Ah yes, the easier days of getting a handwritten or typed Brazilian visa in a matter of a few days is long one, at least in North America.

I applied for one in 2007 from the Consulate in Toronto and got it within 10 days, handwritten and typed combo. Since their Consulate opened in Vancouver to serve Western Canada, they enforce a strict 3 week courier door to door turnaround timeline or they will return the envelope unprocessed. If they ever require an interview, that will be it, I will visit elsewhere. I shudder to think how they will deal with the Olympic rush in 4 years.

The other visa oddity I have experienced is with Turkey. Canadians are charged one of the highest visa fees for some reason, even higher than Americans!