Destination: Rio de Janeiro
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Let’s get this out of the way: Rio has a crime problem. Crime is on a different scale here, almost a part of daily life, another hurdle cariocas —a word that defines all locals (it means “white folks’ dwellings” in the Tupinambá language)—have to overcome, along with traffic jams, water pollution, corrupt politicians and a mind-numbing bureaucracy. Having said that, a visitor will be largely immune to it. The nature of Rio crime leads it to victimize mainly the locals, especially those from working-class neighborhoods, people who take crowded buses and trains early in the morning and late at night and who have to cross “war zones” to and from work or school. With a modicum of street wisdom—no flashy jewelry, no cash-stuffed purses, no undue attention to peddlers—a visitor can have a safe and enjoyable time in Rio.
In terms of sheer natural splendor, Rio de Janeiro is one of the most—if not the most—beautiful city on earth. No other city has acres of rain forest rolling down 1,000-foot mountains, mere steps from the ocean—all this a frame to first-class architecture and a springboard to an easygoing and sophisticated lifestyle. Rio is one of Latin America’s key cultural centers, a trendsetting city with centuries of political intrigue, literary and artistic movements and avant-garde ideas in the arts. São Paulo may hold the key to money and industry, but Rio is where things happen, where ideas matter, where fame is made. And beauty remains.
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