SPORTS enthusiasts who follow competitive events have a busy time ahead. News of the Island Games in Rhodes from June 30 to July 6 will almost merge into the Pan American Games set for Brazil from July 13 to 29.Those bound for Rio de Janeiro will face a culture shock far different than anyone bound for Greece. A surprising number of Greeks have spent time working in the US, then returned home to retire with their Social Security cheques forwarded there.

As a result, English is far more widely spoken. In the Rhodes countryside one encounters a simpler life, but not an impoverished one as they’ll see in parts of Brazil.

In Greece, it seems to be a rare resident who doesn’t have a brother, cousin, uncle, classmate or friend who is now, or has been working overseas in an English-speaking country.

On my first trip to Rhodes attending a travel journalists’ convention, all participants wore badges. Mine said ‘Chicago Tribune columnist’ and an amazing number of residents and shopkeepers commented they had once lived in the Chicago area.

To my amazement, one still subscribed to the Trib and was familiar with our weekly column. I thought the comment suspect, until she referred to the last few columns specifically.

That region’s ancient architects were so advanced they not only built one of the world’s seven ancient wonders, The Colossus of Rhodes, but an archaeologist’s dream of treasures dating back millenniums.

Don’t expect anything like that in Brazil. That massive country, as large as the United States’ 50 states, sprawls over almost half of South America. It’s isolated not only geographically but in many other ways . . .which, of course, is part of its fascination.

These comparisons are certainly not intended to suggest any lack of appeal. It’s a spellbinding place, scenically, culturally and historically.

But it’s almost a polar opposite to what travellers will find on Rhodes, whose history dates back to 408 B.C. That fabled Greek island had a renowned school of philosophy so sophisticated and acclaimed, it attracted Cicero and Julius Caesar as students.

At the other end of the world, Brazil attracted European explorers intent on expanding their empires. What they found on arrival in 1502 was a jungle frontier so dense and impenetrable that some areas remain barely explored, even today. That, too, is very much a part of its lure.

The diversity of its geography, widely scattered attractions and unique culture are probably unlike anything the average visitor has ever encountered. Residents are very friendly, personalities enthusiastic.

Some reminders of its early Portuguese settlers remain and the lucky Bermudians with some knowledge of that language will be at an advantage, although it has evolved into a sort of Creole blend of early Portuguese and various indigenous native dialects, with many world-wide nationalities now represented.

It’s always both interesting and enlightening to be able to view a country by visiting it over decades. Sometimes changes are nearly mind-boggling, others less dramatic. Often it leads to a level of over-development that drives away those once enthralled by its charms.

Brazil is hard to define. Although it’s progressed as a tourist destination and Rio is now even a growing embarkation and disembarkation port for major cruises, parts of it remain in another century.

There’s always been a high level of sophistication in Rio, glamorous shopping possibilities ranging from designer fashions to the elegant jewellery of the Stern family.

But at the opposite end of the spectrum is desolate poverty as depressing and deprived as any Third World country. There seems to be very little in between.

It’s only fair to show readers both sides of this coin. You’ve probably already heard plenty of negatives, so let’s start there and build up to the reason why it’s worth the effort.

My first visit there, again attending a travel journalist’s convention, was in 1974. An event pointing out the incredible economic disparity then, and little changed since, still stands out in my memory.

Invited to the very glittering grand opening of a new Sheraton hotel, attendees included the grandest of Rio high society — and Arthur Fiedler performing for their entertainment.

It was quite a revelation. At that time the Brazilian Navy controlled shoreline access and every other beachfront hotel in Rio was set back from the water, often across a roadway. This company apparently had very good connections and was on the beach itself.

To reach it that night, it seemed half the city’s police maintained road blocks, with tanks diverting traffic as far as 50 miles so there was ease of access for the parade of limousines.

Alighting from them was a collection of the city’s wealthiest and it soon became apparent they held themselves in extraordinary high esteem. Walking through the hotel to assorted buffets, bars and balconies, a flank of them came towards one like a wave, as though they somehow expected you to split in half so they could pass through out.

The sense of arrogance was overwhelming. A Texas journalist, who travelled in very elite circles herself, lamented what we were all feeling: “I’ve never seen so many women in $5,000 dresses and no manners.”

Hers was only one of many similar appraisals that night.

At the time, Rio had no primary sewage treatment. And that certainly became apparent our first day there, when a group suggested a swim before dinner.

My brother Jim led us over to a window in the Nacional Hotel looking up the hillside far above. A massive favella (slum) of buildings made of corrugated tin, bits of packing cases and discarded wood discharged its effluent into a stream (as did the hotel south of ours), cascading downward onto the beach where it could be observed seeping across hotel beaches.

Later, standing on a balcony above the beach at the new hotel’s gala opening, Jim asked the chain’s top executive what they were doing about sewage treatment.

“What the law requires,” was his response. Which was near zero. In this case, piping it out onto the beach.

In an article about Rio for the Chicago Tribune, Jim insisted on including the sentences: “You don’t have to be Jesus Christ to walk on water in Rio. Copacabana Beach is paved with raw sewage.”

To their credit it was printed, something they’d probably not do today for fear it might offend an advertiser. And conditions have improved since. That’s an advantage of seeing a country when it first begins to emerge, then revisiting it later when both progress, and problems, begin to evolve.

The road out to the impressive Imperial Palace, home to Portuguese royals in command in Brazil’s early years, had an aroma that left one wishing for a gas mask. But the palace and surrounding town turned out to be one of Rio’s major attractions, so you won’t want to miss it.

We don’t mean to start out on a negative note, but Brazil’s problems are well-known, its chilling crime rate much publicised. So it’s something a prospective traveller can’t ignore because they will be encountering it. Knowing what to expect can help you avoid the worst trouble spots.

In articles to come we’ll take you some places you may decide are worth the effort, taking the proper precautions to avoid complications. Keep a very low profile, stay off public buses which are often robbed, don’t wear expensive jewellery, remember there’s safety in numbers. More suggestions about that later.

For starters, a good place to get a total country overview is checking the US State Department’s web site. Type in ‘US State Department Consular Information Sheets’. They cover individual countries and are excellent. Scan down to ‘Crime’, covered very in-depth and read it carefully.

Next week: Some of Rio de Janeiro’s major sights