Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

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Rio de Janeiro is a large city in Brazil, on the South Atlantic coast. Rio is famous for its annual carnival and - on the darker side of things - huge slums and crime problem.

It is not an uncommon mistake to point out Rio as Brazil's capital, as in fact it was until 1960. Beaches such as Copacabana and Ipanema, the Corcovado statue, the stadium of Maracană and Sugar Loaf Mountain are all well-known sights of what the inhabitants call the "wonderful city" (cidade maravilhosa), and also the first images to pop up in someone's mind, along with the Carnival celebration.

Sadly, most of people also know Rio for its violence and crime. The druglords and the slums or favelas are the tip of very old social problems. The favelas are areas of poor quality housing, slums usually located on the city's many mountains.

The inhabitants of Rio, called cariocas, are known for being easy-going and friendly, in contrast to the hard-working citizens of Săo Paulo.

In order to fully enjoy your trip the traveller should pay attention to simple things. Avoid the downtown area, especially Saara, after dark. Although downtown is a relatively safe place during the day, after dark all the people who work there have already gone home. If you are going to a theater or a show, it's alright. But do not wander in those dark streets by night. Go to Copacabana beach, all lighted and policed during the night, though it's not safe for tourists that look as tourists in any time.

Avoid wearing jewelry or other signs of wealth if possible as these attract attention. Thieves have been known to run past targets and tear off necklaces, rings, and earrings without stopping. Earrings are particularly dangerous as tearing them off often harms the owner.

Favelas are a big problem in Rio. These slums grew from being impoverished neighborhoods but are now large areas ruled by drug dealers. If you want to keep your nice vision of Rio, you don't need to go there. However, they are amazingly huge, and a new experience for some-- there are some travel agencies who take tourists on tours there. If you want to go, pay one of those agencies. Never, never go to a favela by yourself, or with a unknown guide. The tour operators have "peace treaties" with the local drug dealers. If you don't have one, you'll be in trouble, maybe letal.

At night, especially after traffic has died-down you may hear what sounds like explosions. This is not as menacing as it sounds, though it is still indicative of somebody up to no good. These are often firecrackers set-off as signals in the favelas. It might mean that a drug shipment has arrived and in in-transit, or that the police are making a raid into the favella. It is a signal to gang operatives who act as lookouts and surrogate police to be extra-vigilant.

Some drivers in Rio are certifiably insane, and seem to stop for nothing. In particular, they will go whizzing around corners without even slowing down. The crosswalks are located some considerable distance from corners for a good reason. For your safety, cross at the crosswalks - not closer to the corner - and watch for cars regardless of traffic lights.

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