\"Mister\" I look down, and there is a young boy, no older than 6 or 7, with big brown eyes, and messy hair, dressed in blue shorts, a ripped Bucks Fizz T Shirt, barefooted, arms outstretched, hands cupped, begging for money.
Accross the street, a business man smokes his Cigar and laughs with a colleague, both dressed in suits, better placed in saville row, rather than this dusty street.
This is Brazil, a land of culture, experience, scars, and dealers of all things not good.
Nothing is simple in my life.
Rich in aesthetics and adventure, the would be James Bond will have a field day slipping in and out of decadance and modern lux, to extreme poverty and crime.
Flying in to Aeroporto Galeão in Rio de Janeiro with Varig, Brazil\'s international airline from New York, I knew what to expect.
Rio is great, but, I dont like the nice and great, I like the rough and traditional, I like like to be away from it all, where I can only access the net from my portable Sat Dish, and where I can only call someone by finding an open space with a view of the sky, and trying to find a signal on my £14 a minuite Sat Phone.
But stay in Rio, I must, just for a while, and here my bubble is burst.
The Down Side - Crime wherever you go! In Rio Violence and threatened violence is a common occurrence. Vigilance in Rio de Janeiro should be heightened before and during the festive and Carnival periods, as there is often a seasonal upsurge in robberies against foreigners around this time.
Some unlucky guy pulled a knife on me and asked me for my wallet here.
I lost a pro video camera that day, not through theft, but from using it as a baseball bat against my would be attacker. He ran off with reems of 12mm tape around his head.
There are frequent violent clashes between the Police and drug gangs in the slum areas of Rio de Janeiro. Its a shame this is where I had to spend a few days, but otherwise, I would have avoided the poverty regions like the plague.
Levels of crime, including muggings, are high. They can occur anywhere and often involve firearms or other weapons. I would advise to dress down, avoid wearing jewellery and expensive watches, and only carry small sums of money. Conceal your mobile phones and cameras. You should be ready to hand over your valuables if threatened; do not attempt to resist attackers as they will often use their weapons, particularly if under the influence of drugs.
Safeguard your valuables at all times, including your passport.
The crime rate in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, is higher than in many other regions, partly because the district attracts lots of tourists and hosts large events.
In 2006 there were outbreaks of violence, resulting in deaths in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The attacks were aimed primarily at police and officials, and included a series of rebellions inside prisons. There were also attacks on banks and public transport. Any further outbreaks may be widespread and unpredictable. Public transport is likely to be disrupted during periods of unrest.
Slums or "favelas" exist in all major Brazilian cities; they are characterised by poverty and extremely high levels of violent crime.
Do not venture into a favela, unless this is safely organised by a respected tour guide.
Thefts from cars are common, and cases of car jacking occur, sometimes with the occupants being taken and also forced to withdraw money at cash machines from their accounts. Many cash machines often limit withdrawal facilities from 10 p.m. to reduce the risk of this occurring around midnight (i.e. when a card's daily limit can be withdrawn twice - just before and after midnight). When in a car you should keep the doors locked and the windows closed, and take particular care at traffic lights.
Avoid venturing out after dark in quiet streets except under reliable local advice. The threat of personal attack is lower outside the cities. However, incidents can occur anywhere, even in holiday destinations that appear relatively secure.
Credit card fraud is common, and you should never lose sight of your cards. UK debit cards are not always accepted by Brazilian cash machines, so ensure you have sufficient funds in a mixture of cash and travellers\' cheques (preferably US Dollars or Euros).
Getting around
Some forms of transport in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife or Salvador, can be unsafe.
By Road There have been instances where gangs have set buses alight leaving passengers inside after robbing them.
In Rio de Janeiro in 2006 there were two incidents of hijacking and robbing of tour buses transferring British tourists from the international airport to their hotel. Policing of tourist areas and the express way from the international airport to the downtown area has been increased since 2006. Bus travel between major cities and travel within other cities is relatively safe.
On arrival in Brazil I would advice only using registered airport taxis. You can pick up taxis from the many recognised taxi ranks around Brazilian cities. If using a roving taxi, check first that the driver is displaying his photographic licence. Try to avoid using unlicensed taxis that initially quote low rates then later aggressively overcharge. I would avoid taxis with blacked out windows, as these are sometimes used for criminal activities, and it is common to wake up a day later in a bath of ice with a few stitches across your cheast, a note saying \"Call an Ambulance\" and a mobile phone... Youve just been robbed... of your kidneys and Liver.
The style of driving and standards are very different from the UK. Brazil has a much higher road accident rate compared to the UK, which is no suprise.
You are allowed to drive in Brazil on a UK driving licence together with an authorised Portuguese translation.
By Air On 7 November 2007 BRA (Brasil Rodo Aereo) airline temporarily suspended all flights, leaving many passengers stranded, Im quite used to this, but I was not in theatre at the time (Though my colleague was! lol, Rather him than me! lol)
Following two air crashes since September 2006, the Brazilian civil aviation network is undergoing changes. Many of these alterations were introduced on 1 October 2007 and they could cause delays to flights and changes to departure and arrival airports.
