A few things I've learnt while punting in Brazil:
-Get a sim card asap from one of the stores in a shopping centre not from a normal store. Plan for 2 hours - took me long even though I had a CPF beforehand.
-Cash is king. Unless you have PIX (which is pretty much impossible for a normal foreigner), cash is your only reliable option. Few providers have Paypal and for many of those who do, they charge an extra R$50-100 and my cards didn't work on the card machines they carry around.
-Do not expect quick replies. Many took several hours to respond and were somehow annoyed/shocked that I could no longer see them. This happened constantly.
-Motels are your friend. Very difficult to find a guest-friendly hotel or Airbnb and many of the homes I visited were sub-standard. Never paid more than R$50 for an hour.
-No point scheduling appointments in advance. I had so many girls ghost on me after agreeing to a time whether it was an hour or several in advance. If brave enough, I would just pick one up from the street.
-Service is somehow worse than in Europe - although I did have 2 of my best experiences here.
-Expect to pay tourist prices - a pet hate of mine. Agree a price beforehand regardless but once you arrive, expect to pay more unless you can speak fluent Portuguese.
-Very few providers speak any English. I expected this but was still surprised by the lack of basic English words/phrases (that English arrogance showing itself).
-My weight didn't seem to matter while punting! In Europe, the difference in punts of when I was in shape and out of it was distinct. No issues here.
-Get a sim card asap from one of the stores in a shopping centre not from a normal store. Plan for 2 hours - took me long even though I had a CPF beforehand.
-Cash is king. Unless you have PIX (which is pretty much impossible for a normal foreigner), cash is your only reliable option. Few providers have Paypal and for many of those who do, they charge an extra R$50-100 and my cards didn't work on the card machines they carry around.
-Do not expect quick replies. Many took several hours to respond and were somehow annoyed/shocked that I could no longer see them. This happened constantly.
-Motels are your friend. Very difficult to find a guest-friendly hotel or Airbnb and many of the homes I visited were sub-standard. Never paid more than R$50 for an hour.
-No point scheduling appointments in advance. I had so many girls ghost on me after agreeing to a time whether it was an hour or several in advance. If brave enough, I would just pick one up from the street.
-Service is somehow worse than in Europe - although I did have 2 of my best experiences here.
-Expect to pay tourist prices - a pet hate of mine. Agree a price beforehand regardless but once you arrive, expect to pay more unless you can speak fluent Portuguese.
-Very few providers speak any English. I expected this but was still surprised by the lack of basic English words/phrases (that English arrogance showing itself).
-My weight didn't seem to matter while punting! In Europe, the difference in punts of when I was in shape and out of it was distinct. No issues here.
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