Days of heavy rains causing floods, devastating mudslides and enormous loss of life are nothing new in Brazil. The worst floods happen mostly in northeast of Brazil, from state of Maranhão to Pernambuco and Alagoas, but ravage the entire coastal parts of Brazil all the way south to Sao Paulo, not surprisingly effecting most often the poorest communities, and last year was no exception. Rio de Janeiro, city as well as state, too were last subjected to torrential rains causing immense mudslides and tragic loss of life only a few months ago. Undeniably in most instances the worst-hit are always the favelas, the neighborhoods of the poor, built on precarious hillsides, typically without any permits and with little if any attempt by the authorities to mitigate the lurking disasters. The floods of last few days in state of Rio de Janeiro and massive loss of life in its towns of Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo are yet another jolt pointing to the lack of disaster prevention and the harsh reality of poverty in Brazil in general.

Media reports of local residents anger over slow relief efforts, government did appropriate emergency aid for the devastated communities and victims and promises to being more forceful with enforcement of where people can built, but how soon and how substantial can the affected communities and victims expect turnaround in their plight remains to be seen. With summer season of carnivals around the corner, the tragedy of the latest floods will soon be replaced another story and all will likely soon return back to the reality of life in Brazil until the next rains. Images of ravaged towns with cars piled up against mountains of remains, corpses laid in makeshift morgues and fast erected grave sites will be replaced with clips of towns staging lavish parades and all night parties with residents all smiles.

View Teresopolis & Nova Friburgo, Brazil in a larger map

For now Brazil declared three days of national mourning for the 650 plus killed in namely Teresopolis and Nova Friburgo, though reports are not hiding that that the death toll is likely to climb much higher once the final assessment of the typically dense jungle of often half finished houses can actually be made. While Brazil has become one of the top economic powerhouses of the world, with its annual growth equal only to that of China, its currency currently possibly the strongest of all, the skyline of its towns, large and small, aside of its monuments we have learnt to instantly identify, remains to be that of shanty towns engulfing skyscrapers and islands of prosperity.
In light of hosting the 2014 Soccer World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, when the world will really be watching, will the latest devastating floods spur yet more radical action by the new president to deal with all the harsh realities of life in Brazil?

First of all, if you can avoid booking a flight that arrives late in the evening, not to mention in the middle of the night, do that. Arrive during daylight hours!
There are basically only two sensible choices how to get to your hotel from the Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport of Rio:

1. Certainly by taxi but not all taxis to be had at the Rio airport are recommended. It is best not to use the ordinary taxis. They are yellow with a blue stripe. There are many of them waiting outside the airport but you could best be overcharged if you do not know the route and the driver will take you the long way to your hotel.

2. Under no circumstances you should accept an offer from a professed driver scouting right by the exit door from the Customs. These people may be drivers with a car indeed but not a taxi and you could very well end up being taken for more than just your possessions.

3. The best though not the cheapest taxi service is that offered through the taxi booths still within the airport. The names of the three well-know radio taxi companies you will come across are Coopacarioca, Centro de Taxis and Coopatur. Their charges will be at least 30% more than the yellow taxi rate, probably at least 60 to 70 Brazilian Real to Copacabana or Ipanema but they are safe. They are radio-dispatched taxis, their vehicles are white with red and yellow stripe. When you buy the ticket at the airport booth they will not use a meter but if you should happen to get into one outside, insist that the driver does turn the meter on.

4. Your last choice and also one that will save you money is the “Executivo Bus” by a company named Empresa Real. Their buses leave from right outside the arrival hall every half hour and charge is only R$6 to Zona Sul where all the beaches are. When asked they will stop at any point along the beach beachfront boulevard. The only problem is that if you still have to walk a few blocks down the street where your hotel is and have lots of luggage, their service may not be as convenient or safe, as carrying all your luggage you will stick out like a sore thumb and may possibly attract attention of an alert thief scanning the street for his next victim.

All in all, do not sweat the decision, think safety first when first arriving in Rio, or the rest of your trip may not be as happy.