Thoughts on Rio

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Rio is pretty awesome. A big city full of people but right on the beach and also in the mountains. Beautiful like Hawaii, busy like New York, fun and crazy like Las Vegas (without the gambling but with better hookers), international and yet very very Brazil. Here I get a sense of wild west freedom. There are rules and people obey them when it makes sense but mostly people are just doing what they want. That being said you can see the best and the worst of human nature. I've watched taxi drivers apologize for cutting each other off. I met a stranger who shared a cookie with me and who lent me a dollar for no reason. But also drugs are rampant here. Some parts of the city aren't safe and you must constantly be aware of your surroundings.

To me, that is the beautiful character of Rio. It's like Amsterdam. It reflects human nature, both good and bad. Amsterdam does it with more style and finesse but Rio does it with more spice and flavor!

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