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Althoug I dont agree that those places are more interesting than Rio or São Paulo, you can travel to many other capitals from Miami, Panama or Lisbon, for exemple.
Just issue a ticket that transit in those cities instead of RJ or SP.
There are some, but when it looks like you pay a premium for those. It's about $500 more to go from Miami to those capitals.
The problem with seeing Brazil is that most all of the cities require you to travel through Sao Paulo to get there. I have no interest in seeing Sao Paulo as all I've heard is that's where a lot of the crime is and it's super expensive. There's urban poverty smashed with obscene wealth throughout the whole city, and it will be hell trying to transport yourself around in that concrete jungle. It basically has a lot of the worst of Brazil. And Rio sounds like it's Sao Paulo with more glitz and expense.
So tickets to the interesting looking places, like Natal or Fortaleza or Bela Horizonte require that you go through Sao Paulo first, and cost in the $700s. Brazilia is the only one exempt from that. In contrast, I can get to Cartagena or Lima in one trip, and tickets are in the $400-500s. And many Americans, myself included, know some Spanish, but don't know Portuguese, so that's another bias against Brazil.
I heard they were going to put a big airport in Natal, and that people were banking on that city to be a big tourist spot in the future. If so, then it makes traveling to Brazil more attractive.
You can fly direct from Miami to northwest of Brazil man and if you looking for cheaper because there is 3 or 4 hours closer than São Paulo. Although I think you are heavily stereotypical these places.
São Paulo is a business city, it isn’t so different of New York for example a rich city with tons of homeless and poor people from another parts of the country and abroad who come here because it is easier to make money. In the other hand the city is not dangerous for tourist just because the city has tons of millionaires to robbers looking for, simple tourists is not in their radar… In fact São is the place that receive more foreigners in Brazil most part ‘’business tourist’’.
Until last year Brazil in general was expensive (for foreigners) because commodities cycle overvalue our currency but nowadays is much cheaper in general all the prices are half of what them cost just two years ago for buy with dollars.
Culturally it is. After the capital and seat of power transferred from Salvador to Rio, Rio absorbed a lot of the culture. What's popularly considered Rio or Carioca culture actually has its roots in Salvador.
Rio in the national psyche is not considered "South". South refers primarily to Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana.
There are five main overall cultural groups in Brazil; Gauchos, Nordestinos, Amazonicos-(Caboclo), Cariocas-Bahianos and Sertanejo-Paulistas. Only the Gauchos are considered south, the Paulistas semi-south culturally speaking.
Yes that’s true.
And all depends in the part of Brazil you are. For example in paulista’s people mind (from São Paulo State) Paraná is not south because most part of that State is culturally paulista when we speak south are referring to Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and Curitiba (Paraná metro area is culturally south).
In the north and northwest they call São Paulo south and it is a shock for us first time we listen it.
The regionalism culturally is very strong in Brazil but just for 4 region!! People identify their selves like northwester, northern, center-easterner, southern but the same don't happen in the southeast!! Nothing here have in mind being south-easterner!!
São Paulo, Minas and Rio de Janeiro have their selves identity although Rio is most associated with the tropical Brazil coast culturally, with Bahia and Bahia is a northwest state more different than the rest, they have much in common with the line coast area of Rio-Espirito Santo-Bahia.
It's really no wonder people have these fears of being robbed in Brazil. Literally, just last night I was watching a TV show on Brazil. It was a travel show highlighting what to do and see while in Brazil. However, the TV show went on and on about keeping your items safe and how to avoid getting robbed, etc. So, it made me think: "Jeeez, people must be getting robbed left and right"...
Then, this morning I read this thread and am like "hmmmm maybe that show was like scare-mongering"... I dont know, but it's really no wonder. Many travel shows often depict Brazil as a country you need to be extra safe in.
That's a contadicition, isn't it?
Brazil, specially Rio, is the only place in the world where tourists has such a strong fetish for slums.
Maybe that's why you see lots of warnings about safety in Brazil.
Not that in other areas nothing happens, but I dont perceive like it would be more dangerous than in other comparable cities.
But I've never heard about tourist having sightseeings, or being guests at slums like it became "fashionable" in Brazil.
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