"Cariocas nascem bambas,
Cariocas nascem craques..."
Adriana Calcanhoto,
na m·sica "Cariocas"
(cariocas.wav -576 kb)

Doris Kosminsky

Cariocas, those who were born in Rio de Janeiro are considered the most smartest Brazilians. Every carioca likes to keep his fame as a trickster, the person who always wins, of course, with little effort. The other ones are the dupes. They don't have the carioca's shrewdness. After all, there have spent years at the beach, between their beach-friends. Great friends. Only, no one has ever been in each other's home. Not due to a lack of an invitation such as: "Show up at home...", "What are you going to do tonight?", "Let's meet", "Call me".

This is the carioca. The one who will prepare a special dinner for you, but never make the appointment. The one who says he will call you, but won't ask for your number. The one who will meet you by chance and celebrate the occasion. So, the carioca is a liar? Never say that. Whenever the carioca says he will call you, he really wants to call you, but then... Ah, then so many things happen... The beach was wonderful, coming back home he stopped at a bar, he arrived home late, or a friend just showed up. After all, there was a dinner at an old friend of college friend's place. So, you can imagine, can't you?

If we begin to think of the reasons why the people who live in Rio are so carioca, we begin to find some explanations. First of all, it's clear that Rio de Janeiro is one of the most beautiful cities in Brazil, if not the most. It's a city in complete accord with nature, where you can find wonderful beachs, mountains and even a forest. Rio de Janeiro had been Brazil's capital for years, and even though it doesn't have the greatest number of rich people, it still keeps its charm due to those who make news and introduce new fashions. It's a cultural city. You may say that it's our Hollywood. Here live the most beautiful people in Brazil. After all, in how many cities you can see such beautiful people wearing bikinis and bathing suits? You must know Rio to understand it. But, know it deeply, introduced by people who live there and love it. By the way, what are you going to do next weekend? Why don't you show up? I can show you the best places, you will love it. Do you agree? All right, but call me first, ok?

Meanwhile, try:
Rio Tourist Information
Global Online Travel
Ipanema.com