Chapter 13

Planning a Trip

IN THIS CHAPTER

Bullet Choosing when to travel

Bullet Figuring out whether you need a travel visa and picking a destination

Bullet Going places: The verb ir

Bullet Finding a place to stay and packing your things

Bullet Expressing possession

I don’t know whether it’s verdade (veh-dah-jee) (true) that the vaso sanitário (vah-soh sah-nee-tah-ree-ooh) (toilet) flushes in the opposite direction in the Southern Hemisphere. I wanted to do an experiment before taking off to live in Brazil, but I never got around to it. Maybe you can try it… .

What I do know firsthand, though, is how strange it feels to sweat under the hot sol (soh-ooh) (sun) in mid-January. That’s right — wintertime in the Northern Hemisphere is summertime in Brazil, which is located in the hemisfério sul (eh-mees-feh-ree-ooh doo soo) (southern hemisphere). When you’re planning a viagem (vee-ah-zhang) (trip) to Brazil, this seasonal switcheroo is important to consider. In this chapter I point out how to choose the best time for your Brazilian getaway and describe the characteristics of Brazil’s main regions.

I also give you the lowdown on passports and visas, help you choose the right accommodations for your stay, and offer some tips on what to take with you to Brazil. Along the way, I cover how to use the pertinent verb ir (ee) (to go/to be going) and how to form possessives (my, your, her, his, ours, theirs).

Picking the Best Time for Your Trip

Remember Prices are double, sometimes triple, for traveling in Brazil during summer in the Southern Hemisphere — dezembro até março (deh-zem-broh ah-teh mah-soh) (December to March). But the summertime price hike is due more to the surge of Brazilian vacationers than foreign tourists. People flock to Brazil year-round, whereas most Brazilians go de férias (jee feh-ree-ahz) (on vacation) in the verão (veh-rah-ooh) (summer) only.

Here are the Portuguese words for the different estações (eh-stah-soh-eez) (seasons):

  • primavera (pree-mah-vay-rah) (spring)
  • verão (veh-rah-ooh) (summer)
  • outono (oh-toh-noo) (fall/autumn)
  • inverno (een-veh-noo) (winter)

Tip If you like crowds and festas (feh-stahz) (parties) and want to meet lots of native Brazilians at the vacation hotspots, visit Brazil during its verão. If you prefer to travel on the cheap, go during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer months, the Brazilian inverno (een-veh-noh) (winter).

In Brazil’s North and Northeast, the weather is quente (kang-chee) (hot) year-round. In the Amazon, it usually rains at some point each day all year, so bring your guarda-chuva (gwah-dah shoo-vah) (umbrella). If you visit the Northeast from abril até julho (ah-bree-ooh ah-teh joo-lyoh) (April to July), the chance of chuva (shoo-vah) (rain) is very high, too. But the rain usually doesn’t last all day. And waiting out a tropical storm can be kind of relaxing.

Check out the mapa do Brasil (mah-pah doh brah-zee-ooh) (map of Brazil) in Figure 13-1.

In the Southeast [where Rio (hee-ooh) and São Paulo (sah-ooh-pah-oo-loh) are located], weather patterns are a bit different; dezembro até março (deh-zem-broh ah-teh mah-soh) (December to March) is hot and humid with a high probability of rainstorms, whereas junho até setembro (zhoon-yoh ah-teh seh-tem-broh) (June to September) is typically ensolarado (en-sohl-ah-rah-doo) (sunny) and seco (seh-koh) (dry).

South of Rio has a real inverno from abril até julho (ah-bree-ooh ah-teh joo-lyoh) (April to July); temperatures get pretty frio (free-oh) (cold) the higher you go in altitude. It even neva (neh-vah) (snows) some years in Rio Grande do Sul (hee-ooh grahn-jee doo soo) state, the southernmost part of the country.

Map shows the five regions of Brazil and popular destinations.

Illustration by Elizabeth Kurtzman

FIGURE 13-1: This map shows the five regions of Brazil and popular destinations.

