HIST
419C/LASC 448D Home
Travel | Travel Numbers |
Adverse Weather Policy
Accommodations | Money | Heath
| Safety and Security | Passport and
Visa
A block of seats has been reserved with Brazil Nuts Tours, an experienced Florida-based travel agency that specializes in travel to/from Brazil. You are STRONGLY encouraged to book your travel with Brazil Nuts, which has negotiated a very reasonable fare of US$846.90.
Dorothy Bennett <dot@brazilnuts.com>, the travel agent who is handling our group, will need the following information sent in an email:
Your full name, as it appears on your passport
Your complete mailing address and telephone number
Your current email
Complete payment information
Brazil Nuts accepts American Express, Visa, Mastercard, and cashier’s checks. Sorry, Discover and Diner's cards, as well as personal checks and cash, will not be accepted.
If you intend to pay by credit card, your email should include the complete name as it appears on the credit card, credit card number, expiration date, and billing address.
If you need to call Brazil Nuts (800-553-9959), Ms. Bennett works Tuesdays-Thursdays. On Mondays and Fridays, you can ask for Maria Luisa Carter or Adam Carter.
8 January 2004 (Thursday) NOTE
CHANGE
American Airlines 1857 Washington-National (DCA)-Miami International (MIA)
dep: 2:15pm arr: 4:47pm
8 January 2004 (Thursday) NOTE
CHANGE
Varig 8819 Miami International (MIA)-São Paulo (GRU)
dep: 7:00pm arr: 5:45am (next day)
9 January 2004 (Friday)
Varig 2308 São Paulo (GRU)-Salvador (SSA)
dep: 10:00am arr: 11:15am
17 January 2004 (Saturday)
Varig 2315 Salvador (SSA)-Rio de Janeiro International (GIG)
dep: 11:10am arr: 2:20pm
23 January (Friday)
Varig 8818 Rio de Janeiro (GIG)-Miami (MIA)
dep: 10:00pm arr: 4:55am (next day)
24 January 2004
American Airlines 714 Miami (MIA)-Washington-National (DCA)
dep: 8:10am arr: 10:28am
FARE: $740.00
TAX: $106.90
TOTAL: $846.90
The ticket is non-refundable, non-transferable and non-endorsable.
The payment and ticketing deadline was November 19, 2003.
International travel requires check-in a minimum of 90 minutes prior to departure.
For anyone wishing to make alternative travel arrangements, please contact Professor Williams.
Course participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to/from Washington-National/Reagan Airport.
Group travel to/from the airports in Salvador and Rio de Janeiro has been arranged.
Escorted transportation will be arranged for scheduled field trips.
For personal travel, public transportation to/from the hotels in Salvador and Rio is quite good and cheap, and taxis are readily available.
Brazil Nuts Tours
1854 Trade Center Way
Naples, FL 34109
(800) 553-9959 or (239) 593-0266
http://www.brazilnuts.com
American
Airlines
USA: (800) 433-7300
Brazil: (0300) 789-7778
Varig Airlines
USA: (800) 468-2744
Brazil: (0300) 788-7000
Travel to/from the Washington area in January raises the possibility weather-related delays in departure, missed connections, involuntary bumping, and delayed baggage.
Prior to departure, please ensure that Dr. Williams and a family member or friend in the States have your contact information for travel days. Email and cell phones are recommended. If there is a possibility for bad weather, check your email and/or voice mail at least three hours prior to scheduled departure.
If adverse weather conditions result in a splitting up of the group (or you simply miss your flight), please send an email to Dr. Williams and the Study Abroad office with word of you your alternative arrival plans. Upon arrival in Brazil, proceed by taxi to the hotel.
A severe weather event may result in curtailment or cancellation of scheduled activties. See the University's statement on Procedures for Delayed Openings and Campus Closings Due to Inclement Weather.
Hotel accommodations, including daily breakfast, are included in the program fee.
The program fee is based upon double occupancy. All students will be asked to select a roommate in early January.
In Salvador, will be staying at the Hotel Bahia do Sol, a tourist hotel located within a short walk or bus ride of Salvador's historic center, cultural attractions, shopping centers, and local beaches (especially Barra).
Hotel Bahia do Sol
Av. Sete de Setembro, 2009
Corredor da Vitória
40080-002 Salvador, BABRAZIL
TEL.:
(+55) 71 338-8800
FAX: (+55) 71 338-8801
hotel@bahiadosol.com.br
http://www.bahiadosol.com.br/
In Rio, we will be staying at the Hotel Praia Ipanema, located in Rio's famous Ipanema neighborhood. The neighborhood is well served by bus and taxi, and there is connecting bus service to the closest Metrô stop, Estação Siquieira Campos (in Copacabana).
Hotel Praia Ipanema
Av. Vieira Souto, 706
Ipanema
22420-000 Rio de Janeiro, RJ BRAZIL
TEL: (+55) 21 2540-4949
FAX: (+55) 21 2239-6889
reservations@praiaipanema.com
messageforguest@praiaipanema.com
http://www.praiaipanema.com/
The Brazilian currency is called the real (pl: reais). 100 centavos equals one real (R$1).
There are paper notes of R$100, R$50, R$20, R$10, R$5, R$2, and R$1 and coins of R$1 as well as 50, 25, 10, 5, and 1 centavo(s). Images of Brazilian currency are available from the Brazilian Central Bank website.
As of the week of December 8, 2003, one US dollar equaled about two reais and ninety-three centavos (R$2,93).
