As of today, the conversion is $1 USD = $2.3895 Brazilian Real. Are we going to make it to the

$1 = $2.5 Reals??

Se Deus Quisir = God-Willing.

Yours

IHOP akaFavelaDweller

PS Boys too + Sauna Entries

It would be nice if this holds till my next trip.

It would be nice if this holds till my next trip.

...mine also which I hope will be sometime in 2014. A friend of mine is there right now and seemingly is having the time of his life going to all corners of this "Marvelous City" {Rio de janeiro} and experiencing the culture, the people, the cuisine, and the history which has been left. He hasn't alluded to any of his sauna adventures on his FB page because he's a pvt. person when it comes to that particular "social medium." I can't wait until he returns to converse with him via cell phone or land line!!

But back to the initial topic: I'm glad the US dollar is doing much better than it's done in quite some time; I, like Oz, hope it continues to do well and rise, rise, rise. The dollar was 3.5 to the real when I was there in 2002 October, my first trip.

As of today, the conversion is $1 USD = $2.3895 Brazilian Real. Are we going to make it to the

$1 = $2.5 Reals??

It was 4 real to a dollar when I was there in 2006-7

It was 4 real to a dollar when I was there in 2006-7

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No offense, but, you misremembered the exchange rate. See these web addresses which show the historical exchange rates of the real to the USD since 1999 up to 2013:

http://www.freecurrencyrates.com/exchange-rate-history/USD-BRL/2006

http://www.x-rates.com/average/?from=USD&to=BRL&amount=1&year=2006

In 2006 and 2007, the real was trading as low as 1.60 to 1 USD and as high as 2.35 to 1 USD.

Brazil is fun but let us not let the fun confuse us with the exchange rate fluctuations and the actual rates.

The only time I recall the real trading near 4 to one is in 2003 when it briefly got almost to that range.

On the other, the Argentine peso was trading at 4 and above for a USD, but that is not Brazil.

I am in Brazil quite often and I am very much aware of the exchange rates over the years.

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As of today, the conversion is $1 USD = $2.3895 Brazilian Real. Are we going to make it to the

$1 = $2.5 Reals??

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I believe we will soon see at least 2.5 reais for one USD; probably within the next month or two, maybe sooner.

There are still lots of problems and lots of unhappy Brazilians at the present time. Not a lot is being done to correct the problems in Brazil which made the Brazilians unhappy enough to demonstrate.

After the demonstrations subsided, there were many promises made by the government to the demonstrating Brazilians. But, promises take time to deliver. In the meantime, Brazil's economy suffers along with the decline in the value of the real.

Clearly, the demonstrations, earlier this year, are the chief reason for the decline in the value of the real. There are still sporadic demonstrations which continue to drive down the value of the real and draw attention to the problems remaining in Brazil.

Even if the exchange rate rises to 2.5, we, as tourists, will not be able to have things back the way they were before the Brazilian currency shot up like it did.

Although the real is cheaper for us, the inflation that occurred over the last several years is not going away and will not be reversed. Therefore, the more favorable exchange rate merely makes spending time in Brazil less expensive, currently. Unquestionably, it is a lot more expensive now, even with the better exchange rate, than it was ten years ago at this time.

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As of today, the conversion is $1 USD = $2.3895 Brazilian Real. Are we going to make it to the

$1 = $2.5 Reals??

-

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The increase is on its way - the real closed today at 2.45150

1.00 USD = 2.45150 BRL US Dollar ↔ Brazilian Real 1 USD = 2.45150 BRL 1 BRL = 0.407914 USD ◀Convert again View Chart Mid-market rates: 2013-08-21 23:50 UTC

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No offense, but, you misremembered the exchange rate. See these web addresses which show the historical exchange rates of the real to the USD since 1999 up to 2013:

http://www.freecurrencyrates.com/exchange-rate-history/USD-BRL/2006

http://www.x-rates.com/average/?from=USD&to=BRL&amount=1&year=2006

In 2006 and 2007, the real was trading as low as 1.60 to 1 USD and as high as 2.35 to 1 USD.

Brazil is fun but let us not let the fun confuse us with the exchange rate fluctuations and the actual rates.

The only time I recall the real trading near 4 to one is in 2003 when it briefly got almost to that range.

On the other, the Argentine peso was trading at 4 and above for a USD, but that is not Brazil.

I am in Brazil quite often and I am very much aware of the exchange rates over the years.

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That is the exchange rate I got in a private transaction. Just short of 4

As mentioned and alluded to previously in this thread, it isn't so much the USD is so strong as it is the Brazilian economy is having boom to bust cycles and problems. As always, inflation produces a bigger number but a decline in value.

I remember when the Pound Sterling traded for a few minutes on the futures market at par for the USD. I think the official exchange rate that day settled at 1.03 USD for one Pound Sterling.

Best regards,

RA1

Yesterday I took out a 1000Reais at Banco do Brasil and it cost me $414.00.

We were in the city last night and had a really nice supper at Devassa on the Praca Jose de Alencar, near the Largo do Machado, We split plates of penne and sun-dried tomato and I really good chicken parme with babata portuguesa. 25R and 28R per main course. Great location and they served nicely with their wonderful assortment of craft-style bottled beers. Al fresco.

Yours,

IHOP akaFavelaDweller

O Globo had a long interview with the chief trader for monetary policy of the Central Bank of Brasil. The plan is through the end of the year to auction of 500million US in currency swaps Mondays though Thursdays with 1 billion US on Friday. This is to continue through the end of the year. I didn't quite understand why the swaps are preferable to out right currency sales, but that is what they are doing. Yesterday the Real closed at just under 2.35 to the dollar. A while back they lowered some of the consumption taxes here to help stimulate the economy as well as interest rates that the country/banks are paying. This lowered the spread with the inflation rate here and caused outflows of spec currency looking for the next place to invest. At least my take as the economy cools here.

Bigger mystery to me is why the QE in the USA has caused the collapse of the Rupee and whatever funny money the use in Indonesia is now something that I really don't understand. Supposedly the next to drop are the Malaysian, Thai and Filipino currencies. Anyone for a cheaper ladyboy in Phuket?

Yours,

IHOP akaFavelaDweller

a cheaper ladyboy in Phuket?

Why does everything sound to me like the title of a lost Sondheim masterpiece this morning?

A Rupee For Your Thoughts?

Baht They Can't Take That Away From Me?

Bells Are Ringgit?

Sunday In The Park With The Peso?

Any anst-filled title catch your attention, AdamSmith.....

Yours,

IHOP akaFavelaDweller

By the way, totally off-topic, and someone can slap my hiney even a few times more than my hottie Thiago did over the past few weeks, but I've read infrequently that Mr. Sondheim is or was quite the down n'dirty leatherman. Any truth to the rumours?

Yours,

IHOP aka FavelaDweller

Have heard the same thing about La Sondheim but don't know anybody alas with firsthand knowledge.

There's something quite disturbing about imagining La Sondheim dressed in chaps, codpiece(?), leather vest, biker's cap and maybe some cute chromed tittie clamps and whipping his sub, restrained in a sling, while whipping him in time to "Ladies Who Lunch"

Yours,

IHOP akaFavelaDweller

Last Friday I was able to change dollars for Reais at the rate of 2.35, and today at the rate of 2.30 I could not find a good rate for my traveler checks, with flat out refusing them and the other offering only 1.80. Still, Rio feels much cheaper than it did on my last visit.

"Still, Rio feels much cheaper than it did on my last visit."

Please would you tell me where you're staying on this trip, and how you found the hotel or apartment, as I'm planning a trip in a couple of months.

I followed the lead of others here who used rioapartmentrentals.com.

Just a clarification.. the agency for the apartment is rioapartmentrental.com... there is not an "s" at the end of the name. The "s" takes you to a different company

Thank you for the info and clarification.