Rio Introduction
My first visit to “The Marvelous City “ in Rio de Janeiro was during the 2016 Olympic games. I’ve since returned nine times safely, without any major problems. Rio is beautiful but at the same time, Rio can be dangerous if you are unaware and uninformed about the culture and the Carioca way of life.
Remember we are the foreigners, the gringos. People who get robbed typically leave with a negative view of Brazil, otherwise, once you come to Rio once, you will most likely come again and again. So, this is the reason why I published a travel guide so that you can get insight from a veteran's perspective. I started traveling internationally when I join the Navy at 18, back in 1998.
There are some mannerisms, some tactics, and some tips that I can share with you in my book to prevent possible negative experiences. I was watching one of the passport bro youtube videos, and he was explaining how he walked video recording walking and vlogging along Copacabana beach. He said he ordered a Caipirinha, and the guy who served him his drink warned him to be careful with that camera. He said felt like he was strong enough, able to handle any risky situation. Fast forward, he said he was a little tipsy when was kindly approached by a couple of females, who asked to be greeted with kisses on their cheeks, they exchanged contact and departed then soon later he realized he got robbed.
With basic street smarts, Rio was safe enough for anyone to visit at least once. The Brazilian people are generally welcoming and kind and their culture is truly fantastic.
Everything seems to taste better in Brazil, the fruit seems sweeter, and the beef tastes more flavorful, but that doesn’t mean the green is always greener south of the equator. Brazil is a place rich with art in the midst of the perfect natural ambiance; with curvaceous mountains and rivers, lagoons, samba music, playing in the background, a vibrant nightlife, and of course beautiful people most notably the women. I can’t imagine a more naturally inviting place, and yet Brazil does have an ugly dark side to beware of. The favelas are full of the kindest, most humble people you will meet. But mass poverty among our keen, people who look like our brothers, sisters, and cousins, are hungry, and desperate, and that breeds illicit opportunists.
As I say in my travel guide, Rio de Janeiro is a place you just have to experience yourself, it is a very difficult place to describe. What happens in Rio seems magical, and majestic, and most stay in Rio. Travel with a mind open as wide as the arms of Christ the Redeemer stretched out over Mount Corcovado.
In the tradition of Charles Tyler, a black travel YouTuber who focused his channel on encouraging black men to get passports and explore the black man’s options abroad. I want to continue his legacy because when I watched Charles on Youtube, he gave me insight into a place I only dreamed about and the encouragement to overcome the negativity black men who travel experience. Fake news and peer pressures cast a lot of doubt, and fear of viruses like Zinka, Terror threats, gang violence, etc.
Fear is used to discourage a lot of people from exploring abroad beyond the beaches that border the United States. I encourage men (and women) to get their passports. Then they can expand their worldview and advocate and encourage others to fly. Since birds of a feather flock together, as a team, we plan annual retreats.