Here are a few more terms you can use to ask about or describe the weather while you’re planning your Brazilian getaway:

  • nublado (nooh-blah-doo) (cloudy)
  • o vento (ooh ven-to) (wind)
  • úmido (ooh-mee-doh) (humid)
  • a neve (ah neh-vee) (snow)
  • gelado (zheh-lah-doh) (icy)

Remember When talking about the best time to visit Brazil, knowing how to say the months of the year in Portuguese comes in handy. Notice that, in Portuguese, the first letter of the name of each month isn’t capitalized like it is in English:

  • janeiro (zhah-nay-roh) (January)
  • fevereiro (feh-veh-ray-roh) (February)
  • março (mah-soo) (March)
  • abril (ah-bree-ooh) (April)
  • maio (my-oh) (May)
  • junho (zhoon-yoh) (June)
  • julho (zhool-yoh) (July)
  • agosto (ah-goh-stoh) (August)
  • setembro (seh-tem-broh) (September)
  • outubro (oh-too-broh) (October)
  • novembro (noh-vem-broh) (November)
  • dezembro (deh-zem-broh) (December)

To say in a certain month, use em (ang) plus the name of the month. Here are a couple example sentences:

  • Vou para o Brasil em maio. (voh pah-rah ooh brah-zee-ooh ang my-oh.) (I’m going to Brazil in May.)
  • Ela retornou do Canadá em novembro. (eh-lah heh-toh-noh doo kah-nah-dah ang noh-vem-broh.) (She returned from Canada in November.)

Or, you may want to say, I’m going to return home em agosto (ang ah-goh-stoh) (in August) or ask, Does it rain a lot in the Amazon em março (ang mah-soo) (in March)?

Obtaining a Passport and Visa

Remember If you plan to visit Brazil, you’ll need a passaporte (pah-sah-poh-chee) (passport). If you don’t have one, be sure to get one far in advance of your trip; passports can take weeks to get finalized. If you already have a passaporte, check to make sure that the data de vencimento (dah-tah jee ven-see-men-toh) (expiration date) won’t come before your trip starts! As of press time, Brazil requires visitors to show passports that are valid on the day of entrance to the country. (Some countries require validity that extends to 3-6 months past the return date, but this isn’t the case with Brazil.)

If you’re curious about how to say some of the personal identification details listed on a passport in Portuguese, take a look here:

  • nome (noh-mee) (name)
  • sobrenome (soh-bree-noh-mee) (last name)
  • nacionalidade (nah-see-oh-nah-lee-dah-jee) (nationality)
  • endereço (en-deh-reh-soh) (address)
  • data de nascimento (dah-tah jee nah-see-men-toh) (date of birth)

As far as getting your visto (vees-toh) (visa), first check on the website of the Brazilian embaixada (em-bah-ee-shah-dah) (embassy) in your país (pah-eez) (country) to find out whether you need one to enter Brazil. As of 2022, Americans visiting Brazil for tourism or business purposes didn’t need a visa.

Remember If you plan to travel to any developing countries within 90 days prior to your visit to Brazil that might be host to febre amarela (feh-bree ah-mah-reh-lah) (yellow fever), you may be required to show prova de vacinação de febre amarela (proh-vah jee vah-see-nah-sah-ooh jee feh-bree ah-mah-reh-lah) (proof of yellow fever vaccination) in order to get a visa to enter Brazil.

Researching Public Health Concerns

You may want to check the U.S. Centers for Disease Control website for recommended vaccines for travelers going to Brazil. As of press time, these included:

  • hepatite A (eh-pah-chee-chee ah) (hepatitis A)
  • hepatite B (eh-pah-chee-chee beh) (hepatitis B)
  • febre tifóide (feh-bree chee-foh-ee-jee) (typhoid)
  • febre amarela (feh-bree ah-mah-reh-lah) (yellow fever) (recommended if you plan to visit near any rivers in Brazil)

Here are some other terms that you may want to know as you assess health riscos (heez-goos) (risks) when planning an upcoming trip to Brazil:

  • malária (mah-lah-ree-ah) (malaria)
  • chicungunha (shee-keen-goon-yah) (chikungunya — a mosquito-driven infectious disease common in tropical climates)
  • zika (see-kah) (Zika)
  • SIDA (see-dah) (AIDS)
  • dengue (dang-gee) (dengue)
  • COVID-19 (koh-vee-jee dez-ee-noh-vee) (COVID-19)
  • taxa de transmissão (tah-shah jee trahnz-mee-sah-ooh) (transmission rate)
  • quarentena (kwah-ren-ten-ah) (quarantine)

Packing for Your Brazilian Getaway

You lucky duck, are you really planning a trip to Brazil? Starting to pack your mala (mah-lah) (suitcase) already? No doubt you got some new roupas (hoh-pahs) (clothes) for the voyage!

