"Rio de Janeiro" Rio de Janeiro by melosh

I did a lot of VT search and then followed a VT advice. I had planned to make three nights of music but we were so busy I could not get our group out for more than one, but it was great.

Major city and natural beauty are not two elements that usually go together. And when they do, rapid growth and development may spoil the second. Rio de Janeiro is one metropolitan area with breath taking natural beauty on all sides.

Just imagine the view the poor of the favelas have of possibly the most beautiful city in the world. Do the rich Brazilians and rich tourists ever take their eyes from the beaches? Nowhere else in the world have I seen a greater "upfront" proximity of the very rich and very poor. Is it any surprise that the violence that terrorizes the lives of these poor people spills into the lives of the more fortunate?

I saw a impressionistic painting of a favela that I liked for its colors and composition. I considered buying it, but the price seemed a little high and there was something else I could not put my finger on that held me back. My wife told me that based on our past experience she knew I would regret not getting this beautiful thing I liked and could certainly afford. I agreed, but the more I thought about it, the more uncomfortable I got. Only after I returned to the USA did I realize that my problem was with what the beautiful abstraction really represented. I have not regretted my decision.