Anyone contracted in Rio?

[sog]

Rio has lots of contrasts. Very nice areas and awful dumps, favelas. Everything is expensive, be prepared.

This blog may help with general information: Adventures of a Gringa

[Zoiderman]

Not sure what transport options are available down there these days. It always used to be the case that you would need your own wheels in Baja California - pricey to hire in Mexico & a bureaucratic nightmare to get across the border from the USA if you wanted to go that route. Also dangerous with all the banditry that purportedly exists over there.

Not sure if there was a railway in that part but I do know that there are no passenger rail services anywhere in Mexico any more. Shame really.

I didn't know that. We had a Kombi we drove down from Maine in. we were planning on sleeping in it at night out in the sticks, but once we got to San Diego, met some others who'd just come back from Mexico who said bandits were rife in the countryside, and weren't against the use of weapons and/or violence if they saw you. We stopped at places recomended until we got to Cancun, then had a ball. Finally got through to Belize and saw my bro, which was cool.

FO says, effectively, don't go out!

[wurzel]

I didn't know that. We had a Kombi we drove down from Maine in. we were planning on sleeping in it at night out in the sticks, but once we got to San Diego, met some others who'd just come back from Mexico who said bandits were rife in the countryside, and weren't against the use of weapons and/or violence if they saw you. We stopped at places recomended until we got to Cancun, then had a ball. Finally got through to Belize and saw my bro, which was cool.

FO says, effectively, don't go out!

Didn't the Mexican authorities demand that you had a carnet to get your truck across the border? i.e. a piece of paper that costs more than the value of the vehicle.

This is to stop you from selling it in Mexico. You get your money back when you leave the country.

[Zoiderman]

Didn't the Mexican authorities demand that you had a carnet to get your truck across the border? i.e. a piece of paper that costs more than the value of the vehicle.

This is to stop you from selling it in Mexico. You get your money back when you leave the country.

I had to have a carnet in Africa, and Asia, in the 80's, didn't need one in Mexico (or Belize - I guess that would have changed by now!), just needed to show a US license, which I had, and insurance, which I had. There did seem some confusion when this was presented with a British passport mind!

Africa was a whole world different: each time we were called into a hut, we thought it could be for a long spell, and most times we came out a lot lighter, regardless of our paperwork. Asia just took time, as it seemed only one person could do one thing, before it had to be passed to another person, to be passed to another person....

EDIT

Just thinking, the Mexico crossing was done in a US car, and the others in a UK or Aus car. Possibly why a carnet wasn't needed. 86, long time ago mind...

[Zoiderman]

Just noted that to drive to Mexico now, you get your credit card charged anywhere between $200-400 as carnet of sorts to go, and they do it country by country. Wasn't this way in the 80's. For the African trip, we had to get a carnet in the UK, if i remember correctly, and it was a fortune, but we did get some back. Same when we went from Aus to Asia. How do you do it now?

[wurzel]

How do you do it now?

Not sure but if it's as it was when you went then it would make the whole buying-a-car-in-the-US-driving-into-Mexico-and-selling-it-when-you-return-to-the-US feasible for me. Particularly since there are no more trains.

I'll have a look into that over the weekend and report back

[Zoiderman]

Not sure but if it's as it was when you went then it would make the whole buying-a-car-in-the-US-driving-into-Mexico-and-selling-it-when-you-return-to-the-US feasible for me. Particularly since there are no more trains.

I'll have a look into that over the weekend and report back

It states that, currently, all you need to do is pop into an office (they're all over CA), and they swipe your credit card for $200-400 which is put back on the card whence you return with the car. In my day (I sound old), all you did was show your docs, as I said, then come back, or not, I guess. Never really thought about it. I didn't consider I was overlanding, until I did in Africa.

Just memories returning back to me, but I remember meeting an Aussie in Vancouver who told me he took a hire car to mexico, and sold it! I read somewhere, this was a federal offece at the time, but not one worthy of interpol; he told me he burnt America as he wasn't going back! He was also in the process of setting up a bank account in Canada, to take a loan, and burn that country too.

Good lad actually, but not one whom I would have enjoyed travelling with, due to the fact he seemed to be one step from a spell in pokey. Not the kind of thing I would enjoy in the UK, let alone the 3rd world...

[Durbs]

Just find out what forums the expats in Rio hang out in, thats the only way you'll get an honest overview of what its like.

Otherwise you'll just mainly get the opinion of people who've had a bad experience as its the old "someone who has had a good experience will tell 5 people about it, someone who has had a bad experience will tell 10".

Take Amsterdam - its my favourite city and, as I used to work in NL, I spent a lot of time there out and about at night, often on my own just wandering round bored (nothing dodgy mind!). Never had any mither whatsoever in umpteen visits. Would get hassled by the odd junkie or two but it never bothered me, just told them where to go.

On the other hand, i've got several mates who have been mugged or beaten up there (one beaten unconcious and had his shoes nicked while he was sparko, quality ) so one mans paradise is anothers hell.

[xoggoth]

My grandfather was murdered there. Hasn't changed much by the sound of it.

[shaunbhoy]

I remember meeting an Aussie in Vancouver who told me he took a hire car to mexico, and sold it! I read somewhere, this was a federal offece at the time, but not one worthy of interpol; he told me he burnt America as he wasn't going back! He was also in the process of setting up a bank account in Canada, to take a loan, and burn that country too.

Good lad actually...

Oh yeah, he sounds like a real diamond. A kindred spirit for a pikey like you, no doubt.
Maybe you should have tried getting a job like most other people, or did your "traveller genes" preclude that?