The US dollar remains relatively strong relative to the real, and you will generally find that day-to-day expenses, including local transportation, food and refreshment, and entertainment to be inexpensive in comparison to the Washington, DC metro area.
With improvements in Brazilian banking, it is very easy to access your US bank account and withdraw local currency. Visa Check Cards can be used for cash withdrawals at nearly all ATMs operated by Bradesco, a very large Brazilian bank. ATMs operated by Banco do Brasil, Itaú, and HSBC typically accept US ATM cards with the Plus or Cirrus network symbols. There are two Citibank branches in Salvador and eight in Rio.
Withdrawing local currency from ATMs is highly preferable over carrying large amounts of US currency or traveler's checks, which must be changed into reais, often at unfavorable rates.
Major credit cards are accepted at most commercial establishments.
University rules require that students participating in study abroad programs have adequate health insurance for overseas travel. You must provide proof of insurance to the Study Abroad office. You are encouraged to investigate additional coverage for catastrophic accidents and emergency medical evacuation. Although you should be able to receive medical care in Brazil regardless of your insurance status, BE SURE TO BRING PROOF OF HEALTH INSURANCE!
Most over-the-counter medications available in the United States are also available in Brazil. However, the packaging or brand name may be different. You may want to bring your own pain reliever, allergy medication, cold medicine, etc.
If you take any prescribed medication, bring them with you in the original bottle that has the name of the prescribing doctor and pharmacy.
For travel to Brazil, it is strongly recommended that you be immunized for: Hepatitis A, typhoid, and yellow fever. As a matter of course, your immunizations for Hepatitis B and tetanus should be up-to-date.
The University's International Travel Clinic provides complete information and immunizations (for a fee) to the University community.
The legal drinking age in Brazil in 18. Whether a student chooses to consume alcohol or not is entirely his/her choice. All students should use sound judgment in deciding what to drink and how much. Failure to do so will jeopardize your grade and/or status in the class. Abuse of alcohol may result in immediate dismissal, return to the University at the student's expense, and possible disciplinary action.
Drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, and heroin are illegal in Brazil. They are also banned by University policy. There will be zero tolerance policy for these controlled substances.
By far, the most common ailment faced by tourists is travelers’ diarrhea. Take necessary precautions, especially with water (in any form, including ice) and uncooked foods, especially fruits and vegetables.
Sunburn, sun intoxication, and heat exhaustion can be equally common ailments, especially for vacationers to Brazil's very tropical summer. Use solar protection, including sun block, and drink lots of fluids.
US-based travelers to Brazil face diseases that are very uncommon in the developed world, including yellow fever and cholera. Chances are extremely slim that you will come into contact with any of these diseases, but you should be especially informed about mosquito-borne illnesses, including malaria and dengue fever. Mosquito repellent is recommended for travel outside of urban areas.
HIV/AIDS is a serious, debilitating illness that is widespread in Brazil. Students should take all necessary precautions to minimize exposure to this and other sexually-transmitted diseases. Always keep in mind that drugs and alcohol impair judgment.
Centers for Disease Control
o http://www.cdc.gov/travel/
o http://www.cdc.gov/travel/tropsam.htm
World Health Organization
o http://www.who.int/ith/
Brazil is a fundamentally stable society, led by a democratically-elected government. Political protest, in varied forms, is quite common; social tensions stemming from severe income disparities are ever-present. Nonetheless, outbreaks of large-scale political and social unrest are not common. The risk for domestic or international terrorism is low.
In the larger context of political stability, daily crime is an inescapable dimension to contemporary Brazilian society, especially in large cities like Salvador and Rio. The prevalence of violent crime and drug trafficking are serious concerns for Brazilians and visitors alike.
Our orientation will include open and frank conversation about personal and group safety, stressing a common-sense, street-wise approach to travel.
The US Department of State maintains a website on travel to Brazil that includes general guidelines on Safety and Security. See http://travel.state.gov/brazil.html.
The State Department also maintains a site that specifically deals with issues related to student travel. See: http://travel.state.gov/studentinfo.html.
All course participants are required to have a valid passport for international travel.
US citizens are required to have a visa to travel to Brazil. For the purposes of this course, a tourist visa will suffice. The multi-entry visa is valid for five years.
Applications for a tourist visa require a valid US passport, a copy of a round-trip airline ticket, and a photo. Complete application forms and guidelines are available online at: http://www.brasilemb.org/consular_visa_tourism.shtml. There is a $100 processing fee.
Residents of MD, DC, VA, and WV can submit their applications to the Brazilian Consulate located in Northwest Washington, DC, adjacent to the Embassy.
The contact address is:
3009 Whitehaven Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20008
Phone: (202) 238-2828
Fax: (202) 238-2818
Residents of other states and non-US citizens should consult the Brazilian Embassy's website for visa application guidelines.
Item #21
As you will not be enrolled in a Brazilian university, you DO NOT need to mark
"Attend School or pursue studies." Your primary purpose is tourism
in Salvador da Bahia and Rio de Janeiro.
Item # 22
The Port of Entry is São Paulo, which you will enter on January 9, 2004.
Item # 23
The duration of our trip is fifteen days.
Item # 24
Our contact person/tour guide in Salvador is Mr. Manuelito Damasceno [contact
info].
Items # 25 and 26
The local address in Salavdor is the Hotel Bahia do Sol and the Hotel Praia
Ipenema in Rio. See above for the street addresses and telephone numbers.