The Power of a Real

Forty reais (one real; two reais) is the equivalent of approximately C$20 these days. Here is what it will buy for you in São Paulo:

- 80 Lacta Chocolate bars from a street vendor;
- 20 local bus rides;
- 13 750mL bottles of Brand 51 cachaça (the sugarcane alcohol used to make caipirinhas). Check out the website, it is hilarious -- and do enter your country and birthday ... ;
- 4 tickets to the movies;
- 2 all-you-can-eat dinners at a local Churrascaria (drinks not included);
- 2 bus tickets to the coast, plus two coffees while waiting for the bus to leave;
- 1 750mL bottle of Santa Rosa Special Reserve cachaça;
- 1 order of stuffed squid at Banana da Terra in Parati (okay, Parati is not São Paulo, but my mouth is still watering from that meal!); and
- 1 taxi ride from Jardims (cool part of town) to Santo Amaro (home sweet home).