Going to Brazil during a once in a century pandemic was a bold move. Did I mention I went alone? There was probably a better time to go. But I was longing for a an adventure and vacation and so off I went. Brazil is an amazing country. The food, people, culture, language, lifestyle are all fascinating. Everyone thinks of Picanha when they think of Brazil but they have fantastic seafood as well given that most of the major cities for Brazil are on the east coast in one centrally located area. While you’re in Brazil you must try Coxinha, Pasteis, Pão de Queijo, Bobo, Moqueca, feijoada, brigadeiro, picanha (obviously), farofa (they serve it with everything). That’s a good start. Note that Brazilians eat farofa with everything and its delicious. It’s essentially a dried ground up mandioca or corn. Brazil speaks Portuguese, and most of the people speak very little English, and even though they are surrounded by Spanish speaking countries speak very little Spanish, so brush up on Portuguese essential phrases before you go. It’s a very rewarding country, but can be slightly challenging to novice travelers. Brazil does not have good plumbing, so do be sure to throw most tissue paper / toilet paper in the garbage and not flush it down the toilet. Also please note Brazil shares the same type of wall outlet with one other country (South Africa) so get the appropriate converter before you go. Try a million caipirinha’s while you are there with cachaça. For me it’s interesting that Brazil is the biggest country in South America, and want’s to fit in with “Latin America” yet does not typically share the same linguistic and cultural similarities that the other Latin American countries share. Let me touch on the risks of security which most people wonder about before going to Brazil. Brazil is not everything you read in the news, it is not the war zones you read about, although sometimes in the Favelas it can be. Brazil is a country you should exercise increased caution in, but it does not mean you shouldn’t travel there. Brazil, like other countries, has risks. But in reality it all depends on what comfort level you have with risk, what is your risk tolerance? If you are a seasoned traveler, I would advise to not leave your phone on the beach when you go in to the water, don’t openly check your phone in the street, check inside a business, walk to places close by and take ubers everywhere else, don’t put things in your back pocket. If you are extremely nervous about traveling to Brazil and/or other countries that are similar I would advise the following. Only take Ubers to places, buy shorts with internal compression shorts and a hidden pocket, buy waterproof pocket bathing suit to take phone in the water with you, hire a guide, maybe even a body guard, don’t drink the tap water, only stay in hotels, don’t go to the downtown areas, don’t go out after 1AM, don’t walk along the beaches at night, carry little cash on you and carry a spare “dummy” phone that is an old flip phone as a decoy, don’t wear flashy clothing wear very plain t-shirts and shorts, and Havaiana sandals. Again, I think if you exercise regular caution with possibly a slight increase you will be ok, but Brazil does have instances of muggings / express kidnappings or robberies, and general violence. So do be aware of that in general, and especially when you are out at night. I believe that going during Carnival is the best time to go because not only is it the most fun, but is when you will see the most Police and Military on the Street. There’s an increase chance you will be pickpocketed, but less of a chance of being the victim of a violent mugging. I personally felt very secure with the amount of police presence. Also, the individual from the Favelas want to party also so again violent crime goes down. If you are from Rio you’re known as a “CaRioca”. People from Rio are some of the most proud, loud, and boisterous people you ever meet who rep their city hard. Sao Paulo has amazing nightlife, but for a big city has limited sites to see so unless you’re going there for the nightlife I would make sure you are looking at other cities like Salvador or definitely make sure to go to the Amazon. Florianopolis is a mix between the Ibiza of South America and a tranquil Tulum. All in all Brazil is an amazing place to visit and the view from Corcovado and Sugarloaf is one of the top 5 best views I have ever seen, it should definitely be high on your list.