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salvador > congress homepage > Information - Brazil | ||||
Congress participants of some nationalities will have to get a visa to enter Brazil. They will have to contact the Brazilian Consulate or Embassy in their country of residence in order to fulfil the administrative procedures. They are strongly advised to apply for their visas well before their departure. Passports should be valid for a period of 6 months from your date of arrival in Brazil. For countries not listed above, no visa is necessary for a stay of up to three months. A passport with a minimum validity of 6 months is required, along with a return ticket. Travellers from the following regions or countries also need a yellow fever vaccination to be able to enter Brazil: Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, French Guyana, Peru and Venezuela. For any additional information, please consult the Embassy of Brazil’s website: www.bresil.org. DESTINATION PLUS is the official travel agency for the Salvador Congress. You will get preferential rates for congress participants by reserving directly through this agency. 58, rue Saint Lambert 75015 Paris, France Tel.: +33 (1) 56 08 37 37 Fax: +33 (1) 56 08 37 38 E-mail: congres-uia@destinationplus.fr Website: www.destinationplus-uia.com For your information to Salvador: - Direct flights are available from Lisbon and Madrid with a departure from several cities in Europe, on TAP and Air Europa - Varig Brazilian Airlines also offers flights via Sao Paulo or Rio de Janeiro from several cities in Europe. For more information, download the Destination Plus reservation form. Luis Eduardo Magalhães de Salvador International Airport is located about 30 minutes from the city centre. There is a taxi stand at the airport. The trip costs around 30 US$ or 60 R$. On your arrival, you can get more information at the UIA welcome desk. UIA has not arranged any shuttle service. Banks are open from 10 A.M. to 04 P.M., Monday to Friday. International credit cards are accepted in most hotels, restaurants, shops, travel and car rental agencies, as well as in most other companies involved in tourism. ATMs can be found mostly in commercial areas. You are advised to make arrangements on your arrival at the airport. The national currency is the Real (R$). On 15 April 2006, the exchange rate was approximately: 1 EUR = 2.57 R$ / 1 R$ = 0.38 EUR 1 US$ = 2.12 R$ / 1 R$ = 0.47 US$ The national language is Portuguese. In big cities, English and Spanish may be spoken in most hotels, travel agencies, airports and major tourist sites. The electric current is not standardised and varies between regions, cities and buildings – between 110 and 220 Volts. Brazil has a tropical climate, with some variations according to the season. The average annual temperature is about 28°C in the North and 20°C in the South. Light clothes are recommended for the congress period. The humidity level is fairly high in Salvador. The climate is relatively mild and the city enjoys a refreshing breeze. In the Pestana Bahia Hotel, all the rooms are air-conditioned. Opening ceremony and welcome cocktail: Lounge suit (the welcome cocktail will take place outdoors at the theatre) Informal reception and dinner-cocktail: Casual wear (the informal reception shall take place outdoors) Closing reception: Formal dress (the reception shall take place indoors in an air-conditioned hall) General excursion: As the excursion will take you to the fishing village of Praia do Forte, followed by lunch in a resort with a swimming pool, those who wish to enjoy the beach and pool may carry their swimming costumes, but kindly also wear decent clothes for lunch. Feijoada, the national dish, is a meat and black bean stew, although it has many regional variants. Bahia is Brazil’s most “Africanised” state. Its capital, Salvador, is a fascinating and vibrant city, with a number of historic buildings. It is one of Brazil’s cultural centres. The city is divided into two parts: the cidade alta or upper city and the cidade baixa or lower city, which are linked by the famous elevator lacerda (electric elevator). - Pelourinho: It is the biggest baroque, colonial architectural complex in Latin America as a whole, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - Basilica Cathedral: The biggest church in Pelourinho, built between 1657 and 1672, with marble blocks used to ballast Portuguese ships returning empty from Europe. - Notre Dame de Bonfim: The most popular of Bahia State’s churches, built on a hill in the mid-18th century. In January, Catholic priests and Candomblé priestesses rub shoulders in the Bonfim procession in a typically Bahianese ritual. - The Sao Francisco Convent and Church: The convent stands testimony to Salvador’s Golden Age, with its interiors, richly decorated in paintings and its gold-leaf ornamented sculptures. - Mercado Modelo: This covered market, a picturesque part of Salvador, formerly a customs building, harbours a number of artisans, restaurants and several bars. - The Capoeira: This dance originated in tribal wars and African music and dance. The accompanying music is related to that of the Candomblé. The main instrument is the berimbau, composed of a wooden arc stretched tight with an iron wire and a calabash used as a sounding box. - Salvador is Brazil’s spiritual centre, but if you prefer fine sand beaches, you will be spoilt for choice: Itapoã, Flamengo or Stella Maris for surfers and Placafor or Porto da Barra for swimming. Shopping DESTINATION PLUS is offering several round trip excursions and visits for accompanying persons. You will find the details of the round trips and excursions on pages 48-58 of the programme. For any further information and reservations, kindly contact DESTINATION PLUS (you will find more information in DESTINATION PLUS’ reservation form). Should the number of participants would not be sufficient on September 25, 2006, pre and post-congress tours and accompanying persons programme may be cancelled or delayed to another date with more participants. 58, rue Saint Lambert 75015 Paris, France Tel.: +33 (1) 56 08 37 37 Fax: +33 (1) 56 08 37 38 E-mail: congres-uia@destinationplus.fr Website: www.destinationplus-uia.com  |
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