What nobody tells you about visiting Brazil

After a lot of research I thought I knew what to expect from Brazil. Some things matched: Christ the Redeemer is as spectacular as every review says, and Manaus has a genuine energy I'd read about. The açaí bowl obsession is completely justified.

What I wasn't prepared for: warm and exuberant people. That element genuinely surprised me and added something I hadn't seen in any review. Also: vast country is expensive to travel internally. That part the reviews undersell. Overall a wonderful trip — just a more layered experience than I anticipated.