Cachaça: the taste of Brazil
Distilled from sugar cane, cachaça comes in numerous variations and alcohol levels - from 40% to 45%. It's a hard liquos that can be drunk straight up or used as basis for the national drink called caipirinha (cachaça, lemon, sugar and ice). You must taste it!

Tijuca Forest
Don't forget to visit the largest urban forest of the world, full of trails, waterfalls, observatories, peaks..

Visit the Hippie fair, in Ipanema, on Sunday, after the beach.
A walk at Santa Teresa, Urca and the historical center of Rio is extraordinary. Get lost on their streets.

Don't miss the sunset in Arpoador
It's the most amazing place to watch the sunset over Ipanema beach, as it sticks out into the sea and you can sit on your own little patch with the waves crashing just below.

Lagoa
It is a marvellous great lake right in the city (near Leblon and Ipanema). You can walk for hours alongside the lake enjoy stunning views over the water of the hills of Rio. There are bars to have a drink, you can also buy a bottle of water or wine and just sit anywhere at the waterfront.

Rua da Alfândega
Downtown is Rio's most traditional shopping area. The spot known as Saara, around Rua da Alfândega, is a bargain paradise. Dozens of shops sell discount clothing, party supplies, fabrics, shoes, you name it.

Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
One of the most effervescent cultural rendez-vous in town offering exhibitions, cinema and theatre. Also worth a look, just around the corner, is the Casa França-Brasil cultural centre, a neoclassical building designed by Grandjean de Montigny.

Feijoada & Churrasco
These two local dishes are well worth experiencing. The national dish 'feijoada' consists of black beans and pork served with rice, kale and manioc. Another favourite is 'churrasco', huge chunks of barbecued beef, pork, chicken and all kind of meat. The "rodizio" style churrascarias are an event in themselves - waiters roam the restaurant with huge skewers of all cuts served "all-you-can-eat-style."

Portuguese: useful sentences and words
1) Basic Words

Yes | Sim
No | Não
Thank you | Obrigado (male), Obrigada (female)
You are welcome | De nada
Please | Por favor
Hello | Olá, Oi
Good bye | Tchau

2) Useful Phrases

Do you speak English? | Você fala Inglês?
I don't speak Portuguese. | Eu não falo Português
I do not understand | Eu não entendo.
How do you say this in Portuguese? | Como se diz isso em  português?
Speak slower, please | Fale mais devagar, por favor.
Where is .....? | Onde é ....?
What time is it? | Que horas são?
How much does it cost? | Quanto custa isto?
Where can I change money? | Onde posso trocar dinheiro?
What is the exchange rate for the dollar? | Qual é a cotação do dólar?

3) Introduction

How are you? | Como vai? Tudo bem?
My name is ....... | Meu nome é.....
What is your name? | Como você se chama?

4) Directions/Places

Where is the post office? | Onde é o correio?
Left | Esquerda
Right | Direita
Straight ahead | Em frente
Far | Longe
Near | Perto

5) Hotel

Bedroom | Quarto
Double Bed | Cama de Casal
Keys | Chaves
Bathroom | Banheiro
Shower | Chuveiro

6) Restaurant

Breakfast | Café da manhã
Lunch | Almoço
Dinner | Jantar
Menu | Cardápio
Beer (bottled) | Cerveja
Beer (draft) | Chopp
Cheers! | Tim- tim! Saúde!
Check, please. | A conta por favor.

7) Transportation

Bus Station | Rodoviária
Bus | Ônibus
Bus stop | Ponto de ônibus
Airport | Aeroporto
Airplane | Avião
Subway | Metrô

8) Shopping

Money | Dinheiro
Credit card | Cartão de crédito
Expensive | Caro
Cheap | Barato
Stamps | Selos
How much does it cost? | Quanto custa?