The following takes place on Days 116 – 127, Wednesday, March 23 to Sunday, April 3, 2011
Rio de Janeiro is going to be in the news a lot in the next few years, and rightly so. Not only will they be hosting the 2014 World Cup, but they will also be hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. The first city in South America to host either Olympics. As with most Olympics, Rio is not without controversy. Beijing had the human rights violations, Vancouver had the downtown housing situation, and Rio has the favelas. Much like Vancouver, the controversy is stemming from what the city and country is doing to “clean up” the area. I won’t get much into it as I’m not well enough informed to make an informed opinion. All I know is that it is an issue that many people are keeping a close eye on.
Rio definitely lives up to its hype though. It is a city where doing nothing is encouraged by the local tourism office guides. Sure, they have their tourist traps, but for the most part, people go to Rio for one thing, and one thing only: the beaches.