Here are some other things you may want to pack:

  • biquini/sunga (bee-kee-nee/soong-gah) (bikini/tight-fitting swim briefs for men — if you want to look like Brazilian men on the beach!)
  • repelente (heh-peh-len-chee) (insect repellant)
  • chapéu (shah-peh-ooh) (hat)
  • chinelos (shee-neh-looz) (flip-flops)
  • protetor solar (proh-teh-toh soh-lah) (sunblock)
  • tênis (teh-nees) (sneakers; Literally: tennis shoes)
  • óculos de sol (oh-koo-lohs jee soh-ooh) (sunglasses)
  • prova de vacinação de febre amarela (proh-vah jee vah-see-nah-sah-ooh jee feh-bree ah-mah-reh-lah) (proof of yellow fever vaccination)
  • câmera (kah-meh-rah) (camera)
  • carregador de bateria (kah-heh-gah-doh jee bah-teh-ree-ah) (battery charger)
  • conversor de voltagem (kohn-veh-soh jee vol-tah-zhang) (power converter)
  • adaptador de tomada (ah-dahp-tah-doh jee toh-mah-dah) (plug)

Remember Many electrical outlets in Brazil use the round-prong (not rectangular) kind of plug, so get an adaptador if necessary. Voltage in the electric current varies widely in Brazil; it can be anywhere from 100 to 240 volts. Check the power adaptors of your laptop before you get on the plane. You may need to buy a conversor de voltagem.

In general, anything related to technology is more expensive in Brazil than in the United States and in some European countries. Photography aficionados, better to bring extra baterias for your single-lens reflex câmera, for example, than deal with finding the right store and unloading more of your carteira (kah-tay-rah) (wallet) than you’d like to. Protetor solar (proh-teh-toh soh-lah) (sunscreen) tends to be more expensive in Brazil, too, so it may be worth bringing extra.

However, roupas, sapatos (sah-pah-tohs) (shoes), and most things you’d buy in a farmácia (fah-mah-see-ah) (drugstore) are reasonably priced in Brazil and easy to replenish if you need to.

Deciding Where to Go

Brazil has it all: beaches, hiking, natural wonders, history, great food, infectious music, urban life, and rural solitude. Each region has its strong points, so do a little research before your trip to Brazil to decide which parts of the country you should visit.

In this section, you find highlights of places to go in Brazil as well as some insight about what you can expect from the various destinations, all of which feature intriguing wonders of the natural, urban, and historical varieties. Of course, veering off the beaten path is fun, too; this overview is a good starting point for planning your Brazilian vacation.

Fortunately for people who like variety, Brazil’s airlines offer daily flights to all parts of Brazil, so it’s easy to visit more than one region during a single trip. The largest airlines in Brazil are LATAM Brazil (lah-tahm brah-see-ooh), Gol (gohl) and Azul (ah-zoo). Check out Chapter 15 for more on traveling by air.

The North

Brazil’s North region is known for its vast expanses of land without a lot of human population and includes some interesting towns as well as the Amazon rainforest. The North is not a very touristy area, which may delight travelers who like to make their own tracks.

Pará (pah-rah) state has beautiful beaches, and the North is also where the world-famous Amazon rainforest is located. When visiting this area, most people fly into Manaus (mah-nah-ooz), the capital of Amazonas (ah-mah-soh-nahz) state and the biggest city in the Brazilian part of the Amazon.

From Manaus, you can reach several jungle lodges within a couple of hours. Most lodges are located near the Rio Amazonas (hee-ooh ah-mah-soh-nahz) (Amazon River). Here, you can see local indigenous culture as well as exciting animals, including piranhas (pee-rahn-yahz) (piranas), macacos (mah-kah-kooz) (monkeys), and bichos-preguiça (bee-shoo preh-gee-sahz) (sloths). Parintins (pah-reen-cheenz), a town a few hours from Manaus, is famous for its Carnaval in July. Flip to Chapter 17 for details on Brazil’s different Carnaval celebrations.

The Northeast

If you want to see what many people consider to be Brazil’s best beaches, visit the Northeast region. Tourists often make a holiday in Brazil just by connecting the dots between the following places:

  • Bahia (bah-ee-ah) is the most popular destination in the Northeast. It’s the place for relaxing and listening to music; many of Brazil’s most famous musicians are from Bahia. This is the place to see capoeira (kah-poh-ay-rah), a world-famous martial arts form.

    Popular beachy places to go in Bahia include Morro de São Paulo (moh-hoo jee sah-ooh pah-ooh-loo), Praia do Forte (prah-ee-ah doo foh-chee), Itacaré (ee-tah-kah-reh), and Trancoso (trahn-koh-zoo), which are all rustic; Porto Seguro (poh-too seh-goo-roo) is urban and relatively expensive. In the interior of the state is a majestic, plateau-filled area called Chapada Diamantina (shah-pah-dah jee-ah-mahn-chee-nah), which hikers and those looking for solitude will appreciate.

    Salvador (sah-ooh-vah-doh) is the capital of the Bahia State. Its city center, known as Pelourinho (peh-loh-ring-yoh), boasts beautiful old colonial architecture that is protected by its designation as a UNESCO world heritage site. Salvador was Brazil’s very first city and served as the country’s colonial capital for more than 200 years.

