So far it has been a great trip. The people that we have met have all been exceedingly helpful and nice. Each airbnb has been clean and the host very helpful, some ridiculously so. Waiters and shopkeepers have worked with us despite a complete lack of Portuguese and it has been great. However, all of that has been tempered by almost daily reminders from travel sites and our Brazilian friends about the dangers that are around. It still feels odd, because at no point have I felt unsafe, but we have been a little more careful than not about where we are.
Nilson told us that he has been robbed several times in Sao Paulo. He also made it clear while we were driving around that he wanted to avoid certain streets at night that looked deserted and stuck to the main, well-lit roads to avoid a possible car-jacking. I have seen news stories about parts of major cities where they turn off the traffic lights late a night so people dont have to stop their car and risk being robbed.
Yet despite all this, everyone that we have encountered has been incredibly nice and helpful. It is hard to imagine that the courtesy and for lack of a better word, Aloha could be matched by violence and fear of certain areas or people. I realize that poverty can create challenging situations, but throughout Asia I never worried about my physical safety and the level of poverty is equal or greater than here.
Hopefully we do not have to experience the other side of Brazilian culture. The hospitality and aloha that we have been shown so far has made the trip better than could have been planned. But at the same time it is unfortunate to know that you always have to be a little careful about where you are and where you are going.
Nilson told us that he has been robbed several times in Sao Paulo. He also made it clear while we were driving around that he wanted to avoid certain streets at night that looked deserted and stuck to the main, well-lit roads to avoid a possible car-jacking. I have seen news stories about parts of major cities where they turn off the traffic lights late a night so people dont have to stop their car and risk being robbed.
Yet despite all this, everyone that we have encountered has been incredibly nice and helpful. It is hard to imagine that the courtesy and for lack of a better word, Aloha could be matched by violence and fear of certain areas or people. I realize that poverty can create challenging situations, but throughout Asia I never worried about my physical safety and the level of poverty is equal or greater than here.
Hopefully we do not have to experience the other side of Brazilian culture. The hospitality and aloha that we have been shown so far has made the trip better than could have been planned. But at the same time it is unfortunate to know that you always have to be a little careful about where you are and where you are going.
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