Whether you are on your way to see the beautiful caves and rivers of Bonito; or the birds, flora and fishing sites in the southern part of Pantanal; Campo Grande (CGR) is probably your target airport and you will spend a couple of days in my neighborhood.
Or you might be driving to/from Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina or bordering states of Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, São Paulo, or Paraná, and want to rest or explore the area.
Hold on, I am not ignoring you, who are coming to Campo Grande as your final destination, for business or for pleasure - I have something for you, too!
Campo Grande is the capital of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul and, even though I have felt at home in Rio de Janeiro or even in the Greater New York City before, this city - and its neighboring towns - are where I feel Local nowadays.
I have been a Local Guide since I first heard about the program and the vast majority of my reviews have been about presenting local places to international visitors or, to a lesser extent, to anyone from out of town.
I like them to think of me as a friend they can count on when visiting my neighborhood; someone who understands what really matters to them when reading about a place they have never been to before.
Therefore, I usually write my reviews in English and try to focus on practical info, in an attempt to guess which questions my readers have and answer some of them such as “how to get there”, “is it easy to find a parking spot”, “how does the price compare to similar places in the 'hood”, “is it a must-go place or just and average or lame joint that should be checked out only if you have nothing else to do.”
I also like to give the readers and idea on what kind of experience they will have, as most reviews and even the corresponding business website can sometimes be somewhat misleading: “what did I order, was it good”, “did I have a good time”, “how was the ambiance.”
In summary, if you are a gringo in Campo Grande, my insights are here to help you.
Of course, I also review places when I travel abroad or within Brazil, to locations that can be as diverse as the Amazon, Ohio, Hawaii, Russia, or Paris, but those will be more about my opinions and impressions as a tourist - so not a lot of comparisons can be expected.
On the plus side, when I am not at home, I tend to be more prolific with my camera and try and register things that my eyes are not used to seeing, so there’s that.
I am not a professional reviewer nor even a frequent traveler; I am a regular guy with average tastes and interests, crowdsourcing with passion, and if my being a Local Guide happens to be of use any to some of you out there - let me know, I’d love to hear how my reviews have (or have not?) helped you!