  • Recife e Olinda (heh-see-fee ee oh-leen-dah) is composed of two neighboring cities along the state of Pernambuco (peh-nahm-boo-koh) coast. Recife is very urban, while Olinda may be the most charming little town in Brazil, with its amazing views, narrow streets, colonial architecture, and emphasis on local art.
  • Rio Grande do Norte (hee-ooh grahn-jee doo noh-chee) boasts sand dunes and dolphins. My personal favorite beach in this state is Pipa (pee-pah). It’s pure magic with dolphins, views of turquoise waters from a bluff, rainbow-colored rocks, a fun little town, and a perfect mix of locals and tourists. With just a few places to go out, you meet them all!
  • Ceará (see-ah-rah) has turquoise water and is one of the areas that makes the northeastern states famous for their beaches.
  • Lençóis Maranhenses (lehn-soh-eez mah-rahn-yen-seez) in Maranhão (mah-rahn-yah-ooh) boasts turquoise lagoons amid white sand dunes that are like nothing else on Earth. Belém (beh-lang), the capital of Pará state, and São Luis (sah-ooh loo-eez), the capital of Maranhão state, are relaxed, culturally interesting cities to check out.

The Central-West

The Central-West region is home to Brazil’s capital Brasília (brah-zee-lee-ah), a city founded in 1960 that is known for its modernist architecture and is not a big tourist draw. Within the region lies the Pantanal (pahn-tah-nah-ooh), known locally as Brazil’s Serengeti — its African plains, home to exotic animals that thrive in the plains and wetlands. By far, the Central-West region is the best place to see wild animals in Brazil. Spotting animals here is easier than in the Amazon simply because the Pantanal has more open space. The Pantanal is a bit of a secret and doesn’t see many tourists despite its riches. It is a bit of a trek to get here, and tourist packages are more expensive here compared to the beach destinations.

Campo Grande (kahm-poh grahn-jee) and Bonito (boo-nee-too) are the two main towns in the Pantanal; both are located in Mato Grosso do Sul (mah-toh groh-soo doo soo) state. The area is huge, so visiting with a tour rather than exploring on your own by car is the way to go. Tour guides can lead you to all the magnificent flocks of rare pássaros (pah-sah-rohz) (birds), giant pintados (peen-tah-dooz) (catfish), gargantuan tamuandás bandeiras (tah-moo-ahn-dahz bahn-day-rahz) (anteaters), and fearsome serpentes (seh-pen-cheez) (snakes) and jacarés (zhah-kah-res) (alligators)!

The Southeast

Remember The Southeast region is considered the most sophisticated in Brazil; it contains the country’s two richest and most famous cities: Rio de Janeiro (hee-ooh jee zhah-nay-roo) and São Paulo (sah-ooh pah-ooh-loo). Here you can find the best restaurants in the country as well as the cultural joys and poverty-based downers that exist in most every megalopolis in the world.

Rio (hee-ooh) is a gorgeous city, known for its hills, fabulous urban beaches, o Cristo Redentor (ooh krees-too heh-den-toh) (Christ the Redeemer statue, shown in Figure 13-2), Pão de Açúcar (pah-ooh jee ah-soo-kah) (Sugarloaf Mountain — with a cable car to get there), and lively locals. Popular beach areas to visit near Rio are rustic Ilha Grande (eel-yah grahn-jee), sophisticated Búzios (boo-zee-oohz), and historic Paraty (pah-rah-chee). Also be sure to take a quick trip to Petrópolis (peh-troh-poh-leez), established by Pedro II, the last Emperor of Brazil, as the imperial residence in 1843.

Schemaic illustration of the Christ the Redeemer statue is a hallmark of Rio de Janeiro.

Illustration by Elizabeth Kurtzman

FIGURE 13-2: The Christ the Redeemer statue is a hallmark of Rio de Janeiro.

Soundnative Some visitors to Brazil are surprised to find out that many Brazilians refer to Rio by its full name, Rio de Janeiro, and not the nickname Rio.

São Paulo is great for anthropologists. This city has huge immigrant populations from Japan, Lebanon, and Italy, among other parts of the world. It’s also one of the largest cities on Earth, with more than 12 million people. Art and restaurant buffs appreciate São Paulo’s nightlife and cultural institutions — the best Brazil has to offer. But the heavy traffic makes transportation difficult, and the city isn’t among Brazil’s prettiest. São Paulo’s state beaches are at least two hours from the city, but they’re gorgeous, with emerald mountains tumbling into turquoise water.

