SURVIVAL GUIDE: Rio de Janeiro, Olympics n’ Tourists edition.
Be for the Olympics, for tourism, for sadomasoquism, for whichever reason, if you come to Rio de Janeiro, read this out. I’ve decided to write the true face about Rio de Janeiro. I’m not gonna speak about the touristic points, nor restaurants, nightclubs, football or shit. The proposal here is to present people with the true face of the city, the rest you can just read in some travel guide. What you’ll read here you’ll hardly find anywhere else – written by a true Brazilian living in Rio.
Rio is a city that transmits a false security feeling to the tourists. These tanned people showing their “value” makes it look like it’s everything alright, that on the “good” areas you’re alright. Illusion. Opposite to the rest of the cities, the danger here isn’t only in the ghettos (favelas, as you know) or in distant areas. IT’S EVERYWHERE. Yes, there are areas where it’s more dangerous than others; in fact, where it is certain. If you turn your vehicle on the wrong place, you’ll be gunned down, no further explanations. But there’s nowhere in the city that your safety is granted. NOWHERE. Keep that in mind, always.
Let’s speak about your arrival. If you arrive by Santos Dumont Airport (closer to the “cool, decent” areas of the city), better. However, don’t take a taxi there in any hypothesis. By the way, don’t take taxis in Rio de Janeiro. Call an UBER, but set the meeting point at the departure area, because if he heads to get you down the arrival sector of the airport, taxi drivers will most likely harass you and the Uber. No “stay-able” areas for a tourist take more than a 30 minute ride from Santos Dumont.