Brazil
It would be nice
if we had enough doctors
even to export them
to other countries!
It’s better than
what rich countries do:
they export soldiers
and drop bombs
on poor communities.
cit. Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva
CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO ZOOM IN AND SCROLL THE GALLERY
WHY BRAZIL
Brazil has never particularly attracted me.
Of course, I want to see Rio de Janeiro, the Maracana Stadium, the favelas, Copacabana beach but…
I’ve always preferred Argentina, I’ve never liked the Selecao and Brazilian footballers (except for Nenè who for me is from Cagliari and Ronaldo the Phenomeno), I prefer Spanish to Portuguese and even as a child I hated carnival and dressing up.
What I did however cannot be considered a real trip to Brazil, but only an excursion in Brazil.
I had in fact finished my visit to the Iguazú Falls on the Argentine side around 1pm and, with the whole evening at hand, I looked for a way to pass the time.
After several contacts, I decided to cross the border and see the falls from the Brazilian side.
Or better still, admire them from above, flying over them by helicopter.
HOW TO GET TO BRAZIL
Entering Brazil from Argentina is very easy.
There are two bus companies that connect the Argentine city of Puerto Iguazú with the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu: Crucero del Norte and Rio Uruguay.
Once you arrive at the border, you will need to get off the bus and begin the respective customs procedures.
The bus will wait as long as necessary but if the queue is too long or if there are other problems, the bus will leave and you will be able to board the next one.
WHAT TO DO IN BRAZIL
Although Brazil is not at the top of my preferences, I hope to update this section of the site soon.
In the meantime, I can only talk about the experience I had:
Helicopter flight over Iguazú Falls
There are many Brazilian companies that sell packages for this experience, but Helisul Experience is that deals directly with the helicopter flight over Iguazú Falls (but also over Rio de Janeiro and Coritiba).
You pay 530 Real at their base in Foz do Iguaçu, on Avenida das Cataratas, 11130.
Boarding on the helicopter will take place when there are 3-5 people, the number varying according to the weight of each passenger and the helicopter available.
My flight lasted about 10 minutes.
It was certainly beautiful to see Iguazú Falls from that perspective, but I honestly expected a bit more from my first helicopter flight.
At the end of the flight you can buy photos taken before take-off and after landing, but again the cost was really excessive.
CONCLUSIONS
Reporting on a trip also means talking about negative experiences.
Perhaps I was biased, but the facts confirmed my dislike for Brazilians (and perhaps vice versa).
I have had problems with almost every Brazilian I have met in my life.
I always had the feeling that they were trying to cheat me.
The helicopter flight over Iguazú Falls , although very short, is still a spectacular experience, well worth the effort.
I advise you to perhaps plan it further in advance, also thinking of sleeping 1 or 2 nights in Foz do Iguaçu, so that you can also visit the site of the falls from the Brazilian side.
Recommended itinerary:
- Rio de Janeiro
- Sao Paulo
- Fortaleza
- Belo Horizonte
- Brasilia
- Foz do Iguaçu