The Southeast is also home to Minas Gerais (mee-nahz zheh-rah-eez) (Literally: General Mines) state, which has no beaches, but it does have some of the tastiest food in Brazil and very friendly locals. It’s full of old mines and historic towns with colonial Portuguese architecture. The most famous town is Ouro Preto (oh-ooh-roh preh-toh) (Literally: Black Gold), named after the gold mines there. There’s even a town in Minas (the state’s nickname) that’s famous for UFO sightings; it’s called São Tomé das Letras (sah-ooh toh-meh dahz leh-trahz). Some locals think there’s something otherworldly about Minas state because of all the minerals in the ground there.

The South

This region of Brazil has a higher concentration of German and Polish immigrants’ descendants. The sea water in the south is also a bit different from the rest of the country; it’s colder.

Rio Grande do Sul (hee-ooh grahn-jee doo soo) state shares a border, as well as many cultural traditions, with Argentina and Uruguay. Here’s where the famous Brazilian churrascarias (choo-hahs-kah-ree-ahs), Brazilian all-you-can-eat steakhouses with salad buffets, originate. The capital, Porto Alegre (poh-too ah-leh-gree), is a clean, safe, and pleasant city, and the people are polite but a bit more introverted compared to Brazilians in the rest of the country. Rio Grande do Sul hosts Brazil’s most famous film festival in Gramado (grah-mah-doo), a town in the interior. Hikers enjoy the Serra Gaúcha (seh-hah gah-ooh-shah), located in the interior of the state and known for its vast plains and plateaus that resemble the American West. By the way, Rio Grande do Sul is the only Brazilian state on the Atlantic coast that’s not known for its beaches!

Florianópolis (floh-ree-ah-noh-poh-lees) is the capital of Santa Catarina (sahn-tah kah-tah-ree-nah). The city is located on an island that boasts at least 32 stunning beaches — one for every day of the month! Floripa (floh-ree-pah), the local nickname for Florianópolis, is very modern; it attracts Argentine tourists in the summer.

The world-famous Iguaçu Falls are located in southern Brazil, too, on the border of Paraná (pah-rah-nah) state and Argentina. The name in Portuguese is Foz do Iguaçu (fohz doo ee-gwah-soo). This canyon is filled with 250 breathtaking cataratas (kah-tah-rah-tahz) (waterfalls), making it, in my opinion, much more impressive than Niagara Falls in the United States, which has just two waterfalls.

Talking about Going: The Verb Ir

The verb ir (ee) (to go/to be going) is so useful; I’m excited to talk about this one. Hopefully you’ll feel like you’re advancing your Portuguese by leaps and bounds after discovering what’s in this section.

Take a look at the present tense conjugations for ir.

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu vou

eh-ooh voh

você vai

voh-seh vah-ee

ele/ela vai

eh-lee/eh-lah vah-ee

nós vamos

nohz vah-mohz

eles/elas vão

eh-leez/eh-lahz vah-ooh

vocês vão

voh-sehz vah-ooh

Try out these sample sentences using ir:

  • Ela vai para a praia. (eh-lah vah-ee pah-rah ah prah-ee-ah.) (She’s going to the beach.)
  • Você vai para o show? (voh-seh vah-ee pah-rah ooh shoh?) (Are you going to the show?)
  • Eu vou para a minha casa. (eh-ooh voh pah-rah ah ming-yah kah-zah.) (I’m going to my house.)
  • Nós vamos ao cinema. (nohz vah-mooz ah-ooh see-neh-mah.) (We’re going to the movies.)
  • Eles vão para o show de rock. (eh-leez vah-ooh pah-rah ooh show jee hoh-kee.) (They’re going to the rock concert.)

Remember Ir often goes with para (pah-rah). Ir para (eeh pah-rah) means to go to.

You can talk about the future by conjugating ir and adding another verb. Voilá! For example, Nós vamos dançar (nohz vah-mohz dahn-sah) means We’re going to dance. Easy, right?

Try this formula with the verb viajar (vee-ah-zhah) (to travel/to take a trip), because that’s what this chapter’s about. In each of these phrases, someone is going to take a trip/travel.

Conjugation

Pronunciation

eu vou viajar

eh-ooh voh vee-ah-zhah

você vai viajar

voh-seh vah-ee vee-ah-zhah

ele/ela vai viajar

eh-lee/eh-lah vah-ee vee-ah-

zhah

nós vamos viajar

nohz vah-mohz vee-ah-zhah

eles/elas vão viajar

eh-leez/eh-lahz vah-ooh vee-

ah-zhah

vocês vão viajar

voh-sehz vah-ooh vee-ah-zhah

Here are some examples that use the future tense:

  • Eu vou viajar de trem. (eh-ooh voh vee-ah-zhah jee trang.) (I’m going to travel by train.)
  • Você vai viajar de ônibus. (voh-seh vah-ee vee-ah-zhah jee oh-nee-boos.) (You’re going to travel by bus.)
  • Ela vai viajar de avião. (eh-lah vah-ee vee-ah-zhah jee ah-vee-ah-ooh.) (She’s going to travel by plane.)

