When I took off to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil by myself, family and friends had many concerns. Thankfully, their concerns were null and void for someone that looked like me. As a black person in Brazil, I blended right in. People were super nice to me and for the most part, I felt safe. I walked around at night, rode the train and felt totally comfortable with Rio city life. Disclaimer: I'm a born and raised New Yorker, so someone from suburban or rural areas may experience a bit more of culture shock. I'd recommend that anyone traveling there, brush up on your basic Portuguese skills as you will most definitely encounter some language barriers. That being said, I would ABSOLUTELY go back. I was treated like family by the locals.