When I had initially shared with people that I was planning my trip to Rio, I can’t tell you how many of them looked at me with concern and said “be careful”. I must confess, I had to work at not picking up a bit of fear with those statements. And while, every big city has its areas to avoid and one needs to be mindful of pickpockets, I felt completely safe in Rio. I would be very comfortable renting an apartment and staying for an extended period of time solo.
Did I do everything that I wanted during this visit? No way! I’ve got a list of things unchecked.
- Visit Maracanã Stadium for a soccer game
- See the Fireworks actually on Copacabana Beach
- Tour a Favela (the communities on the side of the mountains)
- Revisit Jesus during a sunny day
- Go to the neighborhood of Lapa for live music and night life
Suffice it to say, Rio and its people stole a bit of my heart and in the words of Bogart in Casablanca, “Rio, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”!