Carmen Michael traveled all over the world and thought that nothing could surprise her. But, once in Rio, she realized that she was mistaken. The city she was going to for just a few days pulled her into its net for a whole year, and the adventures began right at the airport. Rodeos, carnivals, fiery samba and Brazilian machos swirled Carmen in a whirlpool of bright colors and impressions. She managed to enter the circles of the local aristocracy, and then sink to the very bottom, into the slums, and understand with her own eyes the diversity of life in Brazil. This book is about reckless life and what we learn about ourselves when we find ourselves in a foreign country without money and all alone.