BRAZILIAN GEM ADVENTURE

Ground Transportation: Ground transport will be via tour bus except where alternate vehicles are needed for access to some mines. No smoking is allowed in these vehicles.

Hotels: We have generally chosen the best hotels available. Accommodations are based on two persons sharing a twin-bedded room with private bath and/or shower.

Single Accommodations: Although we will endeavor to arrange for congenial travel companions, this cannot be guaranteed and a single supplement will be charged when required or requested.

Meals: All meals are included in the cost of the tour. It is advisable to drink bottled water, which is available locally.

Gratuities, Taxes and Fees: All local government taxes on hotels, meals and services listed in the itinerary are included, in addition to normal gratuities to porters and waiters. All entrance fees to places visited in the itinerary are included unless the activity is specified as optional.

Arrangements: The tour price includes planning, handling, and operating charges. The final cost of the trip may vary somewhat depending on the final number of participants and variations in airfares, foreign currencies or tariff rates. The cost is subject to revision.

Donation: The tour cost includes a $500 tax-deductible donation to the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History. A letter of acknowledgement will be provided at the conclusion of the tour.

THE TOUR COST DOES NOT INCLUDE:

Round-trip airfare from the US (or other countries) to Brazil and airfare within Brazil. Also specifically excluded are passport and visa fees, cost of personal travel insurance, transportation of excess baggage, all items of a personal nature such as laundry, beverages, telephone calls, gratuities for extra services, optional excursions or deviations from the scheduled tour, individual transfers to join or leave the group once the tour has commenced, special order items at meals and any item not specifically mentioned as included.

OTHER CONSIDERATIONS:

Passports and Visas: You are responsible for obtaining your own passport and visas. Passports must be valid 60 days past return date. Contact the nearest Brazilian Consulate for a tourist visa.
Web site of the Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles: http://www.brazilian-consulate.org

Rates: All rates are quoted in US dollars and are based on tariffs and rate of exchange in effect as of January, 2007. These rates are subject to change prior to the operation of the tour.

Unused: There can be no refund for services or portions of the tour not taken. It is also understood and agreed that refunds cannot be made to tour members who do not complete the tour for any reason.

Health requirements: No immunizations are normally required; however, a yellow fever certificate is mandatory if you have visited certain third-world countries within the previous 90 days. Contact your personal physician for individual recommendations.

Baggage: Each person is allowed two checked bags not exceeding 70 lbs each. This is a very liberal allowance and we recommend that you bring considerably less to make travel less cumbersome. There will be opportunities to have laundry done along the way. Your carry-on bag should not exceed 45 inches in total dimensions (length + width + height).

Clothing, etc.: Bring casual wear for mild days (60s & 70s) and cool nights (50s & 60s). Rain is unlikely, but not impossible. Cooler temperatures are possible in Ouro Preto. A medium-weight jacket is suggested. Bring sturdy, comfortable footwear with good traction that you don't mind getting dirty. It's good to have a hat and sunscreen for sun protection. While bugs are not usually a problem, there may be occasions when insect repellant will come in handy. You might want to bring some old clothes for the mines and then leave them behind. Our Brazilian leader, Laurindo Rauber, will gladly accept clothing donations for distribution to the needy in the poorer mining communities.

Equipment: Don't forget your camera, plenty of film (or memory cards) and extra batteries. A pocket calculator comes in handy for currency conversion and dickering with the dealers. A hand lens and small flashlight (penlight) are useful for examining gems (and some minerals). Collecting gear is not necessary, but a few small hand tools might be useful. If you decide to bring a pick, pocket knife or any other sharp implement, pack them in your checked luggage; otherwise airport security will confiscate them.

Currency: Cash is the best. Travelers checks are okay, but you won't do as well on the exchange rate or when dickering with dealers. The larger dealers will usually take personal checks or credit cards, but again you may not do as well as with cash. In general, don't expect to have many opportunities to pay expenses with a credit card. Gem and mineral transactions are usually best done in U.S. dollars. We recommend that you wait until you arrive in Brazil to exchange money. Note that if you are carrying monetary instruments in excess of US$10,000, you are required to file a report with both U.S. and Brazilian Customs.

Medication: Don't forget to bring any needed prescription medication. Most prescription and non-prescription drugs are available at pharmacies in Brazil, but you may not find exactly what you are used to. Pack prescription drugs in your carry-on luggage.

