My wife and I were in Rio when the Gulf War was raging in Iraq and Kuwait, but the death rate in Rio was far higher than anything inflicted by those two countries put together. The first people we met had been robbed four times and they'd only been there three days. Everyone else we met for the next two and a half weeks had been robbed on their first day. I was very careful but I must also have been lucky.
I was with someone who got robbed as we walked down the sea-front and on three separate occasions, a youth came to me demanding that I give them dollars - I looked them straight in the eye and replied as aggressively as possible that I had no dollars and that they should go away. Those were not my exact words you understand, but it worked.
We were warned by courriers not to carry cameras or large amounts of cash, not to wear watches, jewelry or anything else that could be considered valuable by the destitute locals. This advice came at the welcome meeting, which everyone knows is on the second day, and so was too late for most people. The death rate in Rio (just the one city) due to murder averaged 17 per day all year round at that time, and could be even higher now.
Backpackers and hippies seemed to go unhindered and so when we went out we dressed down and tried to look anything but wealthy.
When the plane took off for London, virtually everyone on the plane cheered with joy and vowed never to return to Brazil. I would never return without an armed guard, and then only if it was essential.
If you do go and want to see the sights then I would recommend that you use guided tours.
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Hey ! I cant believe that we had such different experiences of the city. It sounds as though your initial experiences of the place really put you off. May i ask why you didn't travel to somewhere a little more quiet if Rio was too criminal etc for you to enjoy? Your review certainly put your point across, but wasn't really detailed enough to get a better rating from me. Hope you have a better holiday this year!
petehall 11.01.2001 10:09
I have vowed never to return and I stand by that, sorry.
1234 10.01.2001 23:04
Hi!I am so sorry that you didn't enjoy Rio, but I must admit for what you did say in your opinion you were right, but you went sometime ago and now things are different.
The tourists are more respected and Rio is more quite now, not so much violance. I know what is when you want to enjoy and you have to worry about your own security, believe me
I am brazilian but living in England. I just hope you one day go back. I invite you!
Dec 6th, 2000
(Jan 10th, 2001)
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