Brazil summary.
1/ It’s very very big
2/ It is not built for pedestrians - tough shit if you don’t have a car
3/ Homelessness is massive. Must be hundreds of thousands across the country living rough, and nobody seems to care.
4/ Architecture is horrendous - ugly ugly ugly concrete monstrosities. Why? Profit and fuck the society and the people that have to live in it. They can build nice as the restoration projects show, or the big fancy houses of the rich, but normal people get to reside in a favela or a concrete bunker.
5/ The people in the north are much friendlier than those in the south (ring any bells?). South of Rio or in Brasilia they just plain weirdly xenophobic.
6/ The south is considerably richer than the north. The equality gap in general is massive.
7/ The cuisine is total dogshit. Whoever tells you it’s great needs to give their head a serious wobble. Portions are massive especially in the south - in addition to a protein (yes that’s what they call meat fish etc) you’ll get massive bowls of rice, spaghetti, farfofa (cassava flour - tastes like sawdust) and chips. And maybe a lettuce leaf. Most of it goes in the bin. The waste when so many are hungry in the country is obscene.
8/ The militarized police are a throwback to the military juntas and dictatorships of old. These are not nice people and tough shit if you cross them. And that idiot Bolsonairo wants a return to those days.
9/ Dirt, rubbish, litter and stench. Everywhere in every city. Filthy.
10/ Not for me. After working in Santa Cruz So Dull, sorry, Do Sul a few years ago I approached the place with an open mind, wanting to find good in it. It was hard. While there were a few exceptions and highlights (the Amazon jungle, Santa Theresa for example) most of the country is well off my list. I won’t be back voluntarily.
