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Rio's uphill battle to host the Games

Rio de Janeiro has many aspects, it is the party capital of Brazil, the internationally recognized face of the country, the most visited city in Brazil, the crime capital of South America, a city with some of the highest drug use statistics and, more recently, the host city of the 2016 Summer Olympics. Winning that particular war has not been easy.

Rio de Janeiro, this bustling city of 6 million people (14 million if one includes the greater metro area) is the second largest city in Brazil and is famous for its statue Christ the Redeemer, which sits atop Corcovado Mountain and has looked down upon the city for almost 100 years. It is also famous for the internationally known Carnivale, the city’s samba schools, the fabulous beaches that grace our shoreline and Sugarloaf Mountain with its ancient cable car. Read more

Rio de Janeiro displays a unique blend of contrasts: old versus new, tremendous wealth amid crushing poverty, an urban metropolis nestled around mountains and a huge forest. And all of this is symbolically embraced in the outstretched arms of Cristo Redentor, the statue of Christ atop Corcovado Mountain.

Elaborate parades impelled by the drums of samba schools transform Rio during Carnaval, a four-day holiday in February or early March. But if the buzz of the city becomes too much, there's always an easy escape. Spending an afternoon at a seaside cafe, hypnotized by the view.

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