Notes from Brazil

At Sea 2.19.15

The minimum wage in Brazil is 780 Real.  The Real fluctuates against the dollar, but it is 2.86 to the dollar right now.  Roughly a minimum wage of $272 a month.  A very poor country full of slums.

Brazil does not have mortgages.  Want to buy a house or apartment?  Have the whole amount in cash.  Or pay rent which will be approximately 1% of the home value per month.  Home values skyrocketed just before the World Cup.  Those that bought properties to rent cannot sell them now.  The highest value properties are near the beautiful beaches.  The further you get away from the nice beaches, the lower the value. The slums are on the highest hills and have the best views.  The owners of the slum houses never complete the building of them, therefore owe no taxes until they are completed.

The school system is very different from ours.  Parents put their children into private schools from K to 12.  The reason is economics.  The best colleges are public, free, and there are three of them.  The competition to get into them is fierce, only the smartest, private schooled make it.

We mentioned how polluted the bay of Rio was when we were docked.  An hour and a half after we sailed out Wednesday night we were looking at the water below us and saw a very clear, distinct line in the water.  Muddy to the Rio side and clear into the Atlantic.

Brazil has the 2nd most number of plastic surgeons in the world, behind South Korea.

We debarked about 900 passengers yesterday in Rio, and embarked another 900.  We don't know where the new folks are from, but they are LOUD!  In the restaurants, in the elevators, in the theater, everywhere, they seem to be yelling a lot.

Colleen and John