First Impressions of Rio

Compared to Manaus and Sao Paolo, to me, Rio was a whole different experience. Starting with the plane ride at night, I could overlook Rio and see so many lights and that was my first realization of how big Rio really was. It was a large city, and probably the most touristy location we visited. Despite how large Rio was, the traffic was nothing compared to Sao Paulo. Cars seemed to move swiftly and there didn't seem to be as much jam on the roads. In Rio I saw countless numbers of homeless people living and sleeping outside, and it was quite sad. I asked our guide Tauan if homeless shelters were a thing in Rio, and he replied confused and we came to the conclusion that Rio doesn't have shelters like the U.S., explaining the number of people living and sleeping outside. The beach was one of the highlights of Rio for me. It was such a beautiful sight and a relaxing place to be. I spent simply one hour at the beach and it easily turned my mood around for the day. The water wasn't too cold, the sand was nice, and the heat wasn't too bad. It was overall so beautiful. The first night in Rio we ate dinner at a restaurant not too far from the hotel called Cervantes. I ordered chicken and mashed potatoes with Genti, the most American thing on the menu, and we both thought that it was one of the best things we've tasted. It was so delicious and reminded me of home. Just like Sao Paulo and Manaus, graffiti was very prevalent in Rio. All of the pictures around town were so amazing and colorful and I wish the U.S. would appreciate natural art like that more like Rio. Along with the beauty, though, I soon realized when walking around that there was a lot of trash, and many places outside smelled horribly. I wasn't a big fan of that, but the beauty definitely capped the smell in many places. The first night there, I got left behind at a shop with a few others, and we had to find our way to the hotel. This experience was scary. Being in the dark, and being an American girl, many people stared. It was a very cautious walk, but once reunited with the group, the fright decreased. Overall, Rio was my favorite location to visit in Brazil, and I will forever hold memories from this place.