Rio De Janeiro

Rio is one of those cities that really can not be explained in mere words or pictures. I had heard so much in regards to the atmosphere, culture and crime before I even got off the coach that I felt like I already knew exactly what to expect. I was wrong. The second we got off the coach, we went for an orientation walk along the famous Copacabana beach. 4km of beautiful sandy, perfect beaches with great surf waves - just like the postcards. It was the atmosphere of the place that got me, it just so happened to be a national holiday (one of many apparently) and the whole place was buzzing with such warmth and energy I instantly fell in love with the place. As we walked along, there were live Carioca shows and a marching band playing the traditional steel drums. Whereas in England we get protesters, the Brazilian version seemed to have a theme of supporting all the singletons out there and celebrating.

First things first - the primary thing anyone tells you about the city is the crime, the favelas, and the fact that you WILL get killed, stabbed, robbed or all three. Rest assured none of those things happened to me or anyone we knew out there. Be sensible and stay out of the troublesome areas and you will be hard pressed to find anything regarding crime. Maybe I was lucky, but even when I was at a favela party I saw less fights than you would see on an average evening out in my home-town.

Sadly the Corcovado was covered in scaffolding when I was in Rio, but the view from the top was still something to behold. It is such a dynamic city and the shape, nestled in between mountains and sea perfectly mirrors this. My personal highlight, however, was ascending to the peak of Sugar Loaf mountain and seeing the city at night. Incredible.

The people are among the friendliest I have encountered in a major city. The trend does seem to be that when in a major city, rudeness increases ( look at London) but here the people are incredibly inviting and willing to assist you. Rio is a city of contrasts however. The well publicised favelas take up a vast quantity of the surrounding land, and are generally situated adjacent to the central houses. A central Rio apartment could cost you up to and over $1,000,000 - whereas abject poverty is literally just around the corner. Whilst all too keen to impress the tourists, it felt almost as if the favelas are slightly embarrassing to the locals. Twice I saw children barred from entering the centre. Although, it is hard to tell whether this was because of the past issues with crime etc. Rio is a city changing, and never before so much as now - what with the impending World Cup and Olympics. Brazilians are a fiercely nationalistic and proud people, and Rio is no different.

Rio is vibrant, brilliant, extraordinary and utterly exhilarating. One minute you could be sitting on the beach, the next you could be drinking all night and partying with the locals in the favelas until morning. It is a truly beautiful city in the most remarkable surroundings - but to counter the old phrase of 'every dark cloud', in this case the lining is anything but silver - with deep economical problems for a society that rapidly seems to be out of place with the ideal Brazil and Rio are trying to promote.