Green IslandBrazilian Prices Part One
January 20th 2010 03:30
Colonial building in Manuas. Just a facade
So after making it up the East coast from Argentina to Colombia and then making it West from Colombia to Venezuela we eventually started heading South and into Brazil. Brazil was very different to Spanish speaking South America. Not only did they speak some bizarre gypsy version of Spanish but they also thought, acted and dressed differently, especially in the north. Sadly, we found Brazil very expensive, as we had been warned. The accommodation and food was more, but the real budget killer were the incredibly expensive bus journeys. Flights to Sao Paulo and Rio were resonable but we didn`t want to miss out on one of the best parts of the continent.
As always our budget was $30 a day. That makes $60 between 2. The exchange rate was awful - 1.8 Real or less to one dollar. It made me wonder how the average Brazilian managed to survive.
The running totals for the trip are included at the end of the post.
21/09/09
On bus to Manaus
2 empanadas = 16 B.F
Taxi to Brazilian border = 50
Changed 150 B.F for 52 Reals
Fags = 14 B.F
Bus from Pacaraima to Boa Vista (16 Reals per person) = 32
Lunch = 23 reals
1 soft drink = 2 R
Changed $120 @1.8 in Boa Vista = 216 R
The man at the tourist information nicely found a shop keeper to change some dollars for us at the bus station and at the rate quoted in the newspaper. This really saved our bacon. As you can see from the changes we made on our first day in Brazil the exchange rate was really pot luck.
Bus ticket from Boa Vista to Manaus (100 per person) = 200
2 cokes = 3
1 shared dinner = 8
Total = 80 B.F ($15) 268 Reals (Average exchange rate = 1.7 Reals for $1 = $158. Total in dollars = $173 ($113 over budget)
22/09/09
Manaus
Manuas, mythical city in the heart of the Amazon, was not what we expected. Instead of being a refuge in the jungle, it was a big sprawling city that was a duty free zone full of cheap shoes, clothes, TVs, stereos and tat. Daft considering there was only one road into the place. There were hardly any mosquitos at night.
Bus from Manaus bus terminal to centre (2.5 per person) = 5
Hostel Manaus (22 per person) = 44
Deposit for sheets = 40
Supermarket = 36
Fags = 10
Changed $500 T.C @ 1.8 (minus $3 commission) = 894.6 Reals
Hammock = 10
Total = 145 (38 over budget)
23/09/09
Manaus
Bus to zoo (2 per person) = 4
Fags = 6
Drinks = 3.30
Entry to zoo (5 per person) = 10
Bus from zoo back to centre = 4
Supermarket = 20.60
Beer = 6
Anti-itch cream for mosquito bites = 14
Suntan lotion and mosquito repellent = 39.40
Hostel Manaus = 44
Total = 151.3 (44.3 over budget)
24/09/09
Manaus
Hostel Manaus = 44
Changed $1,000 @ 1.8 (minus $6 commission) = 1789.2 Reals
Toilet = 1
Fags = 6
Boat ticket from Manaus to SantaremYour text goes here (80 per person) = 190
Apparently if you are adept at these things you can try and weasle your way on the boat without paying and then strike a cheaper deal with the captain.
Hammock = 25
Cord for hammock = 3
Internet = 6
Supermarket = 21.70
Beer = 2.5
Total = 299.2 (192.2 over budget)
25/09/09
On boat to Santarem
Food (6 per person) = 12
Beers & coke = 15
Total = 27 (80 under budget)
Boat from Manaus to Santarem
26/09/09
On boat to Santarem
Food = 18
Beer & coke = 12
Total = 30 (77 under budget)
27/09/09
Alter do Chao
Breakfast = 2
Bus from Santarem to Alter do Chao (2.30 per person) = 4.60
It was a struggle with our heavy packs and the blazing sun to get this bus. We walked 5Kms from the port in what we hoped was the right direction to a small fishing dock. We were then directed hither and thither by locals until with nerves really frayed we find a bus going to the beach. However, it was really worth it. Alter was an amazing river beach.
Fags = 12
Oriental Pousada = 50
The original price was 60 per night but we managed to re-negotiate the price the following day by writing on a piece of paper, “We want to stay 3 nights. Can we have a discount?”. The phrase book we brought with us proved useful at this point.
Boats to beach and back = 9
Gear = 50
We scored from some really nice beach hippies.
Lunch = 10
Dinner = 26
51 Cane spirits = 5.5
Gurano soft drink = 2.5
Beer = 2.5
Total = 174.1 (67.1 over budget)
Incredible beach in Alter do Chao
28/09/09
Alter do Chao
Oriental Pousada = 50
Water = 5
Lunch tip = 12
Drinks in shop and a pen = 11
Boats to beach = 6
Dinner = 30
Sweets = 1.30
Total = 115.3 (8.3 over budget)
29/09/09
Alter do Chao
Oriental Pousada = 50
Fags = 6.40
Water = 6
Lunch = 12
Boats = 6
Supermarket = 4
Dinner = 27
Total = 111.4 (4.4 over budget)
30/09/09
Alter do Chao
Oriental Pousada = 50
Supermarket = 11.65
Lunch = 10
Boats = 6
Gear = 50
This was a terrible mix up. We gave the money to a beach hippy to score for us and he irritatingly assumed it was a gift to him. In the end we got a small amount of gear from his twaty Japanese girlfriend when we had chased down where the dude lived.
