Introduction (Location and why I picked Rio de Janeiro)
My destination of choice was Rio de Janeiro. It is a municipality in Brazil. There are various reasons why I selected this destination. One of the primary reason is the cultural diversity of this city. It is the main cultural hub of Brazil with structures and building dating back to the 16th century. Notably, it is a city that shares a culture that descends from Portuguese, art and creation (Maia). Another reason is the beauty of the city regarding things like location, diversity, restaurants, and music. The city is the primary tourist attraction city in South America. The city receives more than 1.3 million tourists every year (Belen). The high number of the tourists is due to elements such as extensive natural beaches, word class hotels, Sugarloaf Mountains and the famous Corcovado. The city also has multiple theatres which are attractive and which are home to ballet, opera, and classical music (Telegraph). In particular, I am a great lover of the ballet music which makes Rio De Janeiro my destination of choice.
Response to question 2
Rio de Janeiro that lies in the South Eastern region of Brazil. To the east side of the city lies the Guanabara Bay and to the south lies the Atlantic Ocean. The city is mainly made of mountains, seas, and forest a factor that boosts the beauty of the city (Riodejaneiro.com). The city has a tropical climate which it draws from the forests surrounding it, and the climate is warm and humid for the most of the year. This climate is contributed by the altitude, closeness to the ocean and the vegetation. Mostly the temperature revolves around 30° C, but they can rise to 40° C in the hot part of the year(Riodejaneiro.com). There is a notable variation of the temperature with the regions closer to the sea experiencing cooler temperatures due to the ocean winds. The city is diverse, and it has an incredible beauty from the culture of the people to physical features to the well improved social and entertainment facilities. Football is one of the cultures of the people in the city, and it is one of the most loved games in the whole country (Dobbins). I am traveling with my friends. There are no notable banns of warning that have been issued by any US state departments due to factors such as climate, political upheaval, and crime. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Historical background
The city of Rio de Janeiro dates back to the 16th century, and the Portuguese found it in the 1565 and its named in honor of St. Sebastian who was a patron of the by then monarch Sebastiao (Planet). Seen the founding of the city, it was always in the threat of invasion by pirates who mainly came from France. In the 17th century, gold and other precious stones were discovered in the neighboring region of Minas Gerais. As a result, the city becomes a strategical area for the trade and export of the gold. This outcome marked a rapid growth of the city due to its strategical positioning and natural harbors. In the middle of the 18th century, the colonial administration of the Portuguese was from Salvador to the city. However, Salvador remained a colonial capital primarily until 1808 when the royal families moved to Rio de Janeiro following an invasion of Napoleon (Xavier, Helia & Fernanda, 21). The city became the first European capital outside Europe after the Portuguese made it the kingdom capita in the 19th century. As a result of this change, there was a large inflow of noble people into the capital from Europe, and this forced the capital government to evict some of the local people. At the beginning of the 19th century the city gradually changed into a slave trade city, and by 1819 it had become the biggest slave trade city in America. More than 200000 slaves had been sold by this period. Slave trade continued until the by then prince Pendro declared Brazil in 1822. The city remained the capital of the newly created empire. It gradually becomes a political city, and it was used as the center stage in the abolishment of the slave trade in at the end of the 19th century. In 1894 the first football match was played in the city, and it marked the growth of football culture in the whole of the country (footballhistory.org).
At the start of the second century, the city received much attention due to the accrued poor sanitation and health and in 1902 reforms efforts were put in place to modernize the city. Afterward, the city saw a change in a rapid change in its facilities. At the mid of the 20th century, plans were put in place to change the city as the capital with a new city. The capital of the city was eventually transferred to Brasilia and new city. The federal state was also removed, and it was merged with the state of Rio de Janeiro. Through this, the city gained the state of a metropolitan region. Ever since then the city has grown extensively, and it has become a hub for various activities and events. For instance, in 1992 it hosted the Earth summit. In 2012, it hosted the sustainable development summit. In 2014 it hosted the FIFA World Cup finals and in 2016 hosted Olympic Games (Lovejoy).
Local food and drinks
Regarding drinks and food, the diversity of the city is vivid. The food and drinks are much influenced by the culture of the local people that have been developed over time. The foods taken in the city have a root from African, American and European heritage. There are multiple traditional barbecue restaurants in the city which are referred to as Churrascaria (Brown). They offer multiple selections of dishes and salads. The staple or the main dish is the Feijoada which is a mix of stewed beans in pork or beef gravy. The dish can also be
accompanied by toasted cassava flour, crisp yellow potatoes, pork cracklings and orange slices (Brown). The last dish is intended to reduce the calories and elevate digestion. From the restaurants to the streets, there are a variety of street foods which include Tapiaca, pastels, beach food, Sacole among others. Tapioca is rather interesting street food in the city, and it involves a mixture of cassava flour and shredded coconut which are fried in a kind of a crepe with a crunchy out shell.
In a review of the drinks that are enjoyed in the city, there are the diverse typee of drinks which are dependent on the time of the year and the need of the customers. One such drink is the Acai which is a thick and juicy super fruit rich in antioxidants. The drink is made even interesting when it is mixed with guarana. Ice cold Chopp is the favorite beer of the city (rio.com). Many customers prefer it when it is ice cold otherwise they deem it unacceptable. In regard to health, the Aqua de Coco is the drink of choice for many of the people in this region. On cocktails, Calpirinha is the most favored drink, and it is composed of Cachaca, lime, and sugar. Cachaca is a spirit that is made from sugarcane juice (rio.com). Other drinks include the mate tea and the Bar Urca.
Sports
Rio de Janeiro is sports hub, and this can be confirmed by the number of tournaments that the city hosted both in the indoor and the outdoor level. In 2014 the city hosted the FIFA world cup finals, and in 2016 it hosted the Olympics games. Football is the most respected and upraised game by the local people in the city. They have both a historical and cultural attachment to the game, and it represents their brand. There are four major football clubs in the region which include Fluminense, CR Vasco da Gama, Clube de Regatas and Butafogo de Futebol (tourist2townie.com). There are other football clubs and academy which help in the promotion of the game in the city. For the tourists, there are multiple sports to enjoy especially on the terrain surrounding the city and the extensive beaches. For instance, white water rafting is one of the most enjoyed game by the tourists, and it mainly happens in rivers that surround the city. On the ocean, people try sports such as the kayaking and parasailing among other sports.
Architecture
Mostly, Rio de Janeiro is mainly known for its natural resources and beauty, but various architectural backgrounds are rather breathtaking. One such artist is the Catedral Metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro which was built between 1964 and 1979, and it is dedicated to St. Sebastian. Another spectacular architectural display is the Vista Chinesa which is a monument that stands 780 meters in the Tijuca Forest. Its origin dates back to the 19th century. Most of the architectural backgrounds are a representation of the Portuguese culture which was spread during the colonial period. For instance, the Royal Portuguese reading room was a building that was built in the 1880s, and it is the largest Portuguese literature collection outside of Portugal (Brown).
Religion
Religion is the city is rather diverse. However, the most dominant is Christianity (Oosterbaan, 2). The city forms a richly spiritual society which can be traced from the meeting of the meeting of the local people with the African slaves and the Roman Catholic from Europe. It has been a significant hub during the Portuguese colonization of the country, there was a rapid development of a diverse array of syncretistic practices which had the variables of all the people who interacted in the region. However, Catholicism was the most dominant religion in the city, and most of the resident consider themselves as Catholics. The dominance of Catholicism can be confirmed by the Redeemer statue on the Corcovado hill in the city. It is a symbol that shows the religious inclination of the people.
References
Belen, Nelson. “Brazil Received Record Number Of International Tourists In 2017 | The Rio Times | Brazil News”. The Rio Times, 2018, http://riotimesonline.com/brazil-news/rio-business/brazil-received-record-number-of-international-tourists-in-2017/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Brown, Sarah. “7 Foods You Have To Eat In Rio De Janeiro.” Culture Trip. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 July 2018. https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/7-foods-you-have-to- eat-in-rio-de-janeiro/
Brown, Sarah. “An Architectural Guide To Rio De Janeiro.” Culture Trip. N.p., 2018. Web. 20 July 2016. https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/an-architectural-guide- to-rio-de-janeiro/
Dobbins, Jeff. “Rio De Janeiro: Savor Carioca Culture – Adventures In Culture”. Adventures In Culture, 2018, http://adventuresinculture.com/rio-de-janeiro-carioca-culture/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
footballhistory.org. “The History Of Football (Soccer)”. Footballhistory.Org, 2018, https://www.footballhistory.org/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
http://tourist2townie.com. “Brazil Football: Things To Know About Soccer In Rio De Janeiro”. Travel Deeper With Gareth Leonard | Tourist2townie.Com, 2018, http://tourist2townie.com/culture-food/brazil-football-things-to-know-about-soccer-in-rio-de-janeiro/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Lovejoy, Bess. “11 Fun Facts About Rio”. Smithsonian, 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/11-fun-facts-about-rio-180954485/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Maia, Maria. “The 10 Most Beautiful Buildings In Rio De Janeiro”. Culture Trip, 2017, https://theculturetrip.com/south-america/brazil/articles/the-10-most-beautiful-buildings-in-rio-de-janeiro/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Oosterbaan, Martijn. “Transposing Brazilian Carnival: Religion, Cultural Heritage, and Secularism in Rio de Janeiro.” American Anthropologist 119.4 (2017): https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/aman.12930
rio.com/. “Caipirinha And Other Popular Drinks In Rio De Janeiro”. Gringo-Rio, 2018, http://www.gringo-rio.com/food-and-nightlife-in-rio/food-in-rio/caipirinha/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Riodejaneiro.com. “Rio De Janeiro Geography – Climate, Weather, Temperature”. Riodejaneiro.Com, 2018, https://www.riodejaneiro.com/v/geography/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Telegraph. “Rio De Janeiro”. The Telegraph, 2018, https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/south-america/brazil/rio-de-janeiro/. Accessed 22 July 2018.
Xavier, Helia Nacif, and Fernanda Magalhães. “The case of Rio de Janeiro.” Understanding slums: case studies for the Global Report on Human Settlements (2003): 21-24. https://www.ucl.ac.uk/dpu-projects/Global_Report/pdfs/Rio.pdf