Electrical appliances: Most electric outlets will accept U.S.-style two-pronged plugs, but not those with one wider prong. You can either bring a converter plug or file down the wide prong (not really recommended, but it will work). Most hotels provide a 110v outlet, but in others you will need a 220v to 110v converter or an appliance that is switchable to 220v.

Tips: Normal gratuities to porters and waiters are included in the price of the tour. Feel free to tip when you think it is appropriate, it is always appreciated. End-of-tour gratuities to the guides and drivers are customary, but not compulsory, and are left to the discretion of the tour members.

U.S. Customs: Brazil is covered by the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP), which means that many Brazilian products including gem, mineral and jewelry items are duty free when brought into the U.S.

More info on the Web:
Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles - http://www.brazilian-consulate.org
Brazilian Embassy in Washington, DC - http://www.brasilemb.org
Brazilian Embassy in London - http://www.brazil.org.uk
Boa Viagem - http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/boaviagem.html
Lonely Planet - http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/south_america/brazil

NOTICE: Although we will make every effort to adhere to the printed itinerary, on occasion it may be necessary to adjust arrangements because of circumstances beyond our control. Private functions are subject to the availability of the respective sponsors at the time of travel and, occasionally, similar activities may have to be substituted. Should any activities not be available, substitution will be made to the best of our ability and no refund will be made. Any additional costs necessitated by such changes are the responsibility of the tour member.

        The Gem & Mineral Council and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History reserve the right to cancel the tour prior to departure, to decline to accept or retain any person's membership in its entirety or for any part of the tour by refunding all payments before departure of the tour, or a proportionate balance of the unused portion of the tour, should such person's health, mental or physical condition, or general deportment impede the normal operation of the tour or impose on the rights and comfort of the other tour members

RESPONSIBILITY: The Gem & Mineral Council and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History assignees and cooperative agents act only as agents for the passenger with respect to transportation, hotels and tour contractors. They exercise every care possible, but cannot be held responsible for personal injury in connection with the service of any hotel, camping facilities, airplane, train, automobile, carriage or other conveyance which is used in carrying out these tours, nor are they responsible for delay, accident, sickness, loss of personal property, strikes, armed conflict, additional expenses due to weather, disruption of advertised schedules, refusal of visas, or any other causes beyond their control. Further, the operation of the vehicles used in their tours is the full responsibility of the companies and individuals engaged in the conveying of passengers; said companies or individuals are governed by laws of the country of operations and recourse for any mishap must be filed locally. Unforeseen conditions may necessitate tour changes and the right is reserved to make such changes or withdraw the tour as deemed advisable. The right is also reserved to refuse to accept or retain any passenger on any tour at any time for any reason. All cooperating airlines companies are not to be held responsible for any act, omission or event during the time passengers are on board; the limit of the liability is that of a common carrier and the passage contract in use by such carriers, when issued, shall constitute the sole contract between companies and the purchaser of this tour and/or passenger. Acceptance of the services of The Gem & Mineral Council and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History by all agents and/or travelers constitutes acceptance by them of all the above noted terms and conditions.

CANCELLATION AND REFUND:

Individual cancellations must be made in writing, but please notify us as soon as possible by telephone.

* Cancellation prior to May 1: full refund of land costs.

* Cancellation after May 1: full refund of any recoverable costs, less a $100 cancellation fee per person. Cancellations during this period could involve a loss of as much as 100% of tour costs, dependent on any recoverable sums from independent providers.

* Cancellation on or after day of departure: no refund.

* Economy airfare is often non-refundable. You can generally only recover the cost of airfare if you have trip cancellation insurance and can show good cause for canceling your trip. (See below under TRAVEL AND TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE.)

Should a cancellation by a share person result in the need to accommodate a roommate in single accommodations, the cost of the single supplement will also be deducted from refunds due, if any, to the person canceling.

Please note: Schedules, airfares, taxes and tour fares are based on rates at the time of printing and are subject to change without notice.

TRAVEL AND TRIP CANCELLATION INSURANCE:

The Gem & Mineral Council and the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History cannot be responsible or liable for loss, damage, or theft of personal baggage and belongings, nor can they be liable for personal injury, accident, or illness. Travel insurance provides protection from these eventualities and trip cancellation insurance will cover the non-refundable costs mentioned above under CANCELLATION AND REFUND, if you are forced to cancel your trip for a qualifying reason.