Drink = 3
Gurana soft drink = 2.3
Total = 132.95 (25.95 over budget)
01/10/09
Alter do Chao
We had to stay another night because we didn`t know at the time how infrequent the boat to Belem was.
Oriental Pousada = 50
Lunch = 10
Boats = 6
Shop = 21
4 packs of fags ,papers & 2 beers = 16.50
Total = 103.5 (3.5 under budget)
02/10/09
On boat to Belem
Bus from Alter do Chao to Belem (2.30 per person) = 4.60
2 boat tickets from Santarem to Belem (80 per person) = 160
Lunch (6 per person) = 12
Dinner (3.50 per person) = 7
Drinks on boat = 22.50
Total = 206.1 (99.1 over budget)
03/10/09
On boat to Belem
Lunch (7 per person) = 14
Drinks = 22.50
Total = 36.50 (70.5 under budget)
Belem in the Amazon
04/10/09
Belem
Hostel Amazonia (13 per person for dorm beds) = 26
We apparently took a big chance by walking from the port to the Hostel on a Sunday morning. The LP warns against it and another group of travelers who tried to do the same thing that day were stopped by the police and made to take a taxi.
Supermarket = 33
Supermarket = 15
Total = 74 (33 under budget)
05/10/09
Algodoal
Bus from city centre to bus terminal (2.80 per person) = 5.60
Bus from Belem to Maruda (16.50 per person) = 33
Ciggies = 12
Boat from Maruda to Algodoal (5.50 per person) = 11
Boa Vida camping = 15
The people in the pousada let us camp in their back garden under a huge cashew tree. This was the cheapest place we stayed in Brazil. The Island had no cars, motorbikes or concrete roads. The only ways to get around were walking or horse and cart.
Dinner = 28
Beer = 4
Total = 108.6 (1.6 over budget)
Algodoal island in Brazil
06/10/09
Algodoal
Camping = 15
Breakfast (4 per person) = 8
Ferry boat to beach (1 per person) = 2
Lunch = 9
Drinks on the beach = 6
Water and 51 = 10
Dinner = 18
5 cokes = 10
Total = 78 (29 under budget)
07/10/09
Algodoal
Camping = 15
Breakfast = 8
Lunch = 6
Boat fares = 2
Gear = 50
We got the ferry boat lad to run down the beach and score for us. He was a real sweetie with not a word of English.
Lighter = 3
Cokes = 6
Dinner = 18
Beer = 4
Tip = 1
Total = 113 (6 over budget)
08/10/09
On bus to Sao Luis
Breakfast = 8
Boat from Algodoal to Maruda (5 per person) = 10
Minibus from Maruda to Belem (17 per person) = 34
Bus from Belem to Sao Luis (111 per person) = 222
Lunch = 16
Coke = 2.50
Sudoko book = 2.30
Toilet twice = 2
Total = 296.8 (189.8 over budget)
09/10/09
Sao Luis
Breakfast = 4
I took out 300 Reals on my credit card. This was a real life saver as we needed to move fast and there was a bank strike in the North of Brazil. In Belem we searched high and low and couldn’t find a place to change traveller’s cheques. This was the first time to use my credit card on holiday because I had been getting the pin number wrong. As an experiment I tried typing in the pin number in reverse to the number I thought was correct. It worked! What a fool I had been.
Bus from Sao Loius to Natal (220 per person) = 440 (Paid with the credit card).
Bus from Sao Loius terminal to city centre (1.5 per person) = 3
Pousada Marahense = 40
This was a bizarre pousada. The TV in the room was blaring out a porn channel when we initially had a look at the room. The room was dingy and had a seedy love hotel feel to it. For one night, what the hell.
2 Drinks = 5
Fags = 8
Water and woman`s stuff = 6.75
Lunch = 10
Coke = 4.25
Dinner = 8.50
Total = 529.5 (422.5 over budget)
This was massively over budget because of the exorbitant price of bus tickets in Brazil.
Sao Luis in Brazil
10/10/09
On bus to Natal
Bus from Sao Luis city centre to the bus terminal (2.20 per person) = 4.40
In the terminal I took out another 600 Reals on my credit card.
Lunch = 5.50
Dinner = 10
Water = 3
Coke = 2
Total = 24.9 (82.1 under budget)
Running Totals
Argentina $1,079, Bolivia $1,016, Peru $1,904, Equador $594.15, Colombia $1,000, Venezuela $1,039 and Brazil $1,722
Total Spent $8,354 US Dollars
Total Budget = $7,980
Total Difference = $374
This was the first time in our holiday that we were over-budget for the trip. I guess if we hadn`t done the Angel Falls tour in Venezuela then we would have had more in reserve for Brazil. But then again how often do you get the chance to visit the world`s tallest waterfall?
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