Anyone contracted in Rio?

[Troll]

How fortuitous!

The Brazilian government is looking to change the way its immigration policy is oriented towards highly-skilled foreign professionals wanting to work in the country. Some commentators say that Brazil wants to lure skilled workers from Europe made unemployed in the economic downturn

[Spacecadet]

Ignore the old and easily scared.

I went there a few years ago for a long holiday. The place is amazing I just hope you aren't a vegetarian!

As with any place, including the UK, there are certain areas you'll want to avoid and certain behaviours you may not want to exhibit.

[Zoiderman]

Ignore the old and easily scared.

I went there a few years ago for a long holiday. The place is amazing I just hope you aren't a vegetarian!

As with any place, including the UK, there are certain areas you'll want to avoid and certain behaviours you may not want to exhibit.

Easy to be scared when you get stabbed Spacecadet.

[wurzel]

Don't wear fook all flash, as you will get mugged, sometimes with malice. Travelled there in the 80's, mugged twice, once by knife, in which is was used just because they could. Still have the scar on my chest, my aussie friend whom I was with still have a gaping scar on his shoulder where he was cut for fun.

I am told by friends who have since visited, for I shall never darken its shroes again, that nowadays, at night, you're likely to simply be killed and then robbed, as it's less hookey for the mugger to fight with strangers.

Not a place I really enjoyed if I am going to be honest, but then muggings do jade the memory of a place a touch. I know many will say there are didgy folk everywhere, but this place has more than it's fair share.

Was once told a story by a Brazilian in London. He said when god was making the earth, after he'd finished, he thought he'd ****ed up, South america was far too nice, much nicer than everywhere else. So to balance it up, he put south americans there....

Funny how negative experiences will cloud your views of a place.

Probably my favourite city in the world, never had any trouble and would go back at the drop of a hat. That said , it only takes one incident....

I met one guy who had met some people by chance at a bar and spent the evening drinking with them. He ended up inviting them back to his hotel room for a drink from the mini bar. Woke up 2 days later, all his stuff gone - slipped him a Mickey Finn. There's a lot more opportunistic crime around carnaval time too.

One year, I went up to Salavdor for the carnaval. The weird thing there was that people were not getting mugged like in Rio, they were just getting punched in the face. Just random fists coming out of the crowds - it was open season on gringos. There were people with black eyes everywhere.

[Spacecadet]

Easy to be scared when you get stabbed Spacecadet.

One of my friends was mugged at knife point whilst over there - but then he did decide to walk back to the hotel, alone at night

I myself had my own close escape although in Sau Paulo. Again wrong area and by myself.

And it's not like people don't get stabbed, beaten up or have their head stamped on in this country

[Zoiderman]

Funny how negative experiences will cloud your views of a place.

Probably my favourite city in the world, never had any trouble and would go back at the drop of a hat. That said , it only takes one incident....

I met one guy who had met some people by chance at a bar and spent the evening drinking with them. He ended up inviting them back to his hotel room for a drink from the mini bar. Woke up 2 days later, all his stuff gone - slipped him a Mickey Finn. There's a lot more opportunistic crime around carnaval time too.

One year, I went up to Salavdor for the carnaval. The weird thing there was that people were not getting mugged like in Rio, they were just getting punched in the face. Just random fists coming out of the crowds - it was open season on gringos. There were people with black eyes everywhere.

I loved South America as a whole, just didn't really have that great an experience in Rio. Also met a traveller who who experienced the hospitality you mentioned...

Mexico out in the sticks, people were, then, openly hostile towards Gringos, but if you got it to them, that you weren't yanqui, you got treated much better.

Loved chilleans, Argies, even in the 80's, were just great folk, loved just about everywhere, but Rio, ironically given I was soooooo looking forward to being there...

[Zoiderman]

One of my friends was mugged at knife point whilst over there - but then he did decide to walk back to the hotel, alone at night

I myself had my own close escape. Again wrong area and by myself.

And it's not like people don't get stabbed, beaten up or have their head stamped on in this country

I know Spacecadet, I put that in the post I added, but I just thought Rio seemed to have more than its fair share. I have been in thw wrong places in Paris, and even a small town in Germany, where you can get stabbed. Even in America, it was obvious a few times we were in the wrong part of town, and but for soem friendly folk could have had our days seriously ruined, but it just seemed everyone looked like they wanted something from you, and that there seemed little value on life itself. Not my bag.

Hairiest place I have been, is West and Central Africa, where there is absolutely and totally zero value for life.

[wurzel]

Mexico out in the sticks, people were, then, openly hostile towards Gringos

Yes - travelled the country by train about 20 years ago. Had a few close shaves when arriving by train into some deserted station at the dead of night.

From what I hear, Mexico is much more dangerous now than it was then particularly with the drug cartels operating in the north of the country.

[Zoiderman]

Yes - travelled the country by train about 20 years ago. Had a few close shaves when arriving by train into some deserted station at the dead of night.

From what I hear, Mexico is much more dangerous now than it was then particularly with the drug cartels operating in the north of the country.

It probably is. Wife wants to go to Baja next Spring, to watch the Whales. Can't quite bring myself to go with the kids, could be fairly iffy still. They don't mess about there.

I found them nice in the 80's, once you got past the gringo bit. Spent about 2 months off Isla Mujeres in Cancun. Although I can't remember much other than every morning discussing your latest 'movements'...

[wurzel]

It probably is. Wife wants to go to Baja next Spring, to watch the Whales. Can't quite bring myself to go with the kids, could be fairly iffy still. They don't mess about there.

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.