Now you can talk about all kinds of things in the future:

  • Vamos fazer o jantar. (vah-mohz fah-zeh ooh zhan-tah.) (We’re going to make dinner.)
  • Você vai cantar para nós? (voh-seh vah-ee kahn-tah pah-rah nohz?) (You’re going to sing for us?)
  • Ele vai ligar para ela. (eh-lee vah-ee lee-gah pah-rah eh-lah.) (He’s going to call her.)
  • Vamos sair? (vah-mohz sah-eeh?) (Are we going to go out?)
  • Vou para a Europa no mês que vem. (voh pah-rah ah eh-ooh-roh-pah noh mez kee vang.) (I’m going to Europe next month.)

Going Through Customs

Getting through a alfândega (ah ah-ooh-fahn-deh-gah) (customs) at a Brazilian airport or bus station is a cinch. Authorities first review o formulário (ooh foh-moo-lah-ree-ooh) (the form) that you filled out on the plane. Most likely you checked the box that indicates you have nada a declarar (nah-dah ah deh-klah-rah) (nothing to declare), and you’ll sail through.

Be careful about bringing new expensive items into Brazil — think laptop (lahp-top-ee) (laptop computer) or câmera (kah-meh-rah) (camera). By law, any person, whether Brazilian or foreigner, must pay taxes on items worth over a certain amount. Don’t chance it. Segurança (seh-goo-rahn-sah) (security) may decide to check your bagagem (bah-gah-zhang) (luggage) by opening a mala (mah-lah) (suitcase). You could get fined an arm and a leg in impostos (eem-poh-stooz) (taxes).

Choosing a Place to Sleep

When you’re looking for a place to hang your hat during your Brazilian vacation, it helps to know that most people choose to stay at one of these two main types of hospedagem (oh-speh-dah-zhang) (lodging) in Brazil:

  • hotéis (oh-tay-eez) (hotels) tend to be large and impersonal.
  • pousadas (poh-zah-dahz) (guesthouses) are often small and friendly.

Do I seem biased? Well, I really recommend staying at a pousada because the close quarters and chatty donos (doh-nooz) (owners) make for an excellent Portuguese classroom. The donos often work in the pousada themselves because it’s their livelihood. So choosing a pousada can feel like staying in another family’s home. They’re similar to what North Americans refer to as a B&B (bed and breakfast — a small inn), except that most Brazilian pousadas are larger — up to 20 quartos (kwah-tooz) (rooms) or so.

Remember Pousadas are generally baratas (bah-rah-tahz) (inexpensive). A simples (seem-pleez) (modest) room during most of the year typically costs 150–500 reais (about $35–100) for two people por noite (poh noh-ee-chee) (per night). In popular beach spots or historic touristy towns, like Olinda (oh-leen-dah), pousadas can be pricier. During the high season, expect to pay about 20 percent more anywhere you go.

At large chain hotéis, the going rates are typically higher than at pousadas. Expect to pay 450 reais (about $100) and up for chain hotéis in major cities for most of the year; add that 20 percent or so spike if you’re visiting during the high season (from the week before Christmas until after Carnaval).

Making reservations

Tip If you plan to visit Brazil for Réveillon (heh-vay-yohn) (New Year’s Eve) or Carnaval (kah-nah-vah-ooh) (Carnival), faça uma reserva com antecedência (fah-sah ooh-mah heh-seh-vah kohng ahn-teh-seh-den-see-ah) (make a reservation ahead of time)! In the case of Carnaval, it’s best to book lodging and air travel about six months in advance. Hotéis and pousadas often offer a five-day pacote (pah-koh-chee) (package) that covers Saturday through Ash Wednesday. For more on Carnaval, see Chapter 17.

Regardless of when you’re traveling, try to make a reserva before you chegar (sheh-gah) (arrive) in Brazil. That said, unless you’re staying during a holiday or some special event is going on, you should be fine just showing up and scouting out the area.

