Meet Mr. Go-Deeper

What can one say about Rio, except that it's all true.

—Anthony Bourdain, The Nasty Bits

Rio de Janeiro is as great a city as everyone says it is. There are the pretty beaches, the verdant mountains, and the signature 130-foot-tall soapstone statue of Christ the Redeemer on a rocky crest 2,300 feet above the sea overlooking the city. There are the street-side cafes and the infectious, easygoing lifestyle of the Cariocas (which is what you call people from Rio).

One pleasant morning, a small crew of readers and I left our hotel at Ipanema beach to go on a short ride to nearby Copacabana. The main office for HRT Oil & Gas looks out over the storied beach. Here we visited with CEO Marcio Mello, which was one of the highlights of the trip.