What is the most profitable way to fly to Brazil from Russia? First time to Brazil: my experience of traveling to the country on my own

A colorful carnival, sandy beaches and lush forests of the Amazon - this is why it is worth visiting temperamental Brazil. However, due to the long flight, traveling to this country will not be cheap. Is it possible to visit Brazil if you really want to, but just a little bit short of money? Let's try!

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A colorful carnival, sandy beaches and lush Amazon forests make it worth visiting temperamental Brazil. However, due to the long flight, traveling to this country will not be cheap. Is it possible to visit Brazil if you really want to, but just a little bit short of money? Let's try!

Sao Paulo Airport

To date, there are no direct flights from Russia to Brazil. For many years it was possible to fly to Rio de Janeiro on Transaero planes. However famous events led to the fact that in 2017 it is possible to get to Brazil from Russia only with a transfer in Europe. The most popular options are via Amsterdam or Paris.

The largest “air gate” in Brazil today is the international airport of Sao Paulo - Guarulhos, also known under another name - Cumbica Airport. It is a large transit hub for passengers from all over the world.

Flights from Moscow to Sao Paulo are operated by Air France. When flying “there”, there is a need to spend the night in Paris, since the connecting time is about 18 hours. The return journey takes much less time.

Another popular flight option is with Emirates airlines with a transfer in Dubai. There are several flights, and connecting times can range from 2 to 19 hours.

Below is a table of minimum prices for flights from the capital to Sao Paulo Airport:

Rio de Janeiro Airport

Brazil's second largest international airport is located in Rio de Janeiro. It's called Galean. Most airliners arriving from Europe land here. average cost a ticket from Moscow to Amsterdam will cost 37,000 rubles, and from Amsterdam to Rio de Janeiro - about 50,000 rubles. Moreover, the price can increase significantly depending on the time of year and the influx of tourists, and therefore we recommend that you book tickets in advance. Estimated flight time is approximately 18 hours.

The most optimal route to Rio de Janeiro is, as mentioned above, an air flight with a connection in Amsterdam or Paris.

So, 3.5 hours to Amsterdam plus 12 hours from Amsterdam to Rio. KLM airline allows a comfortable 3 hours and 20 minutes for transfers. Departure from Sheremetyevo Airport daily at 5:30 am. The minimum cost of round trip tickets is about 49,000 rubles, the maximum is about 102,000 rubles, it all depends on the season.

We present comparison table prices for tickets to the capital of Brazil from Moscow in 2017. Prices are minimum and indicated in rubles.

Other airports in the country

If you are planning to visit the northeast of Brazil, cities such as Salvador, Recife or Fortaleza, then you should fly through Lisbon. From here, planes of the Portuguese airline TAP fly daily to Brazil. The approximate cost of a ticket from Lisbon to Salvador is 53,000 rubles. You can get from Moscow to Lisbon for 13,000 rubles.

Before you go to any exotic country for the first time, you need to have at least a minimal understanding of it in order to avoid unpleasant surprises and possible disappointments. And even more so if you have to travel to distant Brazil.

Significant differences in natural conditions, a large time difference (5-8 hours), and some features of the Brazilian way of life must be taken into account before the voyage. Such preparation for a trip to Brazil will be the key to a pleasant and carefree vacation.

Brazil occupies a huge area in the central part of the South American continent. It is washed by the Atlantic Ocean from the north and east. Brazil is one of the largest countries in the world, and the largest in South America. The official language is Portuguese. The majority of the population are Catholics. The capital is the city of Brasilia.

The climate of the country is very hot and humid. The height of summer is winter months. From January to March the air warms up to 28-30˚C, and often exceeds 40˚C. Most Heavy rainfall occurs during this period.

In April and May, the air temperature is more comfortable, 25-29˚C. In addition, it rains much less often. But in the Amazon, just at this time it becomes very humid.

From June to August the coolest time begins, from 18˚C in the south to 28˚C in the north. And in the mountains the thermometer can drop below 0˚C.

In September-October it is dry and hot, 27-35˚C. November and December are characterized by high humidity and high temperatures - 35-37˚C. During this period the water warms up to 29˚C.

How to get there

Daily flights to Brazil are operated by many airlines with connections to major European cities. The most convenient way to fly is through Paris or Madrid. Travel time will be from 16 to 20 hours. The approximate cost of a round trip flight is from 45,000 rubles.

Prices are quite high, but often airlines have sales. If you're planning your trip in advance, sign up for an email newsletter on your airline's website to track sales. With this approach, you can buy a ticket at half the price.

On the border

Brazil is a visa-free country for Russian tourists entering for up to 90 days.

When crossing the border you need to have with you:

• valid passport
• return air ticket
• confirmation of your solvency or hotel reservation
• for children under the age of majority traveling with only one of the parents, or with another accompanying person, a notarized power of attorney from one or both parents is required
• A veterinary certificate is required to import pets

Customs formalities

There are no restrictions when importing foreign currency, but amounts over $1,000 must be declared upon entry. Exist certain rules when importing and exporting national currency.

There is no duty charged for transporting one copy of a radio, video camera, player, or electronic notepad. The import and export of drugs, weapons, medicines, and radioactive substances is strictly prohibited. It is prohibited to export wild animals and products made from their skins, claws, shells, etc. from the country.

