In August 2024, I had the opportunity to go to Brazil for work.
It was my first time and it was the furthest south I had ever traveled. As I prepared for the trip and looked at the map, I was reminded of the size of the country, that Brazil is actually pretty damn far away, and that it swings out into the Atlantic Ocean quite far (+1 hour from east coast time – seems like it should be more). I also checked out the weather given that it is their Winter during my Summer. Since I was heading down to Sao Paulo state area, I fully expected to use a jacket or at least need long sleeve shirts. Right? All together, my trip had me flying into Brasilia, spending some time in Curitiba, and flying home from Sao Paulo. I was super pumped to journey down there to do some work and see some sights.
Brasilia
My first stop was Brasilia, the Capital of Brazil.
Brasilia, located in the heart of Brazil, is unique in that it is a meticulously planned city, established in an area where there was once little to no commerce or activity, but the point is that this would be the place where the government of Brazil would do their thing. Development began in the 1950s, and the city’s buildings are arranged like dominoes, designed to resemble an airplane when viewed from above. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, you could see his touch on many of the structures throughout the city. Of note is the Cathedral which is super cool to look at both inside and out. Further, man-made bodies of water were created to enhance the environment and add some much-needed moisture to the air, as the region is extremely dry—especially in August. Though not immediately apparent in photos, the air had an orange haze, and every breathe felt dusty.
Interestingly, as this is also the seat of the government, one of those most interesting parts of Brasilia is that I could stand facing the legislative branch, turn left to look at the judicial branch, and then look 180 degrees and see the executive branch. It was special to see democracy organized in such ways.
Curitiba
Don’t leave your passport in a safe.
I don’t want to sound like your mother, but you should keep it with you at all times because if it’s stolen then that could cause problems when going through security or leaving the country.
Always keep your passport in a place you can easily access it in case you need to make an emergency exit.
Sao Paulo
You can track your spending more easily if you update the apps on your phone to the destination’s currency. That way, it will be easier for you to check how much money you have left so that there are no surprises when it comes time to pay.
If you’re traveling, it’s a good idea to set your phone to the local currency so that all of your transactions are automatically labeled with their correct prices.
Fiddling around with exchange rates all the time is not worth it!