There are some reasons why Rio and the "cariocas" are considered unique. Rio is a happy city and its happiness can be seen in its people, music, food and at the beach, of course...

Cariocas

The term Carioca, as locals call themselves, is a Tupi Indian term (kara'i oca), that means "white house", or "house of whites". That's how they called the houses built by the Portuguese. For some reason, eventually the Portuguese started thinking of themselves as Cariocas.

You don't have to be born in Rio to be a Carioca. All you have to do is relax into the city lifestyle, and soon you will become one. There are some basics you should learn first, though, if you want to make friends with locals, that is:

Try to speak Portuguese. Even a minimal effort will help tremendously.

Learn that time is a flexible concept in Rio. Unless you are talking business meetings, half an hour late means on time. If you don't understand this, you will live on the verge of a nervous breakdown while in the city, sure that everybody is trying to leave you behind.

Brazilians are not Hispanic, but they share many Latin traces with their cousins. Cariocas have nothing against touching each other: two kisses on the cheeks is how most boys and girls greet in informal situations.

No matter how urban and sophisticated your new Brazilian friends may seem, chances are they follow a soap opera . Turn your set to Rede Globo anytime between 6 and 9 p.m. to see what we are talking about.

Other common trait is an inherent love for soccer, that was adapted even to the volleyball net. At the beaches many athletes practice what is known as foot-volley, where you are not allowed to touch the ball with your hands.

Samba, the Carnival beat, is still a favorite - even if under some alternative label as axe-music or pagode.

The country has an incredible ethnic diversity. Almost everybody shares in common Portuguese, African and Indian roots. Waves of immigrant from Europe and Asia also contributed with different accents and customs.

With the urban favelas, working class communities on hills, learning to share space with people with different cultural and social values is a survival skill. At the beach it is hard to tell if the beauty in the bikini or the sun-kissed Adonis came from one of the US$1 million apartment across the street, or from a shack in the nearby hill.

If you want to learn more about Cariocas, maybe even try to become one, check out a very funny book called "How to be a Carioca". The author, Priscilla Ann Goslin, a US-born Carioca, as she calls herself, can teach you everything you need to belong while you are in Rio!