For Rio I will mostly just post pictures. This city is amazing in so many ways. Way too hot and sticky to begin with but no other city I've been to offers the same vibe, scenery and beaches as Rio. Travelling to Rio alone as a girl isn't as dangerous as the rumors will have you think. BUT you do have to travel safely and use the traveler's common sense. And if you find yourself befriending a 2 meter tall Dutch man who can act as your body guard, it's perfectly ok to enter the Favelas (although always at your own risk).
lovely houses... or what's left of them
more lovely houses
some sort of very important tile covered stair case
(couldn't overhear the tourist group's explanation on why it was important but at least it's pretty...)
more of the pretty tiles
amazing view from the Jesus statue
Adriaan and the kids in the Favela
Jesus and a birdie
the view from the Favela
some of the kids in the Favela
the same kids again
Three weeks in this alluring cultural melting pot. Amazing! I started off my stay by visiting the chaotic city of São Paulo - a traveler's nightmare and my new best friend. I fell in love with the city immediately. It's quite possible it was because I had a fantastic guide to show me around as well as incredible house and unbelievable food at my friend's family, but I think there was another aspect to my appreciation of the 7th largest city in the world. The beauty of the chaos: the elegant quadrille of the thousands of cars changing lanes at impressive speed and at exactly the right moment, the choreographed dance of public transport passengers who without a word manage to avoid any confrontation and the symphony of metropolitan sounds: dogs barking, car horns honking, cell phones bleeping and vendors calling out the latest deals. The result is breath taking and that is not the smog doing the work.
