Places to stay in Rio.

Hi,

I'm off to Brazil in mid-November, flying into Rio and was hoping someone could recommend a nice backpackers place to stay at for the first night (or longer if needs be).

Are there any areas that have a selection of cheap but clean and friendly places to hang out? I'd be interested in a place where I can meet like-minded travellers in for the long-haul. I'm in need of practical travel advice to get to Belem and through the Amazon to Ecuador or Peru if that's too hard. Is it easy to travel upstream?

I've no idea of the typical prices of hostels. Will I need Brazilian reales before I get there, or does the greenback count?

Thanks for any info you can provide,

- Huw

Huw, Besides the IYHA hostel someone already suggested you, there is another one I know of, but I don't know if it's good or not. http://www.geocities.com/thetropics/cabana/7617/ english.htm They are farther than 200m rom the beach, though. I would say they are 500m. And with the current exchange rates, even some simple hotels would be very affordable. I really don't know if it's possible to go from Belem all the way upriver to Peru. A return air ticket from Rio to Belem costs something like US$500, but you can get it cheaper from abroad. There used to be an air pass that costed US$300 giving you unlimited travel, but it had to be bought abroad - I don't know if it still exists, check with Varig Airlines. You don't need to bring reais, you can exchange dollars when you arrive.

Maria Adelaide