The price of pleasure

It is quite difficult to determine exactly how much a trip to Brazil costs. The amount of expenses depends on several factors, and consists of how much time is planned to spend in the country, the number of stars of the selected hotel, as well as the variety and intensity of the tour program or the chosen route.

For example, a tour visiting the most popular places in Brazil lasting two weeks per person will cost from $1,700.

It includes:

• hotel accommodation
• breakfasts
• transfers
• some excursions
• health insurance
• agency commission

Everything else is paid additionally.

The price of independent travel depends entirely on personal preferences and financial capabilities. The main part of the expenses is external and internal flights, and housing.

During the Brazilian carnival, New Year's holidays and “hot season”, the cost of a trip to Brazil increases significantly. Prices at least double during these periods.

Money issue

The Brazilian real is the country's currency. It makes more sense to take dollars with you. They are most readily exchanged for local currency. It is better to do this at bank branches, where the most favorable rate is. Banking hours are from Monday to Friday, from ten in the morning to half past four in the evening.

Exchange offices are easy to find at airports, hotels, travel agencies and large shopping centers. When exchanging, it is better to give preference small bills. This makes it much more convenient to pay for services. Credit cards are also accepted. Visa is considered the best way to travel to this country.

Taking care of your health

The question of whether vaccinations are needed to travel to Brazil arises before everyone who is planning to travel to this country. This, of course, is voluntary, but when going to the Amazon or Pantanal, you will still have to get vaccinated against yellow fever.

This procedure is paid. The vaccination is valid for 10 years. Issued by hand international certificate. Vaccination against hepatitis A and B is recommended.

Don't give up on health insurance either. Trying to cut the cost of your trip to Brazil by skimping on it puts you at unnecessary risk. Carefully study all the conditions for the occurrence of an insured event and the amount of the insured amount.

A little bit about everything

Any special requirements for appearance foreign tourists are not presented here. Residents of the country are very friendly and sociable, but it is still better to observe some safety measures.

Do not leave valuables unattended. It is better not to take documents with you anywhere, but to leave them in the hotel safe. Don't draw attention to yourself with expensive jewelry and pockets stuffed with banknotes. It is recommended to refrain from night walks. To get around the city, it is better to use a taxi.

It should be taken into account that in Brazil almost no one speaks the language. English language, but hotels, restaurants and airports always have English-speaking staff.

Blue payphones are used for international calls in Brazilian cities. To use red ones, you need to purchase telephone cards or tokens. They are sold at every turn.

Regular stores are open until half past six. Large shopping centers- until ten o'clock in the evening. On Saturdays all shops close their doors at one o'clock in the afternoon.

Swimming in the Atlantic Ocean is not at all safe due to treacherous ocean waves and underwater currents, so it is better not to swim far from the shore.

As soon as it gets dark, the police immediately leave the beach, so foreign guests should do the same. Otherwise, if they want to rob you, there will be no one to help you.

Don't forget to take all necessary medications with you, including anti-malarial drugs and repellents. To avoid problems, do not drink tap water. Extreme heat requires a hat in your luggage, sunscreen and glasses.

I had a choice to use the services travel agency or still go on your own to Brazil. The second option was chosen; its advantage lies in greater freedom and opportunities to get acquainted with interesting places and sights of the country.
So, first of all, I booked my favorite hotels in Rio de Janeiro. The Conceicao Hotel is classified as a 3-star hotel, quite comfortable and at reasonable prices. Next, we needed to buy a ticket; there is no direct flight, so we used Air France and bought a ticket to Paris, and from there fly a direct flight to Rio de Janeiro.

This took me several hours, then preparations went according to plan necessary documents. A friend who works at the embassy helped me with this.
List of required documents (that I had):
- international passport;
- hotel reservation confirmation;
- air tickets;
- health insurance.

By the way, for Russian tourists traveling to Brazil for less than 90 days, a visa is not required.
I have sorted out the documents, reserved everything, all that remains is to pack my bags and head to distant lands. But before that, I decided to study what can and cannot be imported to Brazil. As it turned out, it is naturally prohibited to import drugs, weapons, medicines (probably in large quantities), etc., but there are also bans on popular things or restrictions on them, such as cheese and other dairy products, fruits, root vegetables, birds, antiques etc. Therefore, at the airport itself, you need to fully familiarize yourself with the rules for the transport and export of certain items.

So, the precious day of departure arrived, the flight was at night, so I left the house at 24.00. As a rule, you need to have 3 hours in advance for registration and processing at the airport. At the airport, all procedures were completed and now I was already on the plane. Since childhood, I can’t even stand driving a car well, so after asking the flight attendant for a pill, I fell asleep.

I woke up around the time the lights of Charles de Gaulle Airport were already visible. At the airport, having gone through the standard procedure for registering passengers after landing, I went to a cafe; my main flight was still far away. After drinking coffee and eating a piece of French cake, I relaxed and waited for my flight to be announced.

Finally, my flight was announced, and I, joyful and a little tired, went to check-in. Almost the entire journey was the same as to Paris, with the exception of a nice interlocutor who talked halfway about his work as an economist. And now the long-awaited voice of a flight attendant notifies you in three languages ​​about your arrival at Rio de Janeiro airport.

