To the Amazon and Back

okay folks--you heard it here first:
I don't know everything about nonrevving. (shhhh--don't tell anyone, okay?)

BUT--could use help, please!

Bidding on auction for Ariau Towers Hotel,Manaus, Brasil.
Delta can get me to Panama City and I can picup Copa(they just joined Skyteam) to get to MAO.
Or I can get to MIA and try to ID on AA with every Brasilian and their uncles.
Or I can go south to Rio or Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires and veer to Iguacu to show my husband the falls (it will be a bit chilly in March!!)then come all the way back north. Or I can try someway to go thru Recife--
Does anyone with a brilliant travel mind see a good way to do this?
The auction pkg is up on Tuesday the 16th, so get with and HELP me! PLEEEEEEZZZZZ!
Pretty please?
Since I'm hoping to save a few thousand on the hotel, I can spring for some ID flights. Keeping in mind the visa costs are hefty.

If you ask me, I like the BUENOS AIRES to Iguacu falls idea, only because Buenos Aires is a great city with lots to do. You go to MAO, what you will get is high temperature and lots of wierd animals on the river with possible parasites and blood sucking wierd stuff nawing on you when they come out at night to feed. I'd leave the AMAZON for the backpacker types and the young, unless you absolutely wish to take a river cruise up the Amazon.
Buenos Aires is TANGO, STEAK, WINE, PASTA all rolled up into one burrito. I can't answer for IGUACU since I never went, but big deal. Go see NIAGRA or ANGEL FALLS in Venezuela should be even the big KAHUNA in the waterfalls department.

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okay folks--you heard it here first:
I don't know everything about nonrevving. (shhhh--don't tell anyone, okay?)

BUT--could use help, please!

Bidding on auction for Ariau Towers Hotel,Manaus, Brasil.
Delta can get me to Panama City and I can picup Copa(they just joined Skyteam) to get to MAO.
Or I can get to MIA and try to ID on AA with every Brasilian and their uncles.
Or I can go south to Rio or Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires and veer to Iguacu to show my husband the falls (it will be a bit chilly in March!!)then come all the way back north. Or I can try someway to go thru Recife--
Does anyone with a brilliant travel mind see a good way to do this?
The auction pkg is up on Tuesday the 16th, so get with and HELP me! PLEEEEEEZZZZZ!
Pretty please?
Since I'm hoping to save a few thousand on the hotel, I can spring for some ID flights. Keeping in mind the visa costs are hefty.[/b]

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29Palms--you are sooooo encouraging.
This is a reall cool package--all meals, 4 nights in a treehouse suite in the jungle canopy, all excursions and boat transfers from Manaus to the hotel. It's the one where Survivor crews stayed. So far, I'm bidding $767 for the $3G deal. Not bad?
Actually, I've seen Iguacu and it's 7 times the size of Niagara, so it it really is monstrous! And I would gladly go thru BA and eat my way thru huge steaks. When I need help there--I'll ask for your fave restaurant.
I went to the Amazon whan I was a young thang, so I'm over the backpacker thing, too--this is a luxury type place (as luxurious as the Amazon can offer)
As for the bloodsuckers--Delta already did that to my husband's pension--so we'l be the parasites using the perks while we can! I loved your description, tho. You forgot about the pink river dolphins and the Rio Negro River--where you can't see the shore on either side in some palces--now that's HUGE!! And you forgot the piranhas--chomp chomp chomp.
Wanna bet NonRev1 is cringing--waiting to see my reply to yours? Anyway--how would you get there,if you WANTED to get there?

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Wanna bet NonRev1 is cringing--waiting to see my reply to yours?[/b]

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:rolleyes:

And yes, I forgot about the Piranhas and Anacondas and bats...but did you ever know about the most feared of all in the AMAZON? Tell your husband not to jump in for a swim or to be sure to wear some good tight swimming trunks. THE CANDIRU!

Candiru

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29Palms--you are sooooo encouraging.
This is a reall cool package--all meals, 4 nights in a treehouse suite in the jungle canopy, all excursions and boat transfers from Manaus to the hotel. It's the one where Survivor crews stayed. So far, I'm bidding $767 for the $3G deal. Not bad?
Actually, I've seen Iguacu and it's 7 times the size of Niagara, so it it really is monstrous! And I would gladly go thru BA and eat my way thru huge steaks. When I need help there--I'll ask for your fave restaurant.
I went to the Amazon whan I was a young thang, so I'm over the backpacker thing, too--this is a luxury type place (as luxurious as the Amazon can offer)
As for the bloodsuckers--Delta already did that to my husband's pension--so we'l be the parasites using the perks while we can! I loved your description, tho. You forgot about the pink river dolphins and the Rio Negro River--where you can't see the shore on either side in some palces--now that's HUGE!! And you forgot the piranhas--chomp chomp chomp.
Wanna bet NonRev1 is cringing--waiting to see my reply to yours? Anyway--how would you get there,if you WANTED to get there?[/b]

