Rio's Bad Rap

Travel blogs and friends alike gave me a slew of warnings about going to Rio de Janeiro. The city is certainly not as safe as many traditional vacation spots in the US or Europe, but it's certainly a place worth seeing and with proper precautions I think most travelers can have an exciting and fulfilling vacations to the city. I wanted to come out and write about some of the safety steps I took because tourism has been low there lately, even with the World Cup fast approaching, and people deserve to know which warnings are real and which are exaggerated.

I took precautionary steps that were not the "normal" steps most people would take for Europe. I didn't wear any jewelry (though many locals did) and I didn't carry more money than I needed for the day. I carried a decoy wallet with a couple expired credit cards in it in case I was in a situation where I was forced to hand it over, and I purchased a cheap decoy watch in case I had to hand something over when I wasn't carrying a purse. I didn't end up needing to use the decoys but I'm glad that I carried them. I also carried extra money and credit cards in an inside pocket and researched how the locals would dress in Rio to make sure I didn't stand out as a tourist. It's also important to get good directions before heading to any new destination and to be careful to not pull out a map in public or look overtly confused. I was careful not to speak English in public. I didn't pull out my camera unless I was in a secure area and didn't pull out my phone in public, though a lot of locals were comfortable doing that.

Locals gave good advice on how late it would be safe to stay out and it's always helpful to look to the locals to see what they think is safe. If I saw other young women on the street carrying purses and walking their yorkies, I felt pretty comfortable. It's also good to pay attention to whether or not locals are pulling their wallets out in public. I didn't learn this until I arrived, but a large portion of thefts in Rio are committed by males under the age of 18. That gives you a good idea of who to be wary of. There were some neighborhoods, like Lapa, where the samba clubs are, that I researched and chose to avoid because I was traveling alone. I may have made a different decision if I had someone to accompany me.

I can't say any one of these things played a hand in making this a smooth trip, some of this depends on good luck. I know there are some people who had a bad experience in Rio despite taking precautions, but I'm convinced that many of the horror stories came from people who made textbook tourist mistakes. Rio isn't a war zone. Don't let the additional safety precautions stop you from visiting a spectacular city!

To hear a real time rendition of my impressions, follow me on twitter @MadelineList.

Leg 2!

Palm Hearts and Sugarloaves

Welcome to Rio de Janeiro, a beautiful city with a whole lot of problems. The city is home to over 6 million people and will soon experience an influx of visitors as sports fans from all over the world come to witness the World Cup and later the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The trip opened with a huge treat, a visit to one of the seven wonders of the natural world. I took a cable car to the top of Sugarloaf mountain, which provides a spectacular view of the harbor, as well as a distant view of Christ the Redeemer.

I was awestruck on Sugarloaf, and I must admit that pictures don't properly capture the majesty of the place. The view also made me wish I had paid more attention in high school earth science and could understand how the mountains I were seeing were formed. I hope you're happy Mrs. Oshry.

My research began in ANDEF, located in Niteroi, a suburb of Rio. Even with my embarrassingly limited Portuguese, I managed to buy a ferry ticket to meet my contact Dani on the other side.

I loved our drive through the hills of Niteroi. It was a refreshing break from the rush of the big city, and as we bumped through the streets I felt like I had traveled from a bustling metropolis to a jungle town built into the side of a mountain. ANDEF is located on the edge of Niteroi, and Dani and I had a quick lunch there before we began our tour.

ANDEF offers a huge variety of services. One major part of their service is training and job placement for people both with and without disabilities. The job training program helps fund the sports programs, which are also available for people with and without disabilities. Dani walked me past the pool, the basketball court, the soccer field, and the dance studio. The facilities also serve as training centers for many successful paralympians, who are displayed proudly on banners in the offices. 

ANDEF felt like the summer camp I never had. There were smiling faces all through the cafeteria, the offices, and the fields. The organization's president says that people are drawn to ANDEF because "they are winners". Indeed, it was easy to feel that the people there had something to be proud of. The integrated dance troupe (half members with disabilities, half members without) were kind enough to show us the routine they had been working on. The number ended with one member doing a handstand in his wheelchair. I was floored. 

The organization is one that draws some of the most talented people with and without disabilities, so it was easy to feel the sense of empowerment that reined throughout the grounds. Watching warm ups for a game of blind soccer while the sun set over the hills of Niteroi, I felt like there was little the people around me couldn't do.

Of course, the standard of living for people with disabilities is strongly connected to economic prowess, and poverty is a major issue here in Rio. The next day I left my westernized hotel in Copacabana to visit a social services center in a much more impoverished neighborhood. The center is one of 6 around the city that provides free services such as physical therapy, speech therapy, and music therapy. They try to act as an early intervention for children living with disabilities. The centers also provide important education for parents who may not know how to properly care for their children with disabilities. One therapist told me that she sees children with disabilities who are 4 or 5 years old when they first learn to communicate. The services offered are essential but in a city of this size more resources are definitely needed.

I did promise I would write about food. On Friday night I visited a friend of a friend of a friend who had me over for dinner. She served the biggest first course I have ever seen in my life. My favorite dishes were artichoke heart salad, sesame studded tuna skewers with teriyaki sauce, and roasted eggplant. For the main course we had fantastic beef, potatoes, roasted okra, and roasted hearts of palm. I didn't even realize that they could be eaten if they didn't come out of a can. But you know what they say, once you go roasted palm you never go back. 

There are only a couple more days left in Brazil and I'm trying to enjoy some quality time on the beach and hopefully visit Tijuca Park. Argentina is coming up on Tuesday!

Departure

For leg one I'm heading south. Way south. It's gonna be a long day.

Beginnings

Hi all,

Monday will be the start of what promises to be an amazing journey, sponsored generously by the Circumnavigators Club Foundation. I'll make a circuit of the planet, visiting 8 countries over the course of 10 weeks. During the trip, I'll be conducting a study on the welfare of people with disabilities in each country, in effort to investigate low-cost methods to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

In the United States the average person will have at least one disability by the age of 69. (72 in Canada) The blog is titled "This is Personal" because the way society treats people with disabilities will affect every single one of my readers at some point in their lifetimes. This is a topic that you need to care about.

The blog will cover stories of travels, people met, places visited, and food eaten. I'll post pictures whenever I can. Knowing me, there will also be some comical moments along the way. You might laugh at me and not with me. I'm prepared to accept that. In a sinister attempt to educate my readers, I'll also work in information about disability studies. For those interested in a constant stream of my musings, follow me on twitter @MadelineList.

Now I'm going back to packing and other trip preparations. Stay tuned for more updates on Monday!