Having quickly completed all registration, sent my luggage to the hotel, I calmly got into a taxi and went after my luggage. The hotel received me very kindly. I communicated with the administration in English, so there were no problems with misunderstanding. The room looked exactly like in the picture, cozy, small and comfortable. In 30 minutes I unpacked all my things and went to rest before a busy and exciting day.

First morning in Brazil, it is special - the sun, the sky, and many rays that warm not only the body, but also the soul. For convenience, I compiled a route to the most interesting places in advance and compiled a small clipping.

Statue of Christ the Redeemer is a symbol of the city. It is located on Mount Corcovado. Climbing the mountain you can not only see one of the largest statues in the world, but also enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the city.

The next place to visit is Sugarloaf, it rises above the calm waters of Gwanabara Bay. You can get to it using the cable car. I guess I love heights, so I was captivated by everything sublime. The views from here are also stunning. I went here in the evening, so I caught the sunset near the statue.
Rio de Janeiro has many museums and architectural complexes, but I’m not a fan cultural recreation, so I tried to avoid visiting these places. But the Kareoka Aqueduct even attracted my attention. It is located in the heart of the city and looks like two beautiful arches.

I really enjoyed walking through the parks of Rio and enjoying the ancient trees and birdsong. For me in this huge city I found such a calm place. Parque Quinta da Boa Vista is one of the largest in the city. It is located near the National Museum and Rio Zoo. Many different plants grow in the park; for the convenience of vacationers, there is a recreation area with benches. Tourists here mainly have picnics or read books among the palm trees and the singing of exotic birds.

The main goal for many tourists who decide to relax in Rio de Janeiro, is the beach Copacabana, there is also an equally famous Ipanema beach (it is considered even better, but I never got to it). I was no exception, having chosen my best swimsuit, I set off to conquer the ocean. Since I left the hotel in the morning, the beach was free and I was quite able to choose a convenient place, rent a sun lounger and an umbrella. Copacabana Beach is huge and geographically divided into several zones, so here you can relax in silence, as well as engage in active recreation.

At first I decided to take a tan so as not to be a “pale spot” on the beach and at least somewhat regain my skin color local residents. Of course, in order not to burn in the sun (and the sun really burns mercilessly here), I took the precaution of purchasing a good tanning cream (which I advise you to do in the future), having undergone the necessary protective procedure, I began to enjoy the rays of the bright sun of Rio de Janeiro.

After tanning for a bit, then I went to the zone active rest, and decided to go surfing and try the ocean waves. This was not my first experience in surfing, so I did without an instructor. Beginners here can always seek help from experienced surf instructors, of whom there are many. You can also go yachting and diving here, but surfing was enough for me.

On the third day of my stay in this stunning city, I decided to go to the Lapa night area. This is where the best nightclubs, restaurants and various shops are located. I bought several original leather bags, jewelry and souvenirs for friends.

From the sea of ​​bright evening lights, I had a desire to spend this night to the cheerful rhythms of cha-cha-cha. In one of the clubs there was just a theme party, dedicated to this style of dance. It is worth noting that the contingent was quite polite and friendly. Having learned that I was from distant Russia, they provided me good discount. I also won a few gifts, although it may be my luck, but deep down I think otherwise.

I spent 4 unforgettable days in Rio de Janeiro and managed to see almost all the interesting places. The next point in my program of getting to know Brazil was the city, it was this city that I saw on TV screens throughout my childhood.

I got to the city by regular bus. I planned to spend 2 days here, so I had to look for a hotel. Sao Paulo is one of the expensive cities in Brazil, so I immediately began looking for economy class accommodation, in a hostel format. In just 30 minutes we found a cozy place, certainly not a luxury place, but as they say, you can live. Leaving my things and taking a map of the city, I went to explore interesting places and sightseeing.

The city amazed me with buildings built in different architectural styles. Walking around the central part of the city, I went to several museums. I liked the Museum of Painting and the Museum of Modern Art the most.

After an excellent portion cultural information I went to Ibirapuera Park. This place can truly be called paradise, on an area of ​​1000 square meters. m. there is a zoo, a bird park, and many trees and exotic plants grow here. The five hours that I spent in this secluded place flew by in an instant. It was 4 pm local time and I decided to rest before the night's entertainment.

Evening Sao Paulo transforms into millions of colorful lights. There are various restaurants and clubs along the main street. This time I chose a restaurant, because I had already visited the club in Rio de Janeiro. I chose a classic restaurant with national dishes Brazil. For the convenience of visitors, the administration has provided for the division of the hall. I chose the central part due to availability music program. The evening was a success. A glass of good wine to the sounds of a saxophone and twilight, everything was very romantic.

The next morning we planned a road to Iguazu Falls. I took advantage of the bus and arrived at the appointed place in a few hours. There was already a crowd of people at the starting point; at 10 a.m. local time we set off. The group consisted of 20 people, among them was one Russian girl, Lena. The journey took about 30 minutes, and all the way we shared our impressions of the holiday.

Iguazu Falls known all over the world. Climbing to the top platform you can witness incredible picture. A large amount of water on high speed rushes down, creating multi-colored highlights in the rays of the bright sun. We stayed there for 4 hours with half hour intervals for snacks.

After that, I returned to the hostel, packed my things and headed back to Rio de Janeiro. Since I had a flight the next day, I stayed at a hotel at the airport. In the morning, having completed all the registration, already at 11 o’clock my plane took off, leaving my conquered dream.