You can use these questions and phrases about hospedagem (oh-speh-dah-zhang) (accomodations) on the phone when you’re making a reserva or in person at the recepção do hotel (heh-sep-sah-ooh doo oh-teh-ooh) (hotel reception desk). (For more on talking on the phone in Portuguese, see Chapter 10.) The most important thing, of course, is to find out whether the place has a vaga (vah-gah) (vacancy):

  • Tem vaga para hoje à noite? (tang vah-gah pah-rah oh-zhee ah noh-ee-chee?) (Do you have a vacancy for tonight?)
  • Tem vaga para o fim de semana? (tang vah-gah pah-rah ooh fing jee seh-mah-nah?) (Do you have a vacancy for the weekend?)
  • Tem vaga para o mês que vem? (tang vah-gah pah-rah ooh mehz kee vang?) (Do you have a vacancy for next month?)

Here are some questions that the hotel clerk may ask you:

  • Quantas pessoas? (kwahn-tahz peh-soh-ahz?) (How many people?)
  • Por quantas noites? (poh kwahn-tahz noh-ee-cheez?) (For how many nights?)
  • Cama de casal, ou duas camas de solteiro? (kah-mah jee kah-zah-ooh, ooh doo-ahz kah-mahz jee soh-ooh-tay-roh?) (A double bed, or two twin beds?)

Use these phrases to respond:

  • Eu queria fazer uma reserva. (eh-ooh kee-ree-ah fah-zeh ooh-mah heh-seh-vah.) (I want to make a reservation.)
  • É para duas pessoas. (eh pah-rah doo-ahz peh-soh-ahz.) (It’s for two people.)
  • Só para uma pessoa. (soh pah-rah ooh-mah peh-soh-ah.) (Just for one person.)

Checking in and out: Registration

Checking into a hotel or pousada in Brazil follows the same process as it does in most places in the world. First, you give the desk clerk your nome (noh-mee) (name). If you have a reserva, the clerk will probably check the detalhes (deh-tahl-yeez) (details) on file for you and then give you the chaves (shah-veez) (keys) to the quarto (kwah-too) (room).

Soundnative Most Brazilians refer to the check-in process as o check-in (ooh sheh-king). Fazer o check-in (fah-zeh ooh sheh-king) means to check in.

The hotel clerk may use these phrases:

  • Aqui tem duas chaves. (ah-kee tang doo-ahz shah-veez.) (Here are two keys.)
  • Preencha essa ficha, por favor. (pren-sha eh-sah fee-shah, poh fah-voh.) (Fill out this form, please.)

By federal law, each hotel and pousada must give every hóspede (oh-speh-jee) (guest) a ficha (fee-shah) (form) to fill out; you must write down basic information about yourself and list the places you’ve visited in Brazil and where you plan to go. This ficha helps Embratur (em-brah-too) (the federal tourism board) understand the activity of its tourists. The ficha uses the following terms:

  • nome (noh-mee) (first name)
  • sobrenome (soh-bree noh-mee) (last name/surname)
  • país de origem (pah-eez jee oh-ree-zhang) (country of origin)
  • data (dah-tah) (date)
  • próximo destino (proh-see-moh des-chee-noo) (next destination)
  • número do passaporte (noo-meh-roh doo pah-sah-poh-chee) (passport number)

Asking about amenities

One nice thing about Brazilian hospedagem is that o café da manhã (ooh kah-feh dah mahn-yah) (breakfast) almost always comes with the per-night rate. The term café da manhã is often shortened to just café, so you can ask the receptionist, Vem incluído o café? (vang een-kloo-ee-doh ooh kah-feh?) (Is breakfast included?). Brazilian breakfasts are ample and delicious; see Chapter 5 to find out what you can expect on the menu.

Remember What you don’t generally get with a pousada that you do get with a hotel are an academia (ah-kah-deh-mee-ah) (fitness room/gym), a piscina (pee-see-nah) (pool), and a full-service restaurante (heh-stah-ooh-rahn-chee) (restaurant).

Before you decide where to stay, you may want to ask some perguntas (peh-goon-tahz) (questions) about amenities. The expression Tem… ? (tang… ?) (Does it have/Do you have… ?) is useful for asking about amenities. Here are some perguntas you can use to ask about o quarto:

  • Tem banheira? (tang bahn-yay-rah?) (Does it have a bathtub?)
  • Tem ar condicionado? (tang ah kohn-dee-see-ooh-nah-doo?) (Does it have air conditioning?)
  • O quarto tem ventilador? (ooh kwah-too tang ven-chee-lah-doh?) (Does the room have a fan?)
  • Tem cofre? (tang koh-free?) (Does it have a safe deposit box?)
  • Tem vista? (tang vee-stah?) (Does it have a view?)
  • Tem Wifi? (tang wee-fee?) (Does it have WiFi?)
  • O quarto tem TV à cabo? (ooh kwah-too tang teh-veh ah kah-boh?) (Does the room have cable TV?)
  • Tem Jacuzzi? (tang zhah-koo-zee?) (Does it have a Jacuzzi?)

