#Brazil 2018 Day 15

08/11/2018 Return journey

We wake up and it's pouring rain. A good day for departure. The weather has been quite unstable the whole time, but actually we were really lucky and only had one rainy day in Iguazu.

We have to check out at 12 o'clock and head towards Rio.

Every now and then you see remains from the 2016 Olympics.

We drive through the traffic chaos of Ipanema and Copacabana. In the rain, it doesn't look that great.

In general, it has to be said that the beaches and the water are obviously very clean. Even though swimming was always prohibited during our time here because of high waves, etc.

Brazil is not suitable for a beach vacation at this time of year.

The traffic is also catastrophic today.

No wonder with the way they drive, there are 40,000 traffic fatalities here every year. We wouldn't rent a car here anymore, as driving here is really annoying. Even at the gas station, you have to wait in line, and we're also in the wrong line because the only gas available in our line is LPG gas. 🤦

And suddenly you can only pay in cash, even though you can pay for every piece of gum here at the beach with a credit card. Luckily, we still have enough Reais with us. And off we go to return the rental car. Unfortunately, we have to realize that not only our backpack was stolen from the car, but also the spare tire was stolen from the trunk beside the broken lock. Apparently, you can't call the police here, they offer us to drive to the nearest police station. They probably can't speak English either and have no idea where it is located. So we pay €250 for repair costs and are extremely annoyed. All criminals here 😕

Our conclusion about Brazil:

A great country with many friendly and funny people with whom you quickly make contact (except for the criminals). Unfortunately, Brazil is not safe at all and you always have to be on your guard.

Driving a car and the signage here are a disaster and not recommended. On the other hand, taxi rides are cheap and safe.

The food here is very greasy and garlic-heavy and not really delicious. However, the breakfast was always great and the Caipirinhas are fantastic everywhere.

The air in Rio and the surrounding area is very bad, probably also due to the traffic and the many really old cars that drive here.

In terms of cleanliness, you also have to make compromises, the towels in the hotels are sometimes stained, etc. and in some areas it's just dirty.

But when you weigh everything against each other, Rio and also Iguazu are amazing experiences with small flaws.... that can definitely be repeated.

Goodbye Rio, Goodbye Brazil 🇧🇷🇧🇷♥️♥️