1. During the month we visited quite a few interesting places in Brazil, Argentina and Chile. But what is a month for South America? Nothing at all. We managed to visit only the central and southern parts of the mainland, leaving the north for the future. I advise you, if you ever go to these parts, then budget more time.

This is a city with the most incredible landscapes. The Portuguese explorers who chose this site for a colony more than 500 years ago certainly had a sense of beauty. In Rio, as in all of South America, few people speak English; there are a lot of sticky whips and problems with finding normal food. But it’s enough to go out to any of the city beaches and look around you, and all the disadvantages of the city immediately fly out of your head.

2. the main objective throughout our trip I was in Rio de Janeiro. As I said, there are quite a few places in South America where you can climb and shoot something cool from above. It’s probably already clear that our goal was - . This is a cult place throughout Brazil, which is on the list of New Wonders of the World. We have already climbed a structure from this list - it was.

3. In fact, there is nowhere else to climb in Rio. Firstly, it is extremely difficult to get into a residential building due to large quantity crime in the city. People of average and higher incomes, hotels try in every possible way to isolate themselves from their poor neighbors with fences with barbed wire, electricity and CCTV cameras. Not so long ago, about 5 years ago, there were real raids on the beaches from the favelas - they robbed, stole everything they could. After the World Cup, the situation returned to normal and the government created special departments to combat crime in slums. Therefore, now it is a little calmer than before, but people are still afraid to keep even a window open on the lower floors.

5. Secondly, why climb on roofs if in the city center there are many rocks that are easy to climb and offer the best views.

6. Rio is also famous for the largest slums (favelas) in the world. Favela Rocinha is the largest favela in the country.

7. Most of the favelas of Rio de Janeiro are adjacent to the most fashionable areas. Favelas arose when hundreds of thousands of people from all over Brazil flocked to Rio in the mid-20th century for a better life. They did not have money for normal housing, and they built their homes where they liked best. In this sense, tastes coincided with the tastes of the rich. So the villas ended up surrounded by slum areas.

The term "favela" arose in the late nineteenth century to designate that part of Providencia Hill on which the first slums began to be built. The first favela in Rio de Janeiro was called “Morro da Favela” (Favela Hill).

Rocinha (Favela de Rocinha) is the largest favela in Rio and in Brazil as a whole. The population of Rocinha is about 200 thousand inhabitants. There are many 2-3 storey brick houses, many of which have sewerage, running water, and electricity. Today in Rocinha there is Internet and satellite television.

A few more photos from Rio:

12. We set off from Rio.

14. Sao Paulo has a completely different architectural image of the city created by a mixture of different eras and styles. There are many preserved in Sao Paulo ancient buildings, museums and churches. At the same time, Sao Paulo is one of the most modern cities; most of it is built up with high-rise buildings made of glass and metal. Such a juxtaposition of styles does not look far-fetched or alien - on the contrary, an ancient church can look harmonious against the backdrop of the most modern building. The largest city in the Southern Hemisphere, the metropolitan area has a population of over 20 million.

18. At the same time, in Sao Paulo it seems that the city is ruled by whippers and drug addicts. They are everywhere, under every bridge and even in the main square. This is what a warm climate and a financial crisis do to a city.

Sao Paulo is drowning in graffiti. Moreover, the drawings include both fairly high-quality designs and ordinary spray-painted inscriptions. The latter like to bomb the entire building, regardless of its height and location in the city.

20. To be honest, we expected something different from this city. My thoughts were of endless skyscrapers and cool shots from them, but everything turned out differently.

22. The next city on our way was the capital of Brazil is a city with same name Brasilia.

26. The layout of the city is very unusual. From a bird's eye view, it seems that the city itself, with its streets and neighborhoods, resembles a flying jet plane. And this has turned Brasilia into a city of contrasts. In the very center you can find the unsurpassed creations of the architect Oscar Niemeyer - administrative and public buildings. But as soon as you go to the “wing” of the plane, you immediately come across prostitutes and rats. We lived in one of these areas.

28. Although Brasília is very proud of the fact that it was built strictly according to plan, the design did not take into account the builders of the capital. It was assumed that after the grand opening of the capital, the builders would go home. However, they chose to stay in Brasilia, but could not afford to live in the expensive apartments they built themselves. Therefore, we had to settle around the green zone of Brasilia. Soon several cities larger in size than Brasilia sprang up. Today, only 400,000 people live in the planned city, many apartments are empty, and almost 2 million residents have settled in satellite cities that were not part of the original plan.

29. Despite the fact that it was planned to create equal conditions for everyone in the city, due to the difference in income, the population was divided and settled in different cities. Uncontrollable rapid population growth and class barriers cause crime (by some estimates, up to two murders a day in Brasilia) and other socio-economic problems inherent in any city. Brazil's young capital is experiencing growing pains.

45. Despite everything, my impressions of Brazil remained as positive as possible. I'll go back there someday to see other places.

A small bonus will be two photos from.

46. ​​Thank you for your attention!

Travel to Brazil

"I am Aunt Donna Rosa de Alvadores from Brazil, where there are many, many wild monkeys..."

Kind of weird. I’m starting to write about a trip to Brazil, it’s minus 3 outside and knee-deep snow. Second day at home, but my thoughts are still there. And why did you come back? However, sit back and be patient. Play "Lambada" or the song from "Sandpit Generals." We begin.

