When I flew into Rio de Janeiro this morning, I was immediately greeted by the world famous Christ the Redeemer statue atop Corcovado Hill. I was also surprised to see how packed in some of the slums on the surrounding hills were. These neighborhoods are called favelas. They are made up of shoddy houses that are literally built on top of each other. Because of all of the poverty, the problem of crime is constantly growing, so I am going to have to be on my guard at all times. Rio is probably Brazil’s most well known city to outsiders, but it is not the capital. The capital is Brasilia, which is located in the center of the country. The world famous Carnival is held in Rio every year. It is very similar Mardi Gras in New Orleans with the exception of the dances and the music. Exotically dressed dancers perform as they go through town along with beautiful floats. These floats take all year to build, so being a float builder is a steady job. Rio will also be holding the 2014 World Cup. This is a big source of pride, and the locals have posters and tee shirts all over the city. They are also hosting the 2016 summer Olympics, which is also advertised throughout the city. I enjoyed walking around for a while, and then decided to get a quick bite to eat before turning in.
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