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How would I get to the Amazon if I wanted to get there? Via COPA I suppose from PTY. In my case that is because from IAH to PTY then COPA is all my airlines and it would all be free. (I may have to pay a small fee for Copa like 12.50 each way.) In your case out of Atlanta? I don't know what would suit you better. Package deals I seem to do better without. All those transfers you talk about seems like you could do it without the package deals on your own. Seems like 700 PLUS for four nights is alot of money. That's too much money to give to naked Amazonians perched on top of the trees. WE HAD a Beijing package through our work, but I turned out and beat the package deal on my own. When I got back to work, everyone told me I did it better. When they add breakfast and tours, do the math, you will find that you are only talkin chump change in China. Of course, you don't speak BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE either do you? BOM DIA. COME VAI? Meu nomen e 29 Palmas. Eu bisognio de um copa de Vinho por favor.

.

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And yes, I forgot about the Piranhas and Anacondas and bats...but did you ever know about the most feared of all in the AMAZON? Tell your husband not to jump in for a swim or to be sure to wear some good tight swimming trunks. THE CANDIRU!

Candiru[/b]

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How would I get to the Amazon if I wanted to get there? Via COPA I suppose from PTY. In my case that is because from IAH to PTY then COPA is all my airlines and it would all be free. (I may have to pay a small fee for Copa like 12.50 each way.) In your case out of Atlanta? I don't know what would suit you better. Package deals I seem to do better without. All those transfers you talk about seems like you could do it without the package deals on your own. Seems like 700 PLUS for four nights is alot of money. That's too much money to give to naked Amazonians perched on top of the trees. WE HAD a Beijing package through our work, but I turned out and beat the package deal on my own. When I got back to work, everyone told me I did it better. When they add breakfast and tours, do the math, you will find that you are only talkin chump change in China. Of course, you don't speak BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE either do you? BOM DIA. COME VAI? Meu nomen e 29 Palmas. Eu bisognio de um copa de Vinho por favor.

.[/b]

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ICK UGH GROSS I never studied those when I took parasitology!! Eu falo--certo! I even taught my cat to speak it. She said "meu" all the time.
'brigado for the info, which now has a horrible visual imbedded in my grey matter. Fascinating!
BTW--the pkg is a luxury tree house suite w/private pool-- all meals, excursions, guides, and I have a $500 Gift Certificate to apply, so if I get it for even $900 the net cost is $100 for 2 people/day. The only way to get to the place is 2 hours by boat (transfers are included) and IF I see any naked Amazonians, I'll tell them 29 Palms says tchau!

Thanks for the visual 29 Palms. http://bestsmileys.com/fainting/1.gif ;)

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BTW--the pkg is a luxury tree house suite w/private pool--[/b]

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and this doesn't send up any red flags? :lol:

OBRIGADO. Non falo Portuguese mas que eu quero falar un pouco melhor. Those "Naked Amazonians" probably know who I am all ready. Should you see tatoos that read "THE 29 PALMS WAS HERE". You know I WAS THERE!

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ICK UGH GROSS I never studied those when I took parasitology!! Eu falo--certo! I even taught my cat to speak it. She said "meu" all the time.
'brigado for the info, which now has a horrible visual imbedded in my grey matter. Fascinating!
BTW--the pkg is a luxury tree house suite w/private pool-- all meals, excursions, guides, and I have a $500 Gift Certificate to apply, so if I get it for even $900 the net cost is $100 for 2 people/day. The only way to get to the place is 2 hours by boat (transfers are included) and IF I see any naked Amazonians, I'll tell them 29 Palms says tchau![/b]

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Thanks for the visual 29 Palms. http://bestsmileys.com/fainting/1.gif ;)
and this doesn't send up any red flags? :lol:[/b]

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That's a green flag to me--I've done all the backpacking and upacking and laundry etc--too spoiled now not to have a private thatched villa for safari, a duplex suite in Prague and a treehouse in Brasil--earned it, enjoy it! I'll do my sleep-in-the-airport-if-I-hafta thing, but my choice is otherwise. (Im not referring to the canidru!)

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okay folks--you heard it here first:
I don't know everything about nonrevving. (shhhh--don't tell anyone, okay?)

BUT--could use help, please!

Bidding on auction for Ariau Towers Hotel,Manaus, Brasil.
Delta can get me to Panama City and I can picup Copa(they just joined Skyteam) to get to MAO.
Or I can get to MIA and try to ID on AA with every Brasilian and their uncles.
Or I can go south to Rio or Sao Paulo or Buenos Aires and veer to Iguacu to show my husband the falls (it will be a bit chilly in March!!)then come all the way back north. Or I can try someway to go thru Recife--
Does anyone with a brilliant travel mind see a good way to do this?
The auction pkg is up on Tuesday the 16th, so get with and HELP me! PLEEEEEEZZZZZ!
Pretty please?
Since I'm hoping to save a few thousand on the hotel, I can spring for some ID flights. Keeping in mind the visa costs are hefty.[/b]

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Doesn't Brasil require $100.00 VISAS??