There are 4 main places in Brazil where tourists from all over the world are invited. First, you need to visit the very north of the country, in the northern hemisphere - the Amazon region, with the capital of the Amazon - the city of Manaus, second, you need to visit the very south - Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, third - Foz do Iguassu, it is on the border with Argentina and Paraguay, where over a distance of 3 km 275 waterfalls fall down at once and create a unique picture. And finally, the fourth place is the province of Rio Grande do Norde, where the best beaches and famous dunes in Brazil are located. This is where we were. It is very difficult and expensive to see everything at once.

As I already said, Brazil is the fifth country in the world in terms of area - about the same size as 15-16 Ukraine. The coastline along the Atlantic Ocean alone stretches over 6,000 km. Brazil is also the fifth most populous country in the world - about 180 million people, that is more than Russia. About 50% of the population is white, about 43% is mixed (whatever there is in this mixture), about 6% is black - like Pele, and less than 1% is Indians living in the Amazon. About 80% are Catholics, which means we celebrated Christmas with them. But first things first. I’ll say right away that Brazil is a fairly safe country in terms of seismicity and other natural disasters. All typhoons that form in the warm waters of the Atlantic form much further north, where the influence of the cold Arctic masses is greater.

A little about the flight

This time - for the first time - we flew with a non-German airline. Brazilian. Boeing 767-300 car. In general, I will say this - it is better to fly with German companies and on the A-330 or some other models of this Airbus. Service, food on the plane - all this was better last time, on the way to Ceylon. But in general it's ok. The flight there took about 10 hours, and back - only 8.5 hours. We flew back and forth from Dusseldorf, where a new Airport was built, just a toy, or a picture. How is it more pleasant for someone? When you get off the Berlin train, you sit on this suspended, 2-car tram - and after 8 minutes you are already in the Terminal you need.

We flew to the city of NATAL, I ask you to remember this name, this is the capital of this very land of Rio Grande do Norde. We crossed the equator, as reported by the commander, and immediately encountered turbulence. And a good one at that. Some of the ladies groaned a little, after which we immediately flew into the southern hemisphere and the turbulence left us. So we arrived, and considering that it was about 9 pm local time and quite dark, we saw an amazing picture from the plane of the city of Natal, which was all in lights. Ira filmed it. By the way, the time difference with Germany in our particular place was 4 hours, with Ukraine - accordingly 5. They don’t change the clocks, so when we summer time- the difference is another hour more. Since the southern hemisphere is 6 degrees, but still south latitude- it’s summer for them now. Although this has NOTHING to do with the matter.

All 12 months, all 365 days are summer. The air temperature in this province is ALWAYS 30-31 degrees. Water is ALWAYS 27-28 degrees. The ocean itself in the region where it was difficult for us to imagine being calm, the waves roll in one after another, but swimming among such waves is a pleasure, and these waves give an additional massage, slapping you on the back, or even lower. However, there are places in the water where black stones suddenly appear along with the sand, forming quiet pools where people also swim, and not alone, but together with fish. The fish resemble aquarium barbs, only larger.

There is no rainy season here as such, although there is a bit of it Great chance from March to June. For 2 weeks we have not seen a gloomy sky like in Ceylon, for example. In Rio, the climate there is completely different, it’s cooler and rainier. Also in the Amazon.

The scale of the country

This is quite interesting. The sun rises at about 5 in the morning, rises from the ocean (in Ceylon it set in the ocean) and at about 7 in the morning it is already roasting the edors, at 9 in the morning the sand, which a little further from the water is already hot, hot, but at about 13 o'clock - the sun is still almost at its zenith, but the sand is no longer so hot. At 17 o'clock the sun quickly sets behind the dunes, and around 18 o'clock, a little later it is already dark. And the BRAZILIAN NIGHTLIFE begins.

But I’ll say a few more words about the daytime. Once again I admire the ocean breeze, I can’t put it into words. This is something unusual. In this heat, no one sweats. They don't even know what it is. And all you have to do is move 500 meters away from the ocean - that’s it, it’s HEAT! And being near the ocean is just an indescribable thrill. Moreover, you can lie down at least from 5 am to 5 pm. Try lying down all day in Odessa, in Arcadia, say, without any visors, or in Yalta. You'll be stupefied by lunchtime. And here it’s a complete thrill.

But without a strong cream, you will burn quickly. You won't notice it yourself. Irina did not part with the cream until the last day, and cream 30 is practically the strongest. I turned back on the 3rd or 4th day, thinking that I was already tanned, I didn’t need it anymore, but just half an hour after I got out of the water, I realized something was wrong. The sun is crazy. Stronger than in the Dominican Republic and Ceylon. Cream, cream and more cream, no lower than 30 - we recommend it to everyone. Yes, another feature, there were no mosquitoes here at all. It was in vain that Irka carried mosquito repellent ointment with her, but in Ceylon, taught by the bitter Dominican experience, she did not part with it. This is a small thing, of course, but pleasant, especially for her, because mosquitoes don’t bite me.

Our hotel was 4 stars by local standards, and 3.5 stars according to the German catalogue. Nice hotel, big. And for the first time, there were no more Germans, but Dutch. And not only in our hotel, but everywhere where we picked up and where we took tourists after excursions. We heard enough of the Dutch language. Not a damn thing is clear, except for the names. It turns out that they have a direct plane from Amsterdam to Natal.

