#12 - Barra da Tijuca and Copacabana

In Rio, there is so much to experience and see. During our short time here, we take advantage of every opportunity. 

Of course, safety is always a concern, so we have a few thoughts about that. Various authorities and websites warn about the dangers of Rio, and we are aware that we cannot move around as freely as we do in Switzerland. However, we have also noticed that in Barra, we have never been in a situation where we felt unsafe. The police presence is very noticeable, and there are many undercover officers who freely move around and relax on the beach without constantly watching their belongings. We understand that we shouldn't walk at night without a taxi and we shouldn't flaunt our phones, just like in Colombia. We have also noticed that our wealthier acquaintances are overly cautious about everything and everyone. While it is well-intended, it creates a larger divide between the rich and the poor. This is because every poor person is automatically seen as a criminal. We know that there are many robberies happening, and we know that it could happen to us too. But there are also many people who are just trying to make a living. There are women from the favelas who work as cleaners in the city during the day and then go back to the crime-ridden areas at night.

But crime is not the only thing that worries us. It is a similar feeling to when we were in Comuna 13 and drove past countless favela gangs in a taxi. There were heavily armed police officers and military personnel everywhere. It made us think that if we were to enter that zone, we might not come out alive, which is something we don't experience in our familiar environment. The different drug lords and police are engaged in their daily war, and the innocent people are the ones who suffer. The majority of the favelas are lawless zones, or they have their own laws and rules. The EU is trying to help in certain areas, but since the World Cup, the country's economy has been in ruins and tourism has declined. There are also 30-40 helicopters flying over our heads every day, searching for people or maintaining order. During his last visit, Dani had a conversation with someone involved in these operations, which often end in gunfights. This is how Monday mornings start. It is also tragic to see young women being raped by drug lords in front of the police, and they can't intervene because the criminal has his own army.

So this was not a joyful part of our trip, but it's something that occupies our minds.

As I said, fortunately, we hardly notice anything about it and can enjoy the giant and delicious coconuts every day. We allow ourselves to be pampered by beach vendors who sell drinks or start grilling right in front of us. Many undercover officers are very athletic, and the promenade offers everything from jogging to cycling to street workouts, and everyone does their own thing. The famous Copacabana (about a 30-minute drive from here) is no different, but there is a bit more activity and you can walk endlessly on the pavement with the artist's signature swirly pattern by Burle Marx - if it weren't so hot. But for safety reasons, we don't swim there at the same time ;-).

One culinary highlight we had was at a well-known steakhouse. The experience alone is worth it, and the fact that it's also really good makes it even better. It starts with an extensive salad buffet, which also includes sushi and fish. But then the sky opens up for all meat lovers. On the table, we have a disc with a green and red side to indicate whether we are ready for the meat. With the green side up, the waiters start coming to the table and cutting off small pieces of their meat - you can even order it medium. So we get all kinds of meat from cows, pigs, and lambs. But we didn't try everything right away; throughout the evening, there was different meat - smoked, with a garlic crust, or simply grilled.

So as you can imagine, we ended up overeating and had a really bad night. Our own fault, but it was still worth it :-).