John of God
and the
Casa de Dom Inacio
Abadiania (abah-jawn-yuh) Brazil
What you will need to make your trip.
Obtain the following in the order listed.
|
1. Passport.........  |
Information on obtaining a passport |
Length of Stay
How long do you need to stay in Abadiania to heal? Casa
management says that a stay of 1 to 3 weeks is sufficient,
unless specifically instructed by the Entity to stay longer.
If you feel that you did not heal completely on your first visit
to the Casa, return again at a later time. If you are unsure
about whether to return or how many times to return, ask the
Entity.
Language
English is spoken by airline employees and English is spoken at several of the pousadas. You will meet other English speakers as well as those that speak German, French, Italian, and Spanish to help you with every other thing you may need.
Airfare
From my personal experience, the best way to fly from the USA to Brasilia is by Delta. Delta Airlines has a non-stop flight from Atlanta to Brasilia. These flights can be purchased online directly from Delta at the same or lower price than the online bookers and most travel agents. This flight is several hours shorter than flying through Sao Paulo and much, much less hassle.
Speaking with a number of Europeans, the favored flight to Brasilia seems to be on TAP, from Lisbon directly to Brasilia.
Frequent Flyers and flying within Brazil
For those traveling on frequent flyer miles, finding an inexpensive way
to get from Sao Paul to Brasilia or Goiania has been somewhat of problem
due to the high cost of domestic flights on TAM and GOL. However, we understand
that GOL has lower fares than TAM.
Visa
The Brazilian Embassy in the USA has has gotten a little difficult to work with, so it has become a lot easier to use a visa service rather than obtaining a visa directly. The Embassy now requires 10 working days to process your visa, and since you need to purchase your airfare before sending in your visa application, purchase your airfare at least a month ahead of time.
5-year multiple entry visa is $140. If you do not take the visa application personally to the Embassy, then there is an additional $10 fee; plus about $60 for a visa service. Be sure to ask for a 5 year visa.
Estimated Cost of Trip
Because of rising rates at the pousadas and the declining value of the US dollar vs the Brazilian Real, we are not including any estimates of the overall cost of a trip to the Casa de Dom Inacio.
When calculating costs, include: taxi to and from Brasilia, pousada/meals, herbs for self and 2 pictures, 3 crystal baths per week, and water. The current exchange rate as of February 1, 2011 is R1.66 per US dollar.
You will need extra money for donations, gifts, etc. (There are many wonderful crystals for sale at the Book Store, and all have been blessed by the Entity). Bring an debit card or US Dollars in cash and exchange it into the Brazilian Currency, Reals (hay-eyes), at the airport on arriving in Brazil or at one of several places in Abadiania. If you are unable to exchange money at the airport, most purchases can be made in US dollars.
If you have a serious medical condition, bring a credit card and/or extra cash, and you should have travelers medical insurance in case you need to be hospitalized. The nearest hospital, which is in Annapolis, is privately owned and requires payment at time of service.
Credit Cards
Some pousadas accept credit cards, others may accept them the future. Check with the pousada if you make a reservation. Otherwise it is Brazilian Reals or US Dollars.