Yes they do for Americans. And its good for more than one time entries. Good for FIVE YEARS at least when I went in 2004 or so.

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Doesn't Brasil require $100.00 VISAS??[/b]

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Yes they do for Americans. And its good for more than one time entries. Good for FIVE YEARS at least when I went in 2004 or so.[/b]

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Travel has to begin within 90 days of granted date. I am still trying to get the current duration info. It seems to vary for some reason

Here is what ticks me off...


Reciprocity Fee:
American citizens must pay US$100.00 processing fee per visa in reciprocity for an identical fee charged to Brazilian citizens applying for a U.S. visa.

So who ends up getting JACKED in the long run? The TOURIST. The reason the U.S. doesn't like to give visas to Brazilians is that they are an immigration risk. They are not alone in this matter. Philippines for example, and alot of other countries. Once these people set foot in U.S. soil, they disappear into the system, until they find someone to marry so that they can become U.S. citizens. Or continue to work illegally in the U.S.

And you're right. They don't seem to mention anything about the length of the visa. Mine was good for five years, but when my passport expired a year ago, out went the passport along with the visa for Brazil so If I were to go to Brazil again, I'd have to pay 100 bucks. Check out what other countries pay to visit Brazil.

for Tourist Visa: see table below, as per nationality of applicant.


USA no basic fee (See above. it's 100 U.S. dollars.)
Russia, Japan US$ 50.00
Canada, Nigeria US$ 40.00
Australia US$ 35.00
Mexico US$ 30.00
other countries US$ 20.00

I guess I should become a Mexican and get a visa for Brazil for 30 bucks. Have a fine day.

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Travel has to begin within 90 days of granted date. I am still trying to get the current duration info. It seems to vary for some reason[/b]

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Got the auction and it's a done deal--just over $300 4 nights/treehouse/all meals/guides etc/transfers for 2. Not too shabby!
Plan to go next year--Mar/Apr--well after Carnival. Will prob take the ATL/PTY use Copa to Manaus and stay a night on each end. 29 Palms--do you have any particular place to recommend for those nights? We have the ususal deal w/Novotel/Mercure and tropical has reciprocal w/ Ariau Towers but it's $$. No hurry--when you get a chance and everyone has freaked over the cadiru--except my husband--I didn't tell him yet!

To be honest with you, you can spend like anywhere else on hotels at PTY, just depends on how close to town you want to be, or just stay near the airport. If you're just passing through for the day to leave to Brazil the next, I'd just hang near the airport hotels. Cabs to town will run you at least 20 bucks if you take those shared vans instead of personal cab. To be honest, I don't know the names of the hotels at the airport, those are probably new. Taxis in PTY are cheap otherwise to get all around town if you want to do some site seeing. I don't stay in hotels when I visit Panama. Lets just say that I have my connections there. (Legally speaking).

continuing saga of Amazonas Bound...

Flew to DC on Thursday--guess what arrived via USPS on Sat? Our passports w/visas!! Yippeeee! The short ones, of course, as predicted<sigh>

NOW--I need HELP!!! Does anyone know about flight priv with ID90 United--flights are codeshare MIA/MAO (Manaus--our destination) shown as "United flight numbers operated by TAM"
Here&#39;s the dilemma:
Delta has no agreement with TAM but we have the ID90 with United--can we buy ID90&#39;s and use them on these flights?Anyone have the res background?

Seperate issue/same subject:
We can ID90 COPA via PTY to MAO--but its $200/pax. Cheaper to transit thru PTY from MIA on ID90 COPA. BUT that means standby on 4 legs--does anyone have recent experience on COPA as well as info on space avail? I have limited seating info
thru IDDeals.com.

HELP! Please and thank you!!

Just wanted to drag this thread out to a filament....hahaha

Now, I need some additional advice/clarification, please!

We plan to nonrev on DL ATL/PTY RT

Stay 2 nights by Canal and Bridge (1 discounted and 1 free w/points)

Connect:
Panama / Brazil on Copa standby to Manaus. Question is--what about tourist taxes and departure fees?

We are then returning thru Panama again and staying over one more free night (incompatible flight schedules)

Do we have to pay on both ends ? Tourism fee $32, departure tax $20 each--I am not getting this part at all. I can&#39;t see the ID90 charges until I go to the airport for Copa tkts.
Anyone have access to complete pricing info on Copa ID Sunday to Sunday RT (PTY-MAO)?? They are also indicating a fuel surcharge $100 pax RT on their website. OUCH. (gee--that&#39;s a novel idea??)
HELP!!!
Thanks a bunch!!