Many flight operators fly in and out of the country, but, as with all dumps of the world, care should be assumed when choosing a operator.
If like me, your budget allows first class in and out, but third class when moving around, then care should be taken when boarding light aircraft. Its not uncommon for these just to dissapear over some forrestry.
Trains In August 2007, two trains collided in Austin, Nova Iguaçu - a suburb of Rio de Janeiro. There were also a number of other incidents on the train and metro systems in São Paulo in 2006 that raised concerns among Brazilian transport authorities about its safety and security. A metro construction site collapsed in January 2007 resulting in a number of fatalities. The cause is being investigated. Need I say more?
Sea There have been cases of both armed and unarmed attacks on merchant vessels, including British flag vessels off the Brazilian coast and in some Brazilian ports, including Amapá, Rio Grande, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador and Santos.
The larger ships these days just run over the pirates, but still smaller cruise ships stop and allow the boarding without contacting the Coastguard, as the captain and crew are usually paid off for doing so. My advice is to find a cupboard, and hide until its all over. If you resist, you will be shot, and thrown overboard for the sharks.
The Lighter side Oh, with all this negativity, you will stay at home, so heres the other side:
Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world. It is framed by two of the world\'s largest river systems: the Amazon in the North, and the Paraná river in the South.
The Amazon basin covers some 60% of Brazil\'s surface.
It has the world\'s largest rain forest but also includes savannah and wetlands.
Like the Amazon, the Paraná flows through several neighbouring countries. It drains the world\'s largest swampland, the Pantanal in West-Central Brazil.
Brazil has the tenth-largest economy in the world. It is a diversified middle income economy, but with wide variations in development levels. Most large industry is agglomerated in the South and Southeast. The Northeast is the poorest region of Brazil, but it is beginning to attract new investment.
Brazil is a rapidly emerging global player of great importance to British interests - economic, political and commercial. It is in the UK\'s interests that Brazil succeeds in her economic, social and political development. A prosperous, export-orientated Brazil would be one of the biggest global suppliers of agricultural products and raw materials, the foremost regional producer of manufactures and a major market for profitable British trade and investment.
Brazil is also a key country for sustainable development and biodiversity, and equally important on climate change.
The international tourist crowd takes advantage of Rio\'s ritzy side - there are innumerable opportunities to be decadent. But Rio also has much to offer the budget traveller: there are cheap hotels and restaurants aplenty, and the beach is a free entertainment zone.
A wide variety of elements influenced Brazilian culture. Its major early influence derived from Portuguese culture, because of strong colonial ties with the Portuguese empire. Among other inheritances, the Portuguese introduced the Portuguese language.
Other aspects of Brazilian culture are contributions of European and Asian immigrants, Native South American people (such as the Tupi), and African slaves. Thus, Brazil is a multicultural and multiethnic society.
Italian, German and other European immigrants came in large numbers and their influences are felt closer to the Southeast and South of Brazil.
Amerindian peoples influenced Brazil\'s language and cuisine and the Africans, brought to Brazil as slaves, influenced Brazil\'s music, dance, cuisine, religion and language.
Brazilian Carnival ( is an annual celebration held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent. Brazilian Carnival has distinct regional characteristics. Other regional festivals include the Boi Bumbá and Festa Junina (June Festivals).
Sports in Brazil which are widely practiced and popular in the country, as well as others which originated there or have some cultural significance. The Brazilian people are very involved in sports, and the most popular one is Football by a wide margin, and can be considered a cultural phenomenon.
Due to the tropical nature of the climate in Brazil, it has not traditionally competed in the Winter Olympic Games, although it has participated in the 2006 games. However, Brazil has been competing in the Summer Olympics
The Rainforrest areas are unique, in that the thick dense jungle has stopped the development historically attacking the tribes that are contained within it, however, the tribes are all but ready to reverse the roll on the outsiders!
Sadly, with the need for wood, the rain forrests are getting smaller, but management schemes are mostly in place to counter act this.
Its not uncommon after several days of hacking your way through the woods to come accross a huge canabis plantation, which is sharply avoided, due to the protection squads who fiercely police them.
It is also possible for your guides to take you to old almost lost civvilisations, and like a scene from an Indiana Jones film, the building archetecture is stunning and dream enspiring.
The last tribes of the world who live a pre historic lifestyle can be found living in the tree\'s (Only if they want you to find them), and Cannabilism forms a part of their culture.
They dont seem to understand modern medicine, and we bring with us from the west, diseases, and simple colds, that for these people mean serious death.
An unexplained death in the tribe is usually blamed on some unfortunate, who is then consumed for bringing bad spirits with him.
All in all, its something that should be experienced by the avid explorer, but avoided by the couch potato, as it is very much outside of the comfort zone for many!
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