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Message: <blockquote data-quote="imhotep" data-source="post: 27783538" data-attributes="member: 562115">Safety is an issue in Brazil. But we were really lucky.  Our flight was landing at night in Rio. I checked the online transport and taxi fares and they were upwards of 100 USD from airport to hotel. Also I have heard that don't get into cheap taxi fares at the airport as you don't really know who they are and where they will take you. Passengers get robbed.So I called the hotel in Centro where I was supposed to stay for two nights to find out whether they can arrange a pickup. They declined, but said there is a taxi guy who operates just outside their hotel and could recommend him.  So the reception guy went outside, called this guy in and handed the phone to him. It was broken English but with help of the reception desk this guy said he will surely pick us up for a fee of just 25.00 USD. Just note how these online operators play you out. So the hotel provided my name and the flight number to him and I got his phone# and passed my phone# to him. This was just two days we flew out.So later on, within 5 mins of landing this guy called me and said he's just outside with a sign with my name. He was a black Brazilian. His name was Jorge. He took us to the hotel, unloaded our baggage. I paid him extra. Also I took him to the reception and asked him if he likes to take us around for a reasonable fee. He agreed to about $65.00 per day from 7 AM to 7 PM within 100kms of Centro.  He said he can take us even 400 kms, no problem, only pay for extra fuel.It's cheaper than hiring a self drive car and I agreed. He took us around to all the places and eventually was with us for our whole stay in Brazil. He was an extremely honest person. Every moment he was watching us, when my wife goes shopping he covers her, because there are pickpockets who just bump onto you and empty your pockets. After two nights in Centro Brazil, we moved to an apartment in Copacabana (Ipanema beach is very closeby) but he was always at our doorstep by latest 7.30. Night life in Copacabana is just wonderful. Dancing stops after 3AM.This guy took us to night clubs and inside a favela. Favelas are dangerous territories where tourists fear to go on nearby road. This guy assured our safety, and he took us inside, also to a pub inside the favela. I bought a round of drinks to the guys in there, we were felt very welcome and they said walk anywhere without fear.With two days to go, he asked can I leave at 6PM. I said fine, just drop us back to the apartment. His wife has just delivered a baby girl that day. When I paid his daily fare I gave him a handsome tip, he said you have overpaid me. Then my wife said it's from us to your baby girl.On the final day he dropped us at the airport early morning, refused to charge us, gave us very big colour photos of all of us and him under Christo Redentor (Brazil's famous Christ statue) and started to cry. Said he will never forget us. he continued to send WhatsApp but after Covid fell silent. I tried to contact him but couldn't.  Have to try again.He never overcharged us. Looked after us, took us to good restaurants (not the very costly ones), even we ask him to sit with us and have lunch, only a couple of times he obliged saying that he gets free food anyway. Most of all he assured our safety and took us around to all the important sight seeing places.Just look at our own taxi guys when they meet a tourist. They will fleece him.PS: The Patagonian Icefields are stunning. Don't miss the Perito Moreno Glacier, Los Glaciares National Park- This ice field is the world's third largest reserve of fresh water.Also don't miss the Amazon experience. We stayed for three nights at the <a href="https://www.inkaterra.com/inkaterra/inkaterra-reserva-amazonica/the-experience/" target="_blank">Inkaterra Reserva Amazonica</a>. They have activities day and night. It's completely isolated. They take you by boat. Some days you have to walk 10 km and back in the forest, knee deep mud (they provide boots), sometimes you lift your foot off the mud, the boot stays in the mud - rain drops of huge size (never seen in SL) and big mosquitoes. They don't bite you much though.Inside the cabin a drop of water on the floor remains for two days.. doesn't evaporate. 100% humidity.  The clothes stink. The yellow colour of the mud stays on the clothes and you have to throw them. The first thing we did was to dry clean everything once we reached Peru.<a href="https://www.inkaterra.com/inkaterra/inkaterra-reserva-amazonica/the-experience/" target="_blank">https://www.inkaterra.com/inkaterra/inkaterra-reserva-amazonica/the-experience/</a></blockquote>

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