When I first looked into booking the travel to Brazil, I tried to find the least expensive tickets with the fewest connections. Ultimately, the trip that appealed to me the most was a trip from Atlanta to Salvador with a stop in Rio de Janeiro. This trip was not the shortest trip but it had the fewest connections and was a relatively good price. The biggest challenge was that the trip had a 9 hour layover both ways. I knew that we could possibly go into Rio de Janeiro even if only for a brief time with this layover. Thanks to our caring friends in Salvador, both Fred and Clara, we were able to organize a 4 hour trip into Rio on our way back to the states. Two things hit me upon arriving in Rio (which I had only been to once before about 15 years ago): it is immense and it is very different from Salvador. That shouldn’t surprise me as I would say that about two different cities in the United States. However, the trip into Rio de Janeiro made me realize why I like taking students to Salvador. Salvador is a city that will wrap its arms around you, give you a grande abraço and you will come away with a different perspective on things (at least it is like that for me). Perhaps I feel this way in part because of all the wonderful people that I have come to know there. I also believe it is part of Bahian culture and style that separates it from other parts of Brazil.
Nonetheless, our trip to Rio (and 4 hours away from GIG airport) was a great time. And I was finally happy to rest once we all arrived back in Atlanta safely!