Is Rio de Janeiro Overrated - Part II, My Final Thoughts

…So why is Rio still popular despite being unreasonably expensive with real personal safety concerns?

I think first and foremost, it’s undeniably beautiful. I went up to the famous Sugarloaf Mountain like every tourist does. Here you get a 360-degree panoramic view of the city. Having been to numerous places in my 40-years of travelling, this one really captures my soul. With most tourist spots you go, take a few pictures then leave. Here, you want to stay for a while.

The beach coastline is the signature view of the city. It stretches a few kilometres long with restaurants and many leisure facilities. On a fine day it’s packed - doesn’t matter if it’s weekend or weekday. Brazilians have a beach culture few can match. Here is where you will find those handsome dark muscled hunks I mentioned at the beginning!

No one can come to Rio without visiting the Christ the Redeemer statue, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in the world, symbolising peace and love. I had originally booked a “no-door” helicopter ride to get a close up view of it from air, but bad weather meant rescheduling 4 times until I had no choice but to visit from the ground instead. It was still well worth it.

During my stay I also visited the Colourful Stairs where painter Escadaria Selarón,spent over 20 years collecting tiles of different design and colours from around the world to cover the stairs; the Cathedral of St. Sebastian with its beautiful glass tiles - a one-of-a-kind modern design; and the famous Confeitaria Colombo - Café do Forte which offers a legendary panoramic view looking back across the entire crescent curve of Copacabana Beach. Here I enjoyed lunch and afternoon tea in the most relaxing marine vibe the city offers.

I also experienced 5-star fine-dining at the GERO, Rio’s best Italian restaurant. The food, the vibe, the guests, the service - they all make you feel like you are in Paris than in Rio. It showcased the most affluent side of the city and what it’s capable of.

I cannot conclude my visit to Rio without referencing the famous favela. They are the shantytown settlements scattered around the hills of Rio, a bit like the squatter huts found in Hong Kong in the 60s and 70s.

Most of the people in them are ordinary workers and low-income families. The difference is that these settlements are also territory for armed criminal gangs and drug traffickers, and security forces often launch interventions that can turn violent.

At first I thought they were unapproachable by tourists. To my surprise, they were not. I found a couple of tours led by guides from the favelas themselves.

So I decided to make the visit, to complete my real Rio experience. A gentleman is an explorer, not just a tourist.

Talking about exploring, already in that situation, I was reminded of the lines luxury advertising loves, watches especially: “challenge like no limit,” “be an explorer,” “fear nothing.” I despise them. They sound motivating, and they are cheap lines invented by marketing people. How many of their real customers possess any of that? Very few, I bet.

The favela tour was a two-hour walk. We met at the foot of the hill, about ten of us. First we hopped on a motorcycle that took us to a mid-level point in the settlement. The ride was already a thrill: insanely fast, no order, no helmet.

Then we followed our guide into the narrow, dark alleys, with permission from personnel guarding the entrance. We were told that some may carry weapons. I did not see any. The rule was to behave. Use a camera only when they say so. Do not wear sunglasses. Many things were not allowed in the lens, so my iPhone stayed in my pocket most of the time. Even when they said filming was fine, that could change the next minute. Two men in our group took pictures in a permitted area. The next second they were asked to show the pictures, and delete them.

Following the alleys we reached a show house near the top of the hill. I think it is arranged for visitors, the brighter part of the settlement. From there you get a bird’s-eye view. The scale is phenomenal. About 1.3 million people in the city live in a favela, roughly one in five. As we passed through we saw a barber, grocery stores, a laundrette, the same shops as any ordinary neighbourhood. There was dog mess everywhere, so you watched your step.

I arrived in Rio sceptical, and for the first two days I did not even dare walk out of the hotel. On the ninth day, when I left, I felt I had seen both the dark and the bright side of the city. There is an old Chinese line for this: traveling ten thousand miles beats reading ten thousand books (讀萬卷書不如行萬里路). You can read all about it. A visit still beats the reading. Rio means different things to different people. You have to come and look for yourself.

So is it overrated? I think so.

This whole Latin America and Dubai trip cost me HKD 220,000, for 21 days. In Rio the hotels are terribly overpriced, the flights are long and expensive, and the service is just okay. Very poor if you compare it with Japan. The personal safety concern is real. You feel alert every minute until you board the flight out.

Still a once-in-a-lifetime trip. Personally I have zero regrets.

Watch out for the upcoming YouTube for the full story.