And here are some questions you can ask about the hotel or pousada in general:

  • Tem piscina? (tang pee-see-nah?) (Do you have a pool?)
  • Tem quarto para não fumantes? (tang kwah-toh pah-rah nah-ooh foo-mahn-cheez?) (Do you have non-smoking rooms?)
  • Tem academia? (tang ah-kah-deh-mee-ah?) (Do you have a gym?)

To ask about transportation services, ask, Oferecem traslado? (oh-feh-reh-sah-ooh trahz-lah-doo?) (Do you offer a pick-up service from the airport?).

Getting Possessive

Now it’s time to get possessive and find out how to say words like my, yours, and ours. If you’re traveling with a companion, you may want to tell hotel staff what your individual requests are. For example, you may want to specify that there’s a problem with a sua cama (ah soo-ah kah-mah) (your bed) or that your friend wants to put as coisas dela (ahz koy-zahz deh-lah) (her things) in a safe deposit box. Or maybe your towels are missing and you want to ask about as nossas toalhas (ahz noh-sahz toe-ahl-yahz) (our towels).

For all these situations, you want to use a possessive term. To express It’s mine, say É meu (eh meh-ooh) while pointing to the item. To say It’s yours, use É seu (eh seh-ooh). It’s ours is É nosso (eh noh-soo).

If you want to specify what exactly is yours, change the meu, seu, or nosso to match the item; is it masculine or feminine and singular or plural? Check out Table 13-1 for possibilities of combinations for talking about my things, your things, and our things.

TABLE 13-1 Possessive Words — My, Your, and Our

Meaning

Singular Masculine Object

Singular Feminine Object

Plural Masculine Object

Plural Feminine Object

my

o meu (ooh meh-ooh)

a minha (ah ming-yah)

os meus (ooz meh-ooz)

as minhas (ahz ming-yahz)

your

o seu(ooh seh-ooh)

a sua (ah soo-ah)

os seus (ooz seh-ooz)

as suas (ahz soo-ahz)

our

o nosso (ooh noh-soo)

a nossa (ah noh-sah)

os nossos (ooz noh-sooz)

as nossas (ahz noh-sahz)

Here are examples of possessive terms that may come up when talking in a hotel or pousada:

  • o meu passaporte (ooh meh-ooh pah-sah-poh-chee) (my passport)
  • as nossas bagagens (ahz noh-sahz bah-gah-zhangz) (our baggage)
  • os nossos planos (ooz noh-sooz plah-nohz) (our plans)
  • o seu cartão de crédito (ooh seh-ooh kah-tah-ooh jee kreh-jee-toh) (your credit card)

Remember When you want to talk about his, her, or their things, be sure to switch the word order. Instead of putting the possessive word in front of the thing — for example, o meu quarto (ooh meh-ooh kwah-too) (my room) — name the item first and then say de (deh) (of) plus the owner. Attach the de to the ele, ela, or eles/elas (the him, her, or them), and drop the e between the words. Here are some examples:

  • dele (deh-lee) (his; Literally: of him)
  • dela (deh-lah) (her; Literally: of her)
  • deles (deh-leez) (their; Literally: of them — for all males or males and females)
  • delas (deh-lahz) (their; Literally: of them — for all females)

Technically, when you say o quarto dele (ooh kwah-toh deh-lee) (his room), you’re saying the room of him. Name the thing first and then indicate whose it is:

  • o dinheiro dela (ooh jing-yay-roh deh-lah) (her money)
  • a comida deles (ah koh-mee-dah deh-leez) (their food — for a group of males or a group that includes at least one male)
  • as roupas delas (ahz hoh-pahz deh-lahz) (their clothes — for a group of females)

Using a specific name is the easiest way to make this concept clear. Just say the name of the thing plus de plus the person’s name:

  • o carro de Mário (ooh kah-hoh jee mah-ree-oh) (Mario’s car)
  • o cabelo de Ana Cristina (ooh kah-beh-loh jee ah-nah krees-schee-nah) (Ana Cristina’s hair)

Soundnative In some parts of Brazil, an o or an a comes before a person’s name (depending on whether the person is male or female); when combined with de, these words become do or da. When you want to say Lucia’s house, you say a casa da Lucia (ah kah-zah dah loo-see-ah), which literally means the house of Lucia.

Check out some other examples:

  • as empresas da Petrobrás (ahz em-preh-zahz dah peh-troh-brah-eez) (Petrobras’ companies — Petrobrás is Brazil’s largest oil company)
  • as praias do Pará (ahz prah-ee-ahz doo pah-rah) (Pará state’s beaches)