Tips about Rio from a Brazilian - Rio de Janeiro - TravBuddy

I have been to Rio many times, and even though I am from Brazil, I am a tourist as well in Rio since I have never lived there. Rio is a fascinating city with lots and lots to do.
Here are my recommendations:

1) Stay at Barra or Leblon or Ipanema. Copacabana is a tourist trap with many shady characters.
2) Eat a lot at breakfast, since they are really good and complete. You can almost skip lunch then.
3) Leave any valuables in the hotel. Carry just enough money that won't matter so much if you are robbed. Do not wear any valuable jewelry or watch. Just costume jewelry, cheap watches.
4) At the beach, go with the minimum. If you take with you a digital camera, make sure someone will be watching over it when you take a dip in the ocean.
5) The beaches are beautiful, white and soft sand, very clean, wide and flat. Just perfect. Enjoy the scenery and the men and women in skimpy swimwear.
6) Do not do topless (women). Brazilians do not like it, it is not considered classy. If you take your top off, be prepared to have a cop asking you to cover up.
7) Also do not wear g-strings. The bikinis are very small, tucked in (if you know what I mean), but they are not strings. Men wear speedos, not too tiny either. Some men wear shorts and just a few wear the ridiculous long bermudas Americans like (because of silly homophobia).
8) Do not look at beach vendors if you are not interested or they will bug you.
9) If you like rally racing, rent a car. If not, just take taxis. You gotta be a really good driver to drive in Rio.
10) Do the Christ and the Sugar Loaf for the most memorable views.
11) If you like seeing poor people, do the favela tour.
12) Go to the sand dunes, rent a buggy and have fun.
13) Visit the Floresta da Tijuca
14) Go to Lapa just once for local characters. The place is not nice but it is exotic. It is the old Rio.
15) For the young crowd: Nuth nightclub at Barra. Gorgeous young people.
16) Ipanema for restaurants. Copacabana for walking along the beach sidewalk and people watching. Beware of your pockets though.
17) Ipanema for shopping. Especially Visconde do Piraja.
18) Barrashopping for cheap and varied shopping. Beautiful shoes, bags, clothes.
19) Eat at Porcao in Ipanema. Wonderful churrasco (but the US has many churrascarias right now with similar quality and service).
20) Run by the beach or rent a bike. Wonderful feeling.
21) Visit Petropolis (mountain city near Rio), Angra dos Reis (little islands 2 hours from Rio) and Buzios (little hip beach city 2 hours to the North).