Brazil: Copacabana beach New Year´s Eve Celebration

Reveillon/New Year´s Eve Celebration (Rio de Janeiro): Close to three million people gather for one of the most spectacular New Year´s celebrations in the world. It starts on the evening of December 31,2006 and continues well into the morning of January 1,2007. The main event will take place on Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro. Show with live music, fireworks, and the Candomble religious ceremonies.
See more Brazil New year´s Eve 2007

Brazilian model Alessandra Ambrosio in James Bond's Casino Royale

Alessandra Ambrosio, ranked as #84 in FHM's "100 Sexiest Women in the World 2005" special supplement ,had a cameo in the new James Bond film "Casino Royale" as an attractive tennis player who eyes Bond as he walks by her.
This brazilian girl, born in southern Brazil, appeared before in the MTV show Slater Celebrity Surfer Invitational recently, earning a small award. See Alessandra Ambrosio pic

Travel: Paraty, Rio de Janeiro

Paraty is an historic city located 4 hours by car from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Its colonial architecture makes this charming city a Brazilian National Monument.
Founded in 1667, Paraty became extremely important in the 18th century as the main getaway for the gold and precious stones brought on horseback from inland, and sent to Portugal through the city’s port.
If you visit Rio, don´t forget to make a tour to Paraty
Best offers:
2 days tour to Paraty
The tour includes:
Transfer in/out from Rio, one night at Pousada da Condessa, schooner tour, lunch (1st day), breakfast (2nd day).
Price: US$ 220.00 per person (min 2).

Rio de Janeiro nightlife

Rio is so teeming with nightlife, it is hard to recommend one spot as the only place to go. Behind Copacabana and Ipanema is a butterfly shaped lake called Lagoa Rodrigo de Fritas. Along the waterfront are many resturants/nightspots which have great live music and fantastic outdoor seating. They are open until late which make it a perfect place to eat, listen to music and dance all in the one venue.
The Copacabana district, besides hosting many five-star hotels, is usually the classier area to go club-hopping in.

Photo: Rio de Janeiro night

Gávea Beer Festival, Rio de Janeiro

The new edition of the Gávea Bier Truck brings together the best breweries in the country on the 15th, 16th, 17th of December. With a program of totally free shows the meeting of Brewers will also have foodtrucks and bikes of food such as hamburger, crepes, BBQ, hotdog, among others and desserts.

Also there will be three full shows of MPB, Pop Rock? And Chorinho are confirmed. To open the event Friday (15) has a presentation of Pepê Moraes, which honors the great reference of the national rock of the years 80, as Urban Legion and Chandran. In the same footprint the band RioFlash, rises to the stage of the Topsail, on Saturday, playing pop of the 1980, 1990 and flashback. Already on Sunday (17) is the day of Chorinho close the party with show of the group Nights Rio.

Where
Gávea Bier Truck – Meeting of Brewers

Days 15, 16 and 17 December (from Fri to Sun)
Timetables:
Fri (06) – from 6pm to 10pm – Saturday (07) – From 12h to 10pm – and Sunday (08) – From 12:00 to 10pm.

Address: Praça Santos Dumont – S/n – Gavea, Rio de Janeiro
Free entrance

Shows:
Day 15
- Pepê Moraes - 7:30 pm to 10pm

Day 16
- Banda RioFlash - 6:30 to 8pm | 8:30 to 10:00.

Day 17
- Grupo Noites Cariocas - 5pm to 8pm

Book in advance for Rio Carnival 2007!

Every February (and some years stretching into early March), Rio de Janeiro erupts in an ecstatic fiesta of pulsating music, swirling dancers, and radiant costumes: the Carnival. From all over the world, tens of thousands of people descend upon Rio for festivities lasting four days and four nights.
Rio de Janeiro:Hot days and hotter women! In March during
the day the average temperature is between 85 - 90 Farenheit degrees and humid!! This is an excellent place if you want to spend a hot vacation. See brazil carnival girl

Rio de Janeiro cheap tranfer from airport GIG

The International Airport Antonio Carlos Jobim -ex Galeão- ( GIG ) is situated just outside the city (around 30/40 minutes by car).
Consider reach to Copacabana beach or Ipanema beach by Taxi:
A taxi from the Rio de janeiro International Airport should cost around R$ 50-70 reais (US$ 25-30).
How to reach cheaply
By Bus
1. Please take the Real bus "Frescão" on the departure floor which costs R$ 5 reais and leaves each 30 minutes.
2. Catch it in front of the exit gate and get off at the Atlantica Avenue on the corner of Barão de Ipanema street ( In front of Hotel Pestana Rio Atlântica ).

