Now that I have been here a few days, and I'm starting to settle in, I want to talk a bit about Rio proper.
Top 5 Things I noticed about Rio
1) Layer Cake - If you want to do sports for a week, you can do JUST that. From surfing, to kiting, to volleyball and of course futebol, you could only do that and never see the city and have a great time. If you want to spend a few days just shopping, you can do that too. The shopping is ok, but not exceptional (though there are a few gems like Sacada. You could probably also spend weeks doing a sociological study too. It's really complicated here and rich. Like NYC, but on over drive. And with more guns
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| Typical Rio car |
2) Danger.. just..over.. there.. - While my experience has been really positive, I can tell that there is literally danger just around the corner. Not only are the favelas close by, which means 95% of the people are solid, but the remaining 5% really really aren't. Really. You can see it in the cars; every single one has pitch black tinted windows so you can't see who is inside.
Kids get picked up by security at private school and there are helicopters flying overhead a lot, ferrying execs to work and back. I don't know where the rich hang out, because I have seen all of 2 suits and a few pair of heels. The rich MAY be in my neighbourhood (they should be, it's the equivalent of Yorkville) but they dress like the sales rack at Suzy Sheer.
3) Eu nao falo Portugese - Not speaking any Portugese won't get you far. You can get by - kinda, barely. Do yourself a favour, pick up Portugese, even a bit, before you get here. It will pay off in spades.
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Photo courtesy silentsweetwords.blogspot.com -
a stunning blog worth checking out |
4) Linda linda! - I am 100% over Toronto guy suck face. *Everyone here is worth looking at, and they all look back. It's fun to eye-flirt, or more. Get over yourselves Toronto, it would do us some good to tell others they are cute more often. A bit of oggling never hurt anyone. And there is PLENTY to oggle over here. (sorry boys, but the girls are ok - honestly - but the guys on the beach are spectacular) -- this photo of this girl surfer.. no idea where SHE is, because I have NOT seen anything like this here. at all.
5) Carioca = 416. Someone who is born and raised in Rio is a Carioca, and if both your parents are Carioca then you are Carioca da gema. I hate to be an elitist, but I wouldn't mind so much if Torontonians had a fancy nickname too. We already call everyone from the 905 by their area code, but calling me 416 doesn't have the same ring to it. I'm trying to think of something better....
A couple of videos from the trip....
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| Lining up for gifties |
Kids in the favela, getting some presents at school
A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fight with a few 9 year olds
Macumba Beach, in Recreio, where I learned to surf
It is finally over 18C today - so I'm heading back to the beach, to try and get my Toronto summer tan.
Tchau!
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