Rio Boat Show 2009

A few nights ago I had the opportunity to attend the Rio Boat Show. It was a very classy event held at the Rio’s premier Gloria Marina, complete with an unveiling of a new Lazzara LSX 92 for the first time in Brazil. It retails for a cool $4 million – that’s US dollars. Vendors sold everything from sunglasses to onboard generators to food and beverages.

Touring some of the larger boats was most comparable to house shopping. I would enter a kiosk that had been constructed earlier in the day. Most were trendy chic glass rooms with very attractive female greeters who stood behind computers and introduced us to salesmen. Then, after being offered a beverage of your choice from the open bar, we would tour the yachts. Pretty sweet indeed.

It was a strange juxtaposition leaving the show and returning home. The gap between the rich and poor is quite a large and nearly impassable one.