Argentine Boca Jrs. secure world record 16th

SAO PAULO — Boca Juniors (from Argentina )drew 2-2 with
Sao Paulo at the Morumbí stadium late last night to
clinch the South American Recopa, a world record 16th
international title.
The Argentine team, which had won the first leg of the
final 2-1 last week at the Bombonera stadium,in Buenos
Aires -Argentina-.

Shopping in Rio de Janeiro

There are a number of shopping malls in the city. The best is thought to be the São Conrado Fashion Mall, adjacent to the Sheraton and Inter-Continental hotels. Daring shoppers may want to visit Bum Bum (Visconde de Pirajá 437), the most popular brazilian bikini store in Rio.
Other bargains can be found at H Stern and Amsterdam Sauer (both on Visconde de Piraja), Brazil's two largest jewellers, both of which have numerous branches. Don't buy gems from other dealers; these two establishments will provide the best guarantees of authenticity and quality.

A new Low cost airline Brazil

A new low-cost airline is in the works that would fly from Buenos Aires- Rio de Janeiro.
Gol Lineas aereas Airways has received initial approval from the Department of Transportation. Plans call for flying 767s to up to 15 nations on four continents, with fares 15-70 percent lower than traditional carriers in economy class and business class.
Company officials said Gol could offer a $199 round trip fare Bs As-Rio de Janeiro. Check other destinaions.

Brazil travel visa: information

Visas are required for North Americans traveling to Brazil, and are free. However, as the American and Canadian embassies charges a fee for Brazilians applying for a U.S. or Canadian visa, the Brazilian government collects monies for processing visas for North Americans to Brazil. The visa can be obtained from the nearest Brazilian embassy or consulate (click here for U.S.Brazilian Consulates addresses).
Learm more in:
Brazil holidays

Brazil Carnival fascination: Samba music

It’s wonderful to listen to the samba-enredo being sung without percussion, because when the
percussion comes in, it’s like a dam bursting. There’s nothing like that initial explosive entrance of
the full percussion section—over 300 percussionists executing their parts with absolute precision.
Seeing carnaval from samba school perspective is what it must be like for an astronaut
experiencing space flight for the first time, from the initial blast of ignition to the surreal feelings of
weightlessness and viewing everything from an unimaginable perspective.
In this page can be found marvellous pics, photos of Brazil carnival : Brazil carnival photos

Brazil: Small Business & IP Telephony

The scope of IP telephony in the small and medium businesses (SMBs) can be enormous. This report on Infoworld says SMBs employ 35% of the total workforce and account for about 42% of total business revenue. The current penetration of IP telephony among SMBs is not very high but in the coming years the scenario is bound to change. To be a better player with more efficiency and improve productivity an inclination towards IP telephony is bound to happen.

Critical success factors

Below are areas vendors should focus on to achieve success in this segment:-

- Adopting SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)

- Vertical Specific Solutions.

- Adopting SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)

- Expanding go-to-market strategy.

- Alliances with Service Providers.

More in Voip directory

Voip phones for very small businesses or branch offices

Voice over Internet Protocol offers the capability to transmit voice communications overthe Internet, employing a variety of end user devices. In most cases, VoIP services convert the analog voice from a telephone (using an adapter between the telephone and the Internet connection) into digital signals that travel as packets over the Internet thenare converted back to analog voice at the receiving end.
Aastra Technologies Ltd.'s VentureIP peer-to-peer telephony system provides hassle-free voice-over-IP telephony for very small businesses or branch offices with simple networks, and it could also prove to be a useful addition for traveling demonstrations or trade-show booths.
See more for this IP phone review...

Read more : Voip info extracted from
Voip phones information directory