Rio De Janeiro is Brazil's premier tourist destination - as if I needed to tell you that. The gazillions of tourists who wander here every day of the year looking for sun, sand, surf, scenery, and whatever else you can think of made me want to avoid the place, thinking that it would not lead me to understanding the 'real' Brazil. However, I was wrong. Rio is an integral part of Brazil, and is an absolute must for people in the country to visit. As if I needed to tell you that either - everything is consistently full in Rio, from the beaches to the hostels and hotels to the flights. There is no shortage of anything in the tourist market in Rio.




The beaches embarass Miami beach very badly - set against a spectacular backdrop of tropical mountains, the scenery alone makes a stroll along the beaches a 'must do'. And there are no shortages of those in the city either - the Sugar Loaf being another. Priced near the ridiculous for what it is, but since you're in Rio as a tourist you're obligated to do it. You cannot go to Rio and not go on the Sugar Loaf, so you're stuck. The scenery at the top is pretty good, but still, as far as prices go, it does not balance.
The other big touristy thing to do is go up to the Christ figure - and the journey is in fact much better than the destination. Just behind Rio's urban sprawl is a wonderful tropical park filled with winding paved roads, and it's amazing how quickly the city disappears behind you. I had seen christ statues in towns before, looking out over the sea, but never one this big. Once again, filled with tourists, and once again, you have to do it, even if you don't want to.




Rio, though, is not all roses and candy and suntan lotion and volleyball - there is a massive poverty problem here, and you can see large slum areas if you go downtown from the airport. One evening, driving back with my friend down here, she said "you notice I am not stopping at any red lights?" And I did notice that - and apparently you are allowed to run red lights in the late evening and early morning because of the high rate of carjackings in the city. In some ways, this is not a good thing - since the police are essentially indicating that they cannot help people, so they are left to help themselves. But this sort of thing is bound to happen in a city with such extreme affluence and poverty.




Tourist buses abound in the eternal tourist city, and along the major beachfronts of Copacabana and Ipanema you can see some wonderful eye candy both male and female, as well as multitudes of people wearing bathing suits who should not be wearing bathing suits. Have a seat on a plastic chair, drink from a coconut. Don't forget your Hawaiian shirt - you're in that kind of place now.




In many ways, Rio reminds me of Hong Kong - set against a backdrop of jagged tropical mountains, with a plethora of apartment buildings competing for space along narrow seafronts. The exception is, of course, that Hong Kong doesn't have great beaches. Also Rio has some great colonial architecture, just like Hong Kong - up in the hills around Botafogo and the area there are wonderful neighbourhoods of old Portugese buildings, old railcars, and a great atmosphere. This is something that is missing from both Brasilia and Sao Paulo, and makes being in Rio a much more vibrant experience than the other two cities. Yes - as if I needed to tell you that as well.




Rio, though, is a good experience, and I may have avoided it because of its high ranking on the tourist to-do list. But it is essential for understanding the country - Sao Paulo may run Brazil's economy, and bear the pulse of the country; but Rio is the vacation spot, the land of beauty and dreams, and definitely the soul of Brazil. It is here in this city that the vibrancy of the Brazilians is played out, be it on the beautiful beaches or the packed slums. Rio is essential to Brazil, and defines the culture of the country.




Brazil is, in fact, not an easy country to decipher. Can it be figured out? In such a massive and diverse country, it is hard to explain everything that goes on. When you see the space age cars and oceans of cell phones in Rio and Sao Paulo, and the urban modernism that Brasilia represents, it's hard to believe that this is called a 'developing' country. But perhaps it is developing in a different way - the Brazilian identity has yet to be defined. I'm stumped at Brazil. It's a country that would take several months, perhaps even a year, to explore entirely. The vast variety of everything in Brazil, from people to culture to geography, creates an intricate puzzle that perhaps is not intended to be solved; only enjoyed.
Certainly there is more than just the three major cities to see in Brazil, but they have given me a grasp of the country. A solid grasp? I am not sure. I do not think so. But each of them holds a key to the country, and for those who really wish to try and understand Brazil, each of them must be visited. Don't worry - I think you'll enjoy all of them.
-April 2000



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