Brazilian Pedro Henrique is travelling across the nation as the South American giants prepare to host the 20th FIFA World Cup. He has some valuable advice for anyone looking to travel to the country this summer for the big sporting spectacle.
I traveled today from Curitiba – my hometown- to Rio. On the way to the airport I could see work on at least seven reforms promised for the World Cup and surely they won’t be ready for the competition.
My flight went well and landed on time, but I’m not sure if it will keep going like this during the World Cup. At Curitiba I advise you to avoid any flight before 9 AM because it has a good chance of being delayed.
Arriving at Rio everything I saw was about the World Cup. It’s all people talk about and Brazil’s colors are everywhere. “Não vai ter Copa” (World Cup won’t happen) posters are at every corner in the town. I’ve spoken to people who live here and they seem to be very concerned about security. They advised me to wear old clothes, leave my wallet empty and have a small sum of money in my pocket, just incase there’s a chance of potentially being mugged.
Another problem in the town is that taxi drivers overprice the run, with the usual “we have to go back from where we picked you” complaint. I must advise you to NOT pay a cent more than the price at the meter. Another option is to pay a fixed price, determined by the region you’re going to. This may avoid the chance of the taxi driver taking a longer route to get more money from you. Another problem is the private taxis, so you have to pay attention.
I used the bus to transport myself through the city. There are, like Curitiba, lots of ongoing reforms which makes the transit chaotic. If you don’t like to be late, you have to take the bus at least 30 minutes earlier than you usually would.
The city’s tense, but the people seem very happy and anxious with the World Cup. So, if you’re coming, take care and enjoy!
Please feel free to ask me any question about the World Cup @hnrqpdr