We were very lucky with the number. For such a ridiculous price - we had a room 30 meters from the ocean, including a strip of sand and a strip of cacti (for Brazilian peasants, cacti are the main defense against jaguars, snakes, etc.) But the Brazilian peasants with jaguars and snakes were far away, so so don't be scared. Moreover, the frontal location is clearly opposite the ocean. Stepping out onto the terrace offers stunning views. The ocean, as I already said, and the grass - so soft, soft, it’s like walking on moss.

Each room has its own pool, a small one, in which you can sit and lie, you will see this in the photographs, and each room also has hammocks. Hammocks are a traditional thing among Brazilians; there are hammocks everywhere in all hotels, in private houses, and there are boys walking along the beach selling them. Between the room and the ocean - in addition to the pool and hammock - there are chairs, a table, sun loungers. Palm trees are not as tall as in Ceylon. And the coconuts, like there, are not removed from them, but a special eccentric walks around and warns - move your lounger so that the coconut does not hit you in the head. There were no monkey-men climbing palm trees here. A country with a relatively high standard of living.

The hotel also has a large swimming pool, which we only visited 3-4 times. There is also a swimming pool for children. In addition, for children there are children's slides, toys, and most importantly - special young girls, very pleasant in appearance, who stay with the children if the parents have gone somewhere. This is all included in alles inclusive.

Breakfast starts at 6-30, dinner ends at 22-30, between them there is also lunch and an afternoon snack (cakes, pizza, fruit, juices, coffee, cocoa, teas). As one German cheerfully said, sitting with us in a bar in the evening, before dinner, when everyone was gurgling about who was doing what, and no one wanted to go eat, he said with a smart look, “We have to,” like everything has been paid for. What I mean is that, like everywhere else, the food is for slaughter. Their famous beef is good, different from ours. But we dealt the main blow to fish and seafood, as in Ceylon. And it must happen that Brazil turned out to be the world's number 1 Exporter in the sense of shrimp, garnels and other arthropods. They breed them in such quantities that we all never dreamed of. Moreover, pay attention - they breed these garnelles (these are large shrimp, only their front part, so to speak face, is not the same as ordinary ones) in special ponds.

We were at one real FAZENDA, where a local farmer in a cowboy hat breeds these garnelles up to 12 cm in length and up to 70 grams in weight each. The pond resembles a rice field, the depth is up to 1.5 meters, the water is fresh, and the garnels come as fry from salt water and take 2-3 weeks to get used to it, from each pond he takes up to 500 kg per year at a time, and there are 4 such times, then there are 2 tons per year. And it costs only 7 reais per 1 kg.

I inform you about the exchange rate: 1 EURO=2.7 REALS, 1ї=2.2 REALS. (By the way, the poverty line is 300 reais).

In addition, he raises fish like our carp. He also showed us the whole process of processing sugar cane - first, how sweet juice is squeezed out, we tried it, then how mash is made from this juice, we haven’t tried it, then Kashatsu vodka is distilled from this mash, 43 degrees, we tried it again, and most importantly - then they drive out the alcohol, which is already used by half of the cars in Brazil. So reed is a valuable thing for them. By the way, 3 harvests are harvested per year. It is ripe when it reaches 3 meters in height, after which the entire field is set on fire. Everything burns, but the reed itself, this stem, does not burn. And then it is removed. Both by machines and by hand. And there is a lot of it in the vast expanses of Brazil!!

And he also showed us how he feeds cows and horses with this reed, and puts their manure in 2 specials. pits where all this stuff is filled with water and wanders for 24 hours under the hot Brazilian sun, by the way, there was no smell characteristic of villages, then with one easy movement he dumps it all into these 2 cellars, where after another 24 hours gas is obtained, on where he and his family, as well as 12 families of hired workers, cook their own food. The same gas is used to make alcohol. In short, a farmer in the 6th or 7th generation, everything is inherited.

But I digress from the hotel. In short, Irka gobbled up these shrimp every day. They put them in any a fish dish as an addition to sauce. 4 bars in the hotel! One of them is by the ocean, the last one is on a special stage, where every evening they held evening shows. There was the widest selection of drinks here that Ira and I have seen. Of all the trips I mean. Starting from coconut with milk (right in front of you they take a coconut out of the refrigerator, it is already sawed - hit with a special screwdriver, a straw and be healthy) and to German beer "Bavaria". Including a dozen cocktails, several types of wines, and of course juices - everything was included in the package. The majority of cocktails are very strong, based on the above-described local Kashatsu vodka. Like everywhere else, there was a category of peasants who, in my opinion, did not leave the bars for a minute.

But I especially want to say about juices - we have never drunk such juices before. They squeeze it out right in front of you. From pineapples, from oranges, from mangoes, from the local, and perhaps the most popular plant - cashews. Yes, yes, exactly the same nut that we all love. Only there is a female cashew tree - the fruits are like red paprika, and this juice is made from them, and there is the same, but male tree - these are just nuts.

Looking ahead, I’ll say that we visited and took pictures at the largest cashew tree in the world, 10,000 square meters one tree (like the Ficus Benjamina in Ceylon), it produces 3 tons of nuts per year. When this tree blooms, the hummingbirds come. There is a special store there, and they sell these nuts roasted, with sugar and salt, in chocolate, in candied milk, etc.

If you have already touched on the topic of fruits, mango comes first here. Mango - 3 types. We were in a mango orchard, they fall out like apples, you take them in your hands, there’s no knife, you just use your fingernail to pry up the skin and put your whole face in there. It is something. Sweet, just honey. The guide has special napkins and water with him - for washing the hands and faces of vacationers. In second place is Papaya. There was nothing so sweet anywhere, and inside it was as red as blood. Food for the toothless is papaya. We mostly ate it together with mangoes. Although still with teeth. Enough delicious watermelons and melons, and grapes - I don’t understand. There is so much sun, and although it is large, it is somehow tart; it cannot be compared with the Italian one they sell in Berlin. The pineapples are very juicy and sweet, but not in such quantities as in Ceylon and they are not as fragrant as they were there.

The language in Brazil is Portuguese, this is, in my opinion, the only country in South America where they do not speak Spanish. They freed themselves from the Portuguese colonial yoke some 508 years ago, at the end of the 15th century. And only 27 years ago we were freed from the military regime; this already happened during our lifetime. So now Brazil is - as all Brazilians proudly say - a free and democratic country. We also learned one thing, but very beautiful word in Portuguese: "obrigado" - thank you.

A little about the city of Natal

The city of 800,000 people is located right on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and according to American NASA- there is the cleanest air in the world. This is written in all the reference books that we have not read.

And it is true.

The city is located quite interestingly. Imagine a bay, about 10 km, along the edges of which there are 2 parts of the city - the old one, which is called Natal, and the new one, with beautiful name Ponta Negro. And between these 2 parts, all these 10 km are occupied by hotels located right by the ocean, in one of which we lived. And the area where our hotel was located was also called aptly - Via Costeira. And also all these 10 km are occupied by dunes that rise directly above the hotels on the side opposite the ocean. All this together creates an unforgettable impression, whether during the day or at night. We walked along the embankment almost all evenings - on one side the ocean roars incessantly, and on the other, the dunes creak with sand. And the stars.

More about the hotel

Young guys and girls serve in bars and restaurants (unlike Ceylon, where we saw women only on the streets). There is such an interesting type of service. Every 2 hours from our hotel (and others too, of course) there are buses, I emphasize, FREE, buses in 2 directions - to old Natal and to Ponta Negro, and so they go in these directions until 23 o'clock to pick up all the tourists, who either buy Brazilian goods in special huge shopping malls, or indulge in booze on the Ponta Negra embankment, hugging beautiful Brazilian girls. Like Vysotsky:

"It's nice when we are respected here

look - they're bringing you up, look - they're putting you in prison"

I can’t say enough about the buses themselves. Just a fairy tale! New, clean, large, with air conditioners that are set to the temperature according to your mind - if it’s 31 outside, then on the bus it’s 27, and not like some people will set it to 20 degrees - and hello, sore throat! On buses you can even stretch your legs; there is a special support for your legs in the back of the seat in front, Irka also removed this.

The roads are mostly good quality, with markings. And one characteristic feature is that EVERYWHERE, before entering any city or village, as well as inside the village itself, there are “faceless policemen” to limit the speed. Income from tourism in “our land” comes in second place, after oil production, and in the ocean. And after them - reeds and shrimp. including lobsters. In addition, Brazil is a world exporter of soybeans.

Our travel time was 2 weeks. During this time, we went on 4 excursions, each for the whole day, on the buses described above, and in the first week - 3 at once. I will now tell you about this in more detail, but first I will say that just at the end of the first week, immediately after the 3rd excursion an unpleasant incident occurred. We had with us digital camera and a video camera. As a rule, Ira filmed with a camera, I filmed with a camera.

And now I’m filming the process of catching a crab with my hands (they also showed it with nets, but this is usually the case), it’s quite interesting, the eccentric digs up special mud with a shovel, near the river, makes a trench, and finally takes out the crab, reporting at the same time that his eyes turn 360 gr, that a severed paw grows back after 3 months, that the female has 2 vaginas, talking about spawning, etc.

And then the camera shows that the card is full, that is, we have already clicked 250 pieces, and there is still more than half of Brazil ahead. Ira hides in the shadow of the mangrove forest and erases a dozen photographs. That's why we come to the hotel. And in the evening, having taken a couple of cocktails and a shower, she, out of noble intentions - and I simply can’t believe otherwise - tries to reduce these photos in volume in order to free up memory for new ones. Moreover, I proposed a collective farm, but the right way - to reduce each photo from 5 to 3 million pixels. She wanted to do it all in one fell swoop and pressed the “formatieren” button. I pressed it accidentally. At first she pressed, and then she realized what she had done.

Because all 250 photos disappeared into oblivion. The whole Hacienda is gone, all the crabs, Irina's entire flight on a motorized hang glider over the ocean and Natal is gone, you know who else is gone - the ELDER SON of Princess DIANA and CHARLES, the future king of England, I clicked on him discreetly, pretending to take a photograph of Irina, he was sitting at the next table with 2 buddies, rested in our hotel for 3 days, and then suddenly left. Like a mere mortal.

