Brazilian man meets "twin brother" in Vietnam, travels halfway around the world

Mr. Ho Viet, a resident of Kon Tum, told a strange story about how he welcomed a special guest from Brazil. This meeting was completely unexpected, without any prior notice, and the reason for the meeting was also very special: "Because we saw too much resemblance".

Speaking to Tuoi Tre newspaper, Mr. Ho Viet said that on February 7, while he was worshiping the God of Wealth (January 10), he suddenly received a visit from Mr. Cyro Watari (59 years old, Brazilian nationality).

Mr. Cyro Watari from Brazil came to find Mr. Viet (combined with a trip). "He expressed his surprise when he saw someone so similar to him, so even though he was far away, he had to find a way to meet him," Mr. Viet said.

The reason Mr. Cyro Watari was able to know and find Mr. Viet's correct home address may be because Mr. Viet is an artist, content creator, YouTuber, TikToker, so the information is quite open.

The strange story did not stop there, from one surprise to another when Mr. Cyro Watari showed Mr. Viet the composite photos of the two of them. Half were photos of Mr. Viet posted on his personal Facebook page, the rest were photos of Mr. Cyro Watari. All of them were downloaded and composited by Mr. Cyro Watari himself. It was not until the two met that those photos were displayed.

Through the series of photos, the two look very similar. From the close-cropped hair, high forehead, long and white beard, dark skin... But if they only have similar features, it is not enough. Because after two days of talking together, Mr. Viet himself had to admit that the two have many similarities.

It seems that both of them share very common passions, such as love of exploring, love of mountains and forests, swimming, love of children, swimming and fishing. Through the pictures that Mr. Cyro Watari also showed, both of them also used to play paragliding, cycling, love motorbikes, SUP... "It's also very happy to have another international friend. The reason for getting to know each other because we look very similar makes this friend even more special", Mr. Viet shared.

The two-day meeting between Mr. Cyro Watari and Mr. Viet in Kon Tum was filled with surprises, laughter and endless conversations. There was almost no strangeness or border. Using their phones and automatic translation software, they both told each other about themselves, their hometowns and their cultures.

Sending his thoughts to his new friend through the phone screen, Mr. Cyro Watari said, "There is research that says that in the world, everyone has one or more people like them. However, finding them is not easy!"

Watari used to be an adventure sports instructor and ecotourist in Brazil. Two years ago, he sold all his houses, land, cars, and motorbikes and quit his job to travel around the world. For him, the experiences of his trips are more important than owning property.

In his youth, Watari rode his motorbike across Brazil and South America. He has now traveled to Japan, Thailand, Laos and Vietnam to pursue his dream of traveling across Asia.

“I am passionate about cultures, stories, food and people everywhere,” Watari said. “Thankfully, I have always had the support of my daughter and family, even when I travel alone.”

In Vietnam, Mr. Watari rented a motorbike to travel from the South to the North. The Brazilian man was impressed by the friendliness, cheerfulness and hospitality of the local people. He also enjoyed exploring traditional culture and was fascinated by local cuisine.

After Asia, the man plans to travel to Australia, New Zealand, Türkiye, Europe and Africa. "The biggest danger is just lying in bed, using your phone and watching life go by meaninglessly. Be brave to move forward even when you are scared and do the things you love while you still can," Watari said.

Sharing with Tuoi Tre Online newspaper, Mr. Viet said: "I am happy that Mr. Cyro Watari has a deep understanding, especially of culture, not only in his homeland Brazil but also in many other countries and regions in the world. I also took this opportunity to further promote Vietnamese culture and the people of the Central Highlands. After two days, he left and continued his journey of discovery."

The short article about his unexpected and special meeting with his friend Cyro Watari on Mr. Viet's personal page received more than 2,000 likes. Many people who read the article agreed that the two looked very similar.

Regarding the issue of two strangers looking alike, experts at the Josep Carreras Leukemia Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain studied (the results were published in late August 2022) pairs of unrelated people who looked alike to determine the impact of genetics and environment on their appearance.

They found that the doppelgangers in the study not only had similar faces, heights, and weights, but also shared similarities in some aspects of their behavior.

For decades, the existence of identical individuals without any family relationships has been noticed by science, but there is no scientific evidence to prove it, says researcher Manel Esteller.

Thirty-two look-alike pairs completed a questionnaire about their lifestyles and body measurements. And 16 of them had such a high percentage of facial similarity that all three algorithms identified them as “twins,” when in fact they were strangers.

In addition, the researchers also performed DNA sequence (genome) analysis, DNA methylation status, and microbiome profile analysis on saliva samples of the 16 most similar pairs and found that 9 of them had very similar DNA sequences, but differed in epigenetic DNA methylation patterns and oral microbiome profiles.

Interestingly, the most similar-looking pairs not only shared DNA, but were also very similar in behavioral traits, interests, and lifestyles, such as smoking habits. This suggests that shared genetic variation is not only related to appearance, but also influences shared habits and behaviors