Thanx for all the useful info. I do realize that Brazil isn't a cheap place to visit.

I will be going to Rio on January 5th, and will stay in Brazil until Jan. 11th. I was able to find a local travel operator (Velocitas Travel www.velocitas.com.br) with great English-speaking staff and good package deals, but yet expensive. I will be staying in Copacabana at a moderately priced hotel, which according to the people at Velocitas, I will be able to bring in any local friend I find on the beach or elswhere, and I am also going to go to Paraty, which is a historical city for a 4-night trip. Even though I didn't find Velocitas package a bargain, it was 30% cheaper than what I was offered by a Miami-based operator (BROL) and about 40% cheaper than what I found researching directly on the internet... Brazil is indeed very expensive.

But as SoCal suggested getting information is a must, thereforeI am reading a lot about Brazil and Rio, and that's why I want to spend 6 nights in Rio, as I wan to visit the many different sights the city has to offer: nudist beach (Abrico), the Tijuca Forest, the Barra and Recreio beaches, the Carmen Miranda museum, the Chacara do Ceu museum and I also want to hang glide and go to the night life in Lapa, besides visiting the Sugar Loaf and the Christ statue.

Now I just hope everything works out as planned. Wish me luck, because I am getting a bit nervous about this trip. But I will let you all know of how it went. And I do hope to find a local Brazilian romance.