FOR TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES

Travelers with disabilities will find Brazil challenging. In fact, those who use a wheelchair to get around will find that very few places are accessible. In the large cities, a number (fortu­ nately an increasing number) of hotels, restaurants, and attractions are making themselves accessible. The trick lies in getting to them. Many sidewalks are uneven, ramps are usu­ ally absent, and buses and taxis are not adapted to handle a wheelchair. A refreshing exception is the city of Curitiba , which boasts a fully accessi­ ble public transportation system. For some additional resources on traveling with a disability, contact the Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality (SATH) (~C 212/447-7284; fax 212/725-8253; www.sath.org ). The website has an extensive list of travel tips as well as resources on specific travel destinations. Another great sources of information is Access-able, PO . Box 1796 , Wheat Ridge , CO 80034 (Ct 303/232-2979; www. access-able.com ). Its website has links to country-specific resources such as accessible hotels, tour operators, and other useful information. Flying Wheels Travel (CC,t 800/535-6790; www.flyingwheelstraveLcom) offers escorted tours and cruises that empha­ size sports and private tours in mini­ vans with lifts.

FOR GAY AND LESBIAN TRAVELERS

Gay and lesbian travelers will find small but vibrant gay communities in Sao Paulo , Rio de Janeiro , Salvador , and some of the other big cities, more often geared towards men than women. However, public displays of affection are not common among gays and lesbians even in the cities, and in small towns and communities the level of acceptance is significantly lower-rude remarks and jokes are almost guaranteed, though physical violence is thankfully rare. One Brazilian travel agency that specializes in tours for gay and lesbian travelers is Alibi Turismo, Rua Bahia 941, Sao Paulo ((t 11/3663-0075; www.alibi.com.br ). Trips include spe­ cial New Year's and Carnaval events, as well as packages to some of the popular beach destinations in the

Northeast. Above and Beyond Tours (Z 800/397-2681; www.above beyondtours.com ) offers gay and les­ bian tours worldwide and is the exclu­ sive gay and lesbian tour operator for United Airlines. Now, Voyager (Z 800/255-6951; www.nowvoyager. com ) is a San Francisco-based gay­ owned and -operated travel service. For other operators and gay-friendly hotels, check the website of the Inter­national Gay and Lesbian Travel Association at www.igta.org, or con­ tact them at Z 800/448-8550 or 954/77G-2G2G.

FOR SENIORS

Brazil treats its elderly well; seniors often live with their family and are treated with respect and affection. Senior travelers may try and ask for discounts, though these are reserved for those over 60 or 65 years of age who can show Brazilian ID. Still, it's always worth asking at tourist attrac­ tions if there's a discount. The phrase to use is "Tem disconto para idosos?" (Teng dees-kon-toh para ee-doh-sos?)

The Elderhostel organization runs a number of trips to Brazil for travelers 55 and over. Structured with their trademark educational focus, the itin­eraries include lectures and interesting excursions. Contact Elderhostel at 75 Federal St. , Boston , MA 02110-1941 (CJ! 877/426-8056; www.elderhostel. org ). Interhostel ( ,CC~ 800/733-9753; www.learn.unh.edu/interhostel), organized by the University of New Hampshire , also offers educational travel for seniors. On these escorted tours, the days are packed with semi­ nars, lectures, and field trips, with sightseeing led by academic experts. Interhostel takes travelers 50 and over (with companions over 40), and offers 1- and 2-week trips, mostly interna­ tional. Grand Circle Travel (t 800/ 221-2G10 or G17/350-7500; www. gct.com ) offers package deals for the 50-plus market, mostly of the tour-bus variety, with free trips thrown in for those who organize groups of 10 or more.

FOR FAMILIES

Brazilians love kids. They will go out of their way to please children, yours and everyone else's. In fact you will see children out and about a lot more than in the U.S. or Canada , even at restaurants, bars, or late-night events. Perhaps because Brazilian children are used to going out a lot more, they seem to always behave very well in public, playing with other kids or amusing themselves, with few of the hissy fits that sometimes accompany evenings out with North American youngsters. Traveling with children is a wonderful way to meet Brazilians, as people will be receptive, friendly, and inquisitive. Hotels are very accommo­ dating but do usually charge 10% to 25% extra for children over the age of 6 or 12 who stay in the same room as a parent or guardian. In most hotels, the age limit and the amount of per­ centage extra charged can be flexible and is certainly worth bargaining over. Family Travel Network (www.family travelnetwork.com ) offers travel tips and reviews of family-friendly destina­ tions, vacation deals, and thoughtful features such as "What to Do When Your Kids Are Afraid to Travel" and "Kid-Style Camping."

STUDENT TRAVEL

If you're planning to travel outside the U.S. , you'd be wise to arm yourself with an international student ID card, which offers substantial savings on rail passes, plane tickets, and entrance fees. It also provides you with basic health and life insurance and a 24-hour help line. The card is avail­ able for $22 from the Council on International Educational Exchange, or CIEE ( www.ciee.org ). The CIEE's travel branch, Council Travel Service (CJC 800/226-8624; www.council travel.com ), is the biggest student­ travel agency in the world. If you're no longer a student but are still under 26, you can get a GO 25 card from the same people, which entitles you to insurance and some discounts (but not on museum admissions). STA Travel ( , C~ 800/781-4040; www. statravel.com ) is another travel agency catering especially to young travelers, although their bargain-basement prices are available to people of all ages. In Canada , Travel CUTS (C~ 800/667-2887 or 416/614-2887; www.travelcuts.com ), offers similar services. In London , Campus Travel (46 0171/730-3402), opposite Victo­ ria Station, is Britain 's leading special­ ist in student and youth travel.

FOR WOMEN

Machismo is alive and well in Brazil , but it's a kinder, gentler machismo than in other parts of Latin America . Single women-even a few women traveling together-will undoubtedly attract masculine attention. There are upsides to this. It's usually fairly harm­ less and can sometimes lead to some fun conversations. Brazilian men, it seems, have an insurmountable urge to flirt. Perhaps because flirting is such a way of life, they take rejection well. Indeed, the object of the exercise lies mostly in the act of flirtation itself­ actually making a conquest appears to be not terribly important. Wearing a wedding ring (fake or real) will throw up only the flimsiest of barriers; it will be either completely ignored or solicit questions such as "How married are You?" or "What kind of husband would let you out of his sight?" How­ ever, if you are not interested, just say so or walk away if necessary and that is usually enough. The downside is that it's difficult for a woman to go out for a drink by herself and not receive attention. If you're not comfortable with this, you may want to form up a mixed group with other travelers or else stick to higher-end restaurants or hotel bars. Use common sense to avoid situations where you may find yourself alone with someone giving you unwanted attention. At night, taking taxis is safer than walking by yourself.

TRAVELERS WITH FOOD ALLERGIES

If you are allergic to nuts you should be extra careful around certain dishes. Many stews from the Northeast such as moqueca, vatapk, and bobo may have ground-up shrimp or sometimes nuts in the sauce. Desserts often have nuts in them so always ask before dig­ging in. Peanuts are amendoim ( ah­ man-doo-een), cashews in Portuguese are castanha de caju or caju (ka-stan-ya de ka-zhoo) for short, and Brazil nuts are known as castanha do Pard (ka­ stan-ya doh pa-rah). The general word for nuts is nozes ( no-zhes) and you can let people know that you have an allergy by saying "Tenho alergia de amendoim" (ten-yo ah-lehr-gee-ah de ah-man-doo-een).