(On preview I see I wrote a lot here. Hope it’s useful!)
About that jewelry – what you are I consider non-flashy might appear flashy in Rio. A typical Brazilian in the city wears a wedding band that appears to be nothing more than gold wire, between 1-2mm. My wife and I have cheap crappy gold plated ones specifically for walking in Rio.
You will be there in the Brazilian winter, which is not bad: think Florida or California winter. Often it will be 90 degrees and then the sun will set at 5pm. Weird.
That said, if you will be there for more than a few days, take a few pieces of warmer clothing for those rare days when the temp dips into the fifties. Last summer I had to buy a “winter outfit” in Rio because we were there during a cold snap and the lack of heat anywhere plus the stone and brick construction made a mild 50-degree day just seep into your bones and make you want to pile on every blanket in the house and not do much of anything.
If you want do sightseeing, taxi is the best option in the city. They are safer than buses and the subway, and you use your time in the city more effectively.
Check out Sugarloaf and Corcovado.
Whatever you do, don’t wear socks with sandals or white socks with sneakers. This is a gringo stereotype for Brazilians and they will not only spot you a mile off, but they will laugh at you.
Know the dress code of your destination. For the most part you can go in shorts, sandals, and a t-shirt anywhere, but you will likely not be allowed to enter banks or certain government offices. This may have changed, but as recently as ten years ago, my sister-in-law was turned away at the bank because she was wearing shorts, even though it was a nice dressy outfit.
I don’t know about mosquitoes – in Rio proper I wouldn’t bother suffering with long pants if the weather demanded shorts. I have been bitten by hundreds of Rio mosquitoes with no ill effects. The bad ones might not be in that region.
Make friends with some locals and do your outings with people who live there. You will see things in a different way from the average tourist, and you will be safe.
Go to a churrascaria – they bring around many different kinds of meat on a spit and you just point at the ones you want and they cut you slices. As much as you can eat. Brazilian meat is much better than American meat.
Get an international driver’s license before going. They used to allow an American license for driving there, but I found out last year that they changed their law and now require the international license. Of course, they always have a way to work things out and we still were able to rent the car, though the guy warned me to act dumb if the cops stopped us.
Driving is kind of scary, but few people get stressed about traffic. You can pull off the most incredibly buttheaded move and then extend a hearty “thumbs-up” sign out the open window while grinning wildly and all your sins will be forgiven. Don’t get uptight if someone is coming straight at you against traffic: just drive on the shoulder. That’s how it works.
Many traffic lights in urban areas are ignored by the locals. Be aware of this: go right ahead and do what they do if you wish, but know that certain signals are respected while others are not, often dependent on the main bus lines as well as time of day. In Rio and Sao Paulo, I believe they made a law that you can blow through red lights at night, to reduce carjacking (!).
I’ll be back if I can think of more stuff or if you have specific questions.
Have fun!
