Rio de Janeiro is known as the "City of God" due to its natural beauty including mountains, beaches and the iconic statue of Christ overlooking the city. The climate is warm and dry but with enough rain to avoid drought. Locals, called Cariocas, have a reputation for being fun-loving and relaxed. The document discusses the contrasts between wealth and poverty in Rio, noting that the wealthy live in luxury apartments while the poor live in favelas, or hillside slums, with over 100,000 people living in just one favela called Rocinha. It also profiles two hypothetical Cariocas with very different lifestyles.

1. Rio de Janeiro “ The City of God”

3. The beauty….

6. Why was the statue built, do you think?

7. What an amazing view – no wonder there’s so many tourists!

9. … and yet more fantastic beauty…

10. (the view, not the gorgeous model!)

11. Why did we go up the hill to the statue at night ?

15. What is this? What is it made of? What are these? Why are they there?

18. What’s this, why is it there, etc.?

19. Why did I take this photo?

20. Probably the most famous beach in the world…. The Cococabana

21. Is Brazil full of poor people?

22. Posh fashion ‘boutiques’

23. Posh hotels for rich tourists!

24. £400 pp per night!

25. From the ‘rich’ to the ‘poor’…

26. Why on the hillside?

27. There’s not just one or two!

28. The wealthier people mostly live in apartments (flats) [why?] Rio is famous for the rich and poor being right next to each other

29. This is Rocinha – one favela on one hillside – population….? … over 100 000 (about the same as Middlesbrough)

30. Why are the trees here? Why are there no ‘posh’ flats here? [clue] What’s this?

34. The millionaire cake-maker's favela house How did he make so much money in a favela? Why does he still live there?

37. OK, enough heavy stuff – how about what every Carioca loves most…..? Futebal!

38. Built for the 1950 World Cup, to seat 200 000 people!

39. They use it for internationals and big club matches between Rio teams… [Unless the away team is from Rio you don’t get many away fans – why?] Sadly, while I was there no big matches were on – just a meaningless end-of-season mid-table match….

42. Do you know which team, and how they got their name?

43. What is Mr Cooper doing? Answers on a postcard please….!

44. Did it live up to the hype?