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This might give Rio a real chance to break out of the downward spiral which started when the government moved to the new capital city of Bogotá in the 1960's. It might also be a chance to correct the city's image abroad, which is mostly about drugs, slums and violence. It might even be a chance to actually reduce these problems.

Useful FAQ for anyone considering traveling to Rio

You might have read the post a few days ago about 90% of the content on the internet consisting of "garbage, dirt and scrap metals". This really affected me more than I wanted to admit at first. I realized that I have to be the change others want to see on the web, which is why I hereby designate October to be my month of actually useful posts, starting with this one!

Do I have to learn Spanish?

The Cariocas are certainly going to appreciate your efforts by charging you special prices on everything. However, you might be shocked to learn that many of them don't even speak proper Spanish. The insufficient command of their mother tongue is a consequence of the poor quality of public education and the frequent school closures due to nearby shootings.

Isn't Rio very dangerous?

Most travel experts say Rio isn't more dangerous than any other major city if you follow a few common sense rules, like traveling in a convoy of armored cars and employing a small battalion of local militia, which are readily available for hire (don't hire the ones that approach you right at the airport, they'll overcharge you). However, this is all going to change in 2016 as the number of tourist is expected to increase dramatically, thereby improving the "tourists to thugs"-ratio. This "safety of the herd" effect means that most of the visitors won't have to worry, because the thugs are only going to pick the slowest and fattest targets ("americanos").

What does "favela" mean? I booked a hotel located in one of these "favelas".

Don't worry, a favela is similar to a gated community with strictly controlled entrances and its own private security force.

I'm in Rio and it has been raining for weeks, WTF?

This is absolutely unheard of. Usually, the sun always shines in Rio. Really, this has never ever happened before. You should come back next year!

Speaking of rain, I want to take a quick trip to the Amazon rain forest, how do I do that?

Easy, just go to the main bus station ("Rodoviária Novo Rio") and buy a round-trip ticket to any of the scenic cities in the Amazonas. It might seem a bit expensive for such a short trip, but you have to consider this is going to be a once in a lifetime event.

Are there any movies I could watch to prepare myself? I already watched "Brazil", but now I'm having nightmares!

There's of course the official promotional video and then there's the best movie ever shot in Rio: Non c'è due senza quattro. You'll notice some similarities, like the lush green hills surrounding the affluent beachside districts.


Parabéns Rio de Janeiro! Parabéns Brazil! Parabéns América do Sul!
Sorry, Obama, but at least this should put an end to the "Obama is Hitler" bullshit (as Bill Maher said, Hitler got his Olympics).