Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro: 28 °C, hot, sunny and slightly overcast.
Summer is almost over in Rio, but it is still very hot. Every day, the temperature is above 30°C. The only difference from a month ago is that it is cooler in the early mornings and evenings. I love this type of weather.
Rio de Janeiro is a unique city with the potential to be much more than it is now. Unfortunately, the city is being overwhelmed by rapidly expanding slums, which are suffocating typical neighbourhoods to the point where people are afraid to go out, particularly at night.
People who live in São Paulo, also known as Paulistas, often express disappointment when visiting Rio de Janeiro because of the mix of people from all social classes. They claim that this is not the case in their city.
One example of this is Copacabana, the most famous neighbourhood in Rio that boasts one of the world’s most beautiful urban beaches. Avenida Atlantica, located in front of Copacabana Beach, is considered one of the most exclusive addresses in Rio and Brazil.
The famous Copacabana Palace Hotel and numerous clubs, bars, and restaurants attract tourists and locals alike for an exciting nightlife experience.
However, there are at least five enormous slums in Copacabana, which bring with them drug trafficking, prostitution, crime, and muggings, even during daylight hours. Tourists in Copacabana are sadly often targeted by muggers. Teenage muggers are particularly fast and skilled, making it difficult to avoid them.
They can grab or snatch something of yours, such as a gold chain or mobile phone, or worse, mug somebody with a knife or gun. This is a complex and pitiful reality. The mixture of people from different social classes, including the homeless, on the streets can lead to conflicts due to difficulty in distinguishing between the groups.
In São Paulo, the upper-, middle-, and lower-class neighbourhoods are clearly separated, resulting in a more balanced, heterogeneous city. In contrast, in Rio, as mentioned earlier, it’s more of a mixture with no clear boundaries.
The word ‘limit’ is crucial here, as there are geographical, cultural, and class limits, as well as limits of common sense. In Rio, these limits are either nonexistent or so vague as to be unnoticeable. It is a pity!
Today, I picked up Yasmin from her functional training session on the beach because it was getting dark earlier, and I was worried about her safety.
So many people walk on the promenade in front of the beach that it is hard to know who is who. It’s a complicated situation, but thankfully, she is finishing her training, so I no longer have to worry about it.
We reached home around 8 pm, and I cooked a light dinner for her. I made a bed of toast with salad and scrambled eggs seasoned with oregano, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
In bed by 10:30 pm.
Thank you.
Thanks for reading my blog. Check out my other posts and share your thoughts in the comments.
Richard
