After a week in Rio, I thought I would share some quick thoughts about the issue of safety in Rio with you…Is Rio really that dangerous?

What is quite apparent when visiting the touristy parts of Rio, is the level of police presence.  I suspect this was increased preceding the world cup and will continue through to the Olympics.  Rio is a city experiencing change. A city that is appearing on the world stage, and wanting to clean up its image of being a dangerous place.  The startling thing is the military police who carry huge rifles around, and travel in 4×4’s. It’s scary and comforting at the same time. We were told that the military police have been used to clean up a number of favelas. They go in and chase out all of the untowards…supposedly. With that said, the police here seem to be quite approachable, with a girl…