World's Happiest City?
The city lies beneath the shadow of a 38 meter tall statue of Jesus. The coastal mountains almost look as if they are popping out of the Atlantic Ocean. And let's not forget the 46 miles of sandy white beach front property.
Plus, the people that live there refer to their city as "la Cidade Maravilhosa" which means the Marvelous City. Beautiful, right? (don't ask me to pronounce that)
And then there's the city's annual carnaval (spelled the Portuguese way), the BIGGEST party across the globe!
Now I feel like boarding the first flight: destination Brazil, how about you? Unfortunately that's not an option for me, so instead I want to talk about an article I found on Forbes.com this month.
Rio de Janeiro was voted the world's #1 Happiest City in the world. Now, I'm not sure how they declared this but I just want to point out a few things. Rio de Janeiro has some of the worst crime rates across the world.
It's so bad, that when you look at travel pamphlets and websites they have bold warnings about which areas of the city you visit. The travel websites recommend tourist stick to the beaten path and not wander off. But, isn't that the best part of travelling? Finding a spot that's not crowded with photo-snappers and fanny-pack seniors?
Okay okay, so I understand Forbes.com was most likely talking about the people that live in the Brazilian city. But, is the substantial amount of poverty stricken areas in Rio de Janeiro a secret? Ohhhhh, I see, the reason behind the city's SUPERIOR happiness is the GIGANTIC party they throw every year which brings over a million tourists to the beautiful city. But does an extreme amount of indecent exposure, sex and drugs equal happiness?
I guess that's for you to decide..
I know it's a lot of babbling, but I guess I'm just curious how the city claimed its HAPPY title.
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