Protests in Rio de Janeiro, a Traveler’s Perspective

The chanting started just after dessert. We left our apple creme brûlées to join the wait staff at the windows. Less than 100 feet away from the restaurant, a growing crowd of people chanted, shook tambourines and sang. The explosions and fires were still a few minutes away. Looking back on our second day in Rio de Janeiro, there were signs the city was preparing for something.