Anyone been to Brazil?

I'm going on a well needed Vacation from NYC to Brazil in a week and I
am excited about everything (mostly the beach!). While Brazil makes
1/3 of the world's cofee, I heard that Brazilian's don't really do much
with their coffee when they serve it. I was told coffee in brazil
isn't anything special. I'm going to be in Rio the entire time in a
very tourist area. Can anyone recommend general areas where the coffee
might be good? Yes yes I am aware Brazil is a very dangerous place and
have taken all the precautions one could take.

It'd be ironic that the some of the best coffee in the world comes from
brazil, but brazilians themself don't do much with it. I heard they
grind to an espresso and boil it with water (like how my puerto rican
friends do with cafe bustello).

Thanks!

Quoth "botanical@n0spaam." <botanical@>:
| I'm going on a well needed Vacation from NYC to Brazil in a week and I
| am excited about everything (mostly the beach!). While Brazil makes
| 1/3 of the world's cofee, I heard that Brazilian's don't really do much
| with their coffee when they serve it. I was told coffee in brazil
| isn't anything special. I'm going to be in Rio the entire time in a
| very tourist area. Can anyone recommend general areas where the coffee
| might be good? Yes yes I am aware Brazil is a very dangerous place and
| have taken all the precautions one could take.
|
| It'd be ironic that the some of the best coffee in the world comes from
| brazil, but brazilians themself don't do much with it. I heard they
| grind to an espresso and boil it with water (like how my puerto rican
| friends do with cafe bustello).

I was there a week or so 10 years ago, but mostly in the northeast.
The cafezinhos I had were fairly harsh. The one I most vividly recall
was at a bus station in the interior. One of my fellow travellers on
the next stool demonstrated the use of what looked like a plastic
ketchup dispenser, but white, that contained a thick sugar syrup/paste,
and indicated that I should use some. I declined, not having so much
of a sweet tooth, and then found that the real purpose was to cool the
stuff down, because it was scalding hot. It came from a large square
stainless steel device, kind of like the one from which I had "expresso"
at a Houston doughnut shop once.

So, I wouldn't go for cafezinho to the bus station, including the one
in Rio, but other than this fairly obvious one I don't have any suggestions.

Donn

Domingo,

Thanks a lot, I'll look into everything you said. Yup, we knwo its
dangerous and we're well prepared. I'm from NYC so I might be more
aware of danger than someone else, but by no means do I think I'm
better off than anyone else. We're dressing down and leaving all the
electronic stuff (iPod, digicam,etc) in the hotel.

=)

I would not even bring it to the hotel/Brazil, unless absolutely
necessary. The hotel (even in a safe) is not a very safe place to keep
valuable things. I always only bring things to Brazil that I am willing
to give away. When being robbed, do not try to hold anything back. Than
you will be all right.


botanical@n0spaam. wrote:
> Domingo,
>
> Thanks a lot, I'll look into everything you said. Yup, we knwo its
> dangerous and we're well prepared. I'm from NYC so I might be more
> aware of danger than someone else, but by no means do I think I'm
> better off than anyone else. We're dressing down and leaving all the
> electronic stuff (iPod, digicam,etc) in the hotel.
>
> =)
>