We were in a special restaurant where we were fed meat baked in an oven on swords. Such an exotic grandfather did all this and handed over the finished swords to 2 young boys, who carried them around the hall on special carts. They fed us, and before that there was a buffet, well, everyone tried all sorts of goodies, no one knew what awaited us ahead. And after baked meat - beef, pork and poultry - there was baked pineapple, and out of the whole group, Irka was the first to determine that it was not meat, but something tasty. It really tasted like dessert.

After this restaurant we were taken to a cabaret where there was a 2 hour show. Without describing it for too long, it was a mini-carnival like Rio de Janeiro, women with big feathers and busts, with beautiful skin. Naturally, the uncles are also very beautiful. This is all gone too, I mean the photo. True, all this remained on video, so there is hope that we will take at least a few photos, albeit with worse quality.

A little about the beaches

There are deserted beaches where there is not a single living soul. And there are cheerful beaches where life is in full swing. Everything is here. Young guys with cars with music coming out of them - these are sellers of Brazilian music on CDs, we bought several pieces. Guys selling fruits - from pineapples to such an interesting fruit as "jaca", I ask you to remember this name. It is called the "family fruit", it is such a large yellow-green fruit, larger than a coconut, the skin of which resembles a hedgehog. Inside - unusually sweet, with such round seeds. There are in the photographs. Girls on the beaches - for every taste, but mostly mulatto. Sellers of shell and wood products - we bought ourselves one of the symbols of Brazil - a wooden parrot.

And of course - FOOTBALL! Both young people and schoolchildren play - like physical education lessons, in uniforms and with a physical education teacher with a whistle. I talked to some and realized that the question of who will lift the World Cup over their heads in Berlin on July 9 has almost been resolved. But Alemannia (that's Germany in Portuguese) is treated with respect. By the way, in the package of television programs in our room there was also Deutsche Welle, so they conveyed all the news - and especially football news - clearly. It is clear that this is a country of five-time World Champions, every grandmother knows and loves Ronaldinho, and the guy I met, about 3 years old, muttered something to me, from which I only understood Brazil and Ronaldinho. And everywhere you can only hear: “oi, Amigo”, it’s like “hello, pale-faced friend”

As I said above - we made 4 excursions for ourselves, so this is the last trip to Pipa - I’ll also ask you to remember this name, this 100 km south of Natal deserves more detailed description. This trip was 2 days. Irka and I were picked up from the hotel in a buggy, put in the back and driven with the breeze to the collection point for the remaining 4 cars with our leader Gustavo. By the way, on all 4 excursions, all the guys-guides were dressed in the uniform of the national colors of Brazil - blue shorts and yellow T-shirts with green inserts.

And off we went. Of course, it’s very difficult to describe this trip; it would be better to take part again. We stopped near fruit markets, and everywhere he fed us and told us about unfamiliar fruits. Then we went to the rocks, turning away from the ocean, where we were shown fields of smooth cacti, which are specially grown as animal feed. They showed us trees, from the bark of which we immediately added a little water and made shampoo. Everyone on the ball washed up.

We returned to the ocean again, and from the cliff we looked and photographed landscapes that were breathtaking. I will try to attach some to the letter. Then they brought us to the river, put us on a steamer, took us for a ride and moored in the desert, literally like in “White Sun of the Desert.” And also white sand, and 200 meters away - the ocean. That is, this piece of desert is located at the confluence of this river with the ocean. Can you imagine what the view was like there and what the water was like there.

Then we came to a park where they hand-fed bananas to monkeys, so small but very voracious. Here, from the cliff, we observed giant turtles that swim to the surface of the ocean for a breath of air. And then there were buggy races, buggy rallies, whatever. On the sand. On the left is the ocean, on the right are rocks, and a 50-meter strip of sand. Irina filmed everything, standing up, and I gently supported her, like Vanya Pasyuk Zheglova. Then there was a ferry crossing across the river. And we arrived at our new hotel for one night, settled in and went to the beach.

Now that was the BEACH! We took a special elevator made of bamboo down to the ocean. There is a rehabilitation center with massage, a restaurant and cocktail bar, and a swimming pool. Everything is done in such a way that you can relax both soul and body.

In the evening of this day we were taken to Pipa, and were shown her evening dress. One long street along the ocean, all in lights, shops and restaurants, where barkers stand every 5 meters.

In the morning, in this nice hotel, which is located in such a garden of Eden, and each room is MANDATORY equipped with a hammock, we had breakfast, and we were taken by bus to the ocean, where we put on life jackets and were transported on motorboats to the yacht, and then it began. We came to the place where all the tourists squealed with delight. There is a lagoon there full of sardines, and dolphins come there to eat. And this spectacle - dolphins playing and jumping - everyone is trying to capture on photo or video. And they will jump out here, then here. Irina managed to capture quite a lot on video.

And then there was swimming in the open ocean. At will, of course. They gave us these unique life-saving equipment - and off we went. This is how these very interesting 2 days went, and we were brought to the hotel for dinner.

And there were a lot of Brazilians there, from all over the vast country. It's Christmas. Festively dressed waiters served everyone with champagne and wine, and treated them to the tricks of local confectioners. We spent the entire next day by the ocean, saying goodbye. And in the evening the bus came - and that’s it.

This is how Brazil turned out, in short. And to put it even more briefly, the impression of this cool country can be formulated in these words: sun, ocean, joy and smiles, dancing, football. And they live only for today. Punctuality is not held in high esteem. The Brazilian 10 minutes may be all 45, but that's all nonsense.