 220 volts. In case of doubt,
check with the front desk of the hotel. Transformers to boost the
current from 110 to 220 volts are available in most good electrical
supply stores.
For most electric appliances Brazil uses a two-round-pinned socket.
Customs
Aside from personal belongings visitors entering Brazil are permitted
to buy merchandise at the airport duty free shop.
Food & Drink
Brazil’s cuisine is the product of tradition. Each region of Brazil —
depending on its indigenous culture, which European group
colonized it, nearness to rivers or the ocean, annual rain and soil
conditions— has developed its own very diverse cuisine.
If there is one dish that typifies Brazilian cooking it is probably
feijoada. It is a complicated bean dish prepared with air-dried beef,
smoked sausage, tongue, pig’s ears and tails, garlic, and chilli
peppers. It is customary to fill a plate with white rice and spoon
feijoada over the top, covered with farofa (cassava flour) to thicken
the sauce. The whole dish is garnished with spring greens and
slices of orange.
The national drink is cachaça, made from crushed sugar cane,
which is the basis of the popular caipirinha. Cachaça is also used
for batidas - a mix of cachaça and fresh fruit juices. Soft drinks are
no less spectacular and the most popular is Guaraná. As for the
coffee, no disappointment here - Brazil is the world’s largest coffee
producer.
Internet
Most hotels in Brazil offer web access and there are cyber cafés in many of the main shopping centers. A cyber café is also available to all delegates in the Exhibition area, Pavilion 3 of the RIOCENTRO.
Telephone Service and Mobile Phone Coverage
Brazil has a well developed telephone network and it is relatively
simple to direct dial to anywhere in Brazil or internationally.
Mobile phone coverage.
Visitors should check with service providers as to exactly what
coverage to expect because this does vary from state to state and
from one service provider to another - as does the cost.
If your mobile phone is not compatible to work in Brazil handsets
can be rented and arranged to be delivered to your hotel or picked
up at the airport.
Time Zone
UTC/GMT Offset: Standard time zone UTC/GMT – 3 hours.
Tipping
Nearly all hotels add a service charge to the bill, usually 10%. Most
bars and restaurants also add 10% or more to the total of the bill,
but are obliged to specify the amount. If service is not included, it
will be stated at the bottom of the bill: “Serviço não incluído.”
Brazilians don't normally tip taxi drivers, although they may round
up the total.
Travel Insurance
A travel insurance policy to cover theft, loss and medical problems
is recommended. The WCN 2007 Organizing Secretariat and
Organizers will not be held liable for illness, accidents or thefts
suffered by participants or accompanying persons during the
Congress or their stay in Brazil before or after the Congress.
Visa
As the Brazilian Foreign Office bases its actions on reciprocity, most
visitors from foreign countries will require a visa which will typically
be processed within a few working days by applying to nearest
Brazilian Embassy or Consulate. More information will be provided
by the Organizing Secretariat’s Office or online when Registrations
have been successfully processed.
Water
It is advisable to drink bottled water only.
|
