Travelers with Disabilities

For the most part, Brazil is very poorly equipped to deal with travelers with disabilities. Although in Rio and São Paulo, the number of hotels, restaurants, public buildings, and tourist attractions with wheelchair access and ramps is growing, they are the minority. Moreover, getting to them is very difficult. Sidewalks and streets are often uneven, traffic is chaotic, and there are almost no ramps. Very few buses, and no taxis, are equipped to deal with wheelchairs.

For more information about traveling overseas with a disability, contact Access-able (U.S. tel. 303/232-2979, www.access-able.com), based in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.

Traveling with Children

If a trip is well-planned, kids usually love Brazil. And, indeed, Brazilians really love kids. In fact, in Brazil, families are often more welcome in many places than in North America. Meanwhile, on beaches and in small towns, it’s easy for your kids to meet and play with Brazilian kids, who, like their parents, are usually outgoing and friendly. Often kids playing together breaks the ice for parents to get to know each other as well.

In terms of traveling throughout Brazil with kids, since distances are so great, it’s really best to stick to one or two regions and then take small day trips. Flying long distances can be tiring and may sometimes involve delays. Buses take even longer, and kids can get bored and fidgety. Children pay full fare on buses, but on planes, they pay half price between the ages of 2 and 12. If you plan on renting a car, and you have an infant, consider bringing a baby seat. Rental companies don’t have them, and they are expensive in Brazil.

In hotels, children under 6 can usually stay for free in their parents’ room—an extra bed is often provided. Older children often only pay supplements. In and around popular vacation areas, such as beach resorts, there are many hotels geared towards families, which are equipped with playgrounds, games rooms, TV lounges, and swimming pools as well as gardens for running around. Of course, there is always the beach. Make sure you choose a place with calm waters and access to shade. Perhaps the biggest enemy of children is the sun. Make sure you bring plenty of sunscreen from home since it’s outrageously expensive in Brazil. For disposable diapers, you’ll find Pampers and other brands in most supermarkets and pharmacies.

With the great variety of food in Brazil, even picky young eaters should have no problem if you don’t venture too far off the beaten track. If all else fails, there’s comida a quilo and the food courts at the local shoppings. Most restaurants have high chairs. If not they can improvise. Although few restaurants have children’s menus or portions, regular portions are often so large that kids can share.

Women Travelers

Machismo has a strong hold in Brazil; however, it’s generally a more tepid version than in other Latin American countries. Although Brazilians respect women, North American notions of political correctness have never caught on here. And the definition of what constitutes sexual harassment is far more lax in Brazil (although an increasing number of cities have a delegacia de mulheres, where an all-female staff specializes in crimes against women). Flirting is a way of life and is usually harmless. As a gringa, traveling alone or with other women, you’ll definitely incite curiosity and inevitably receive some intense stares and/or come ons, particularly in the North and the Northeast, where fair-skinned foreigners stand out more. For the most part, these are all harmless.

The problem is that you might feel targeted if every time you go out for a drink (a woman by herself in a bar is a rarity) or to the beach, you’re being bothered. If that’s the case, try to join a group, or at least stick close to one (on the beach, for example). If saying a firm “não” and walking away isn’t dissuading an insistent suitor, head immediately to a safe place (a hotel or restaurant). Avoid deserted areas by day, and always take taxis at night.

Senior Travelers

Brazil is known for having a strong youth culture, and as a result many activities and venues tend to be geared towards a younger public. It’s rather uncommon to see groups of elderly Brazilians traveling the way you would in North America and Europe. In fact, in most major cities elderly Brazilians are not very visible, the exception being Rio de Janeiro, especially Copacabana.

The hassle and discomfort of public transportation and long-distance traveling, coupled with messy traffic, poor road conditions, and uneven and crowded sidewalks, make traveling throughout Brazil or even getting around most cities a sometimes daunting experience. The overbearing heat and strong sun often exacerbate matters.

That said, Brazilians are generally sensitive to the needs of seniors. Although discounts for seniors on public transportation and at museums and movies are generally accorded based on showing Brazilian ID, if you have proof of age (60 or 65) you can receive um desconto para idosos.

Gay and Lesbian Travelers

A lot of gay and lesbian foreigners associate Brazil with images of transvestites, Carnaval drag queens, and the muscle boys of Ipanema and allow themselves to think that Brazil is a very gay-friendly place. In reality, it is and it isn’t. Brazil is more gay and lesbian tolerant than many other Latin American countries. You’ll see both gay and lesbian romances played out on nightly novelas, and there are openly gay and lesbian celebrities (although they are hardly activists).

Both Rio and São Paulo have intense gay scenes (though almost nonexistent lesbian scenes), with a wide range of bars, clubs, and even small neighborhood enclaves. Other major cities, such as Salvador, Recife, and Florianópolis, also have gay venues and gay beaches (or portions of beaches). As with heterosexuals, gays and lesbians are also much more open about flirting in public.

However, overall, the scene in Brazil is much more GLS (gay, lesbica, e simpatisante; that is, gay, lesbian, and “sympathetic”) than exclusively gay and lesbian. Gay men, lesbians, and straight people mix much more, and the result is a less overt and politicized gay and lesbian presence than in North America or Europe.

Ultimately, many Brazilians don’t mind if you’re gay or lesbian, but they don’t want to be reminded of it; i.e., they can deal with the fact of a same-sex romance in theory, but don’t want to see signs of it (public kissing or hand-holding) or hear you referring explicitly to your homosexuality. Two men or women living together, traveling together, or sharing a hotel room is not a problem, but the implicit agreement is that you’re two friends (even if deep down, people may suspect you’re not).

Although the drag queen and flamboyant queen are very much an accepted part of the culture (during Carnaval, even in small rural towns, the most macho of men don wigs, miniskirts, and lipstick), there is a difference between spectacle and humor, and the reality of day-to-day life. Brazil is ultimately a macho culture, and explicit signs of homosexuality can incite insults and even violence. Even in supposedly cosmopolitan cities such as Rio and São Paulo, violence against gays is not unheard of. In the more conservative Northeast and rural areas, it is even more common.

For more information about the gay and lesbian scene in Brazil, in Portuguese, check out www.guiagaybrasil.com.br, which has GLS listings for cities all over Brazil. If you’re traveling to Rio, check out the English-language Rio Gay Guide at www.riogayguide.com.

© Michael Sommers from Moon Brazil, 2nd Edition