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Weather and Packing
Weather
As you may imagine
for a country larger than the U.S. (excluding
Alaska), temperatures in Brazil can vary
widely between the South and the North,
between summer and winter.
Keep in mind that winter in Brazil
is June to September. Summer in Brazil
is from December to February.
Summer days (December to February)
in Rio de Janeiro and in Salvador
can get hot and humid with temperatures
ranging from 90 to 100 degrees. The
rest of the year, Rio has mild temperatures
averaging 60 to 80 degrees. Salvador,
on the other hand, experiences less
change in temperatures between winter
and summer, although it does receive
more rainfall in the winter months,
especially April through June.
Brazil is not normally
subject to hurricanes or other natural disasters
(earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc.).
For more detailed information about
Salvador and Rio de Janeiro, the
Weather Channel's web site is a good
source.
Packing
Dress is informal, especially in the north
(Salvador), but you might want to bring
something for a special Rio evening,
such as going out to hear live music.
You can find almost everything in Rio
de Janeiro but some imported goods are
heavily taxed like cosmetics, sun protection,
certain tampon brands, insect repellent,
film, and contraceptives. We recommend
that you bring the following.
- Lightweight, layerable
clothing
- A jacket or light sweater
(for late evenings or early mornings)
- Comfortable walking shoes
with sturdy soles - very important!
- Beach sandals or flip-flops
- Umbrella (good idea during
rainy season)
- Small knapsack or a daypack
may be handy to carry water, cameras,
sun block, etc.
- Plastic bags come in handy
(dirty or wet clothes, leaking bottles,
etc.)
- Tampons
- Camera
- Extra film (can be expensive
locally)
- Swimsuit
- Sunscreen - very important!
- Insect repellent (with
DEET) for those who climb Sugarloaf or
trek near the beach
- Sunglasses
- Travel journal (optional)
- Vitamins
- Medical supplies (including
antiseptic, aspirin, Imodium/Lomotil,
antacid)
- Brazilian Portuguese
phrasebook - not required, but helpful
if you want to explore on your own
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