Brazil on a budget

After only three days in Sao Paolo, I’ve learned that enjoying Brazil on a budget is not so easy.  Obviously, I am saving money on accommodations by couchsurfing; furthermore, the family that is hosting me has invited me to consume any food I find in the house.

Last night, Patrick was working late, so I enjoyed dinner with Sylvia and Mark, his lovely parents.  My contribution was a bottle of Malbec that ran me about $8 USD.  I realize that I am in a fortunate situation.  Jardins is, indeed, a ritzy area, much like the upper east side near Central Park, I imagine.  All of the buildings are highly secured and gated.  I am buzzed in and out every time I come and go, and it feels safe walking around during the day.  It is questionable at night, which helps with staying on a budget because I won’t venture out and about by myself, but as I’m sure all of you know, it doesn’t take much time to spend a lot of money.

On my first night, I attended the couchsurfing meeting.  They call it a meeting, but it’s really a bar gathering.  I am happy to confirm that Brazilians are as nice as everyone says.  Aside from a Greece couchsurfer and a guy from Westchester who was doing what I’m doing until he landed a job editing a Web site for an American company based in Buenos Aires (I know, pretty sweet, right?), the group consisted of Sao Paolo folks.  I ended up staying for several hours and spent about $30 USD, which I understand is not terribly expensive for a Tuesday night out, but the caipirhinha deal didn’t apply to me because I ordered it with the Brazilian liquor.  (Patrick would later tell me I was overcharged.)

I met some of the couchsurfing people for lunch today and ate a pastel de baccalau, a fried rectangular pie filled with dried, salted cod, onion, and plump green olives.  At about $5 USD, it wasn’t exactly as inexpensive as I’d have liked.  A filling slice of pizza in New York City, after all, will run you about $2-3 USD.

Food and drink aside, the main cost is proving to be travel within Brazil’s borders.  For example, bus rides are pricey and pricier depending on the amount of luxury one chooses.  I’ve decided to fly from Rio to Salvador because I found a flight for only $82 USD, whereas a bus ticket would have been close to $100 USD.  At this point, I have little idea of where I’ll go from Salvador, but I’ll probably end up spending a pretty penny to fly to Central West Brazil.  Fortunately, all of my couchsurfing requests have been accepted, and before I meet up with a friend from the states in Rio on Monday, I’ll be staying with Marcelo, who lives in Ipanema Beach.  Gabriel, a resident in Salvador, an African-influenced area, has agreed to host me for a couple of nights.  I’d couchsurf in every city if I could, but the problem is that only the big cities have a lot of CS hosts.  Outside the Pantanal, where I’d like to do an ecological expedition, there are few, if any CS hosts.

After Brazil, I’ll be in Bolivia, which *should* help me stay on budget.  My budget, in case you are curious, is about $25-30 a day, not including tours or excursions or flights.  What I need to do is sit down and do some math.

Not everything in Brazil is as expensive as it is in New York, however.  This afternoon I got a bikini wax for only $7 USD.  That’s unbelievably cheap!  Tomorrow I need to purchase a Brazilian bikini, something I’m not looking forward to donning.

When in Brazil…