No Better Place to Vacation!

When I think of beaches, there are so many choices around the world. But when I think of real vacations, well, I want a places with more than just nice beaches. I want a place that has culture, music, food, mystery and more. That is why I think Rio de Janeiro is just about the perfect place for a vacation. It has all of those things and more! The topography of the land as seen from Corcovado (the Christ statue) is key to understanding how beautiful and diverse this city is. From the beaches to the mountains above, from the restaurants to the clubs, from the beautiful bodies and faces to the energy of the city itself, this is one place that never gets old. Antonio Carlos Jobim, who co-wrote the song, "Girl From Ipanema" said, "There are two kinds of people in the world, those who have been to Rio de Janeiro, and those who haven't!" I know exactly what he meant, and tell my clients that once you go there, you are never the same afterwards!

Tension on the Beach

I have a friend who goes to Rio once a year and spends a month there. He is married to a Brazilian and speaks Portuguese. They always hang out around Posto 9 in Ipanema. He told me that recently he was there on the beach and there was a local who was selling henna tatoos. When approached, a girl he knows asked my friend to inquire the price. "15 reais" said the salesman. The girl asked my friend to see if he would accept a lower price. When he did, the salesman became angry and began shouting at my friend that he was interrupting the sale. Tensions escalated and the guy said he was going to get some guys and come back to get my friend. A local guy my friend knows told him he better be careful as the economy has caused friction in the populace and people don't have much patience. Sure enough, a group of guys came and luckily the local guy took charge and explained the girl only wanted a lower price. I told my friend that people are tense everywhere. Even you and I are tense, I said. You have to take a step back from every situation now. It is not worth risking violence.

Better Than Most During the Recession

When the economy started looking dire a little more than two years ago, I started to wonder how Brazil would fare if a recession hit. Because of the corruption and dependance on exportation, I was not sure. Now there are indications that Brazil will end up being one of the least affected nations if you consider it's size. The fact that Brazil is so rich in resources, not dependant on foreign oil, has mineral deposits and a good relation to most other nations has helped her escape the worst of things. I feel that maybe Brazil will become the "country of the future" that was always predicted, since it leads the way in alternative fuels and is very open minded about alternative technology

Some things change, some stay the same

I still read the Brazilian newspaper "O Globo" daily, even though I am not living in Rio at the moment. It seems to me that some things are changing there, as they are in the rest of the world, with technology and the economy at the forefront of the news, how can it not change? Brazil has one of the most resilient economies in the world right now, and suffered less with the recession than other countries. Still, the country is plagued by crime and ignorance. These things, especially in the larger cities, should be addressed violently so that Brazil can rise above the reputation and become the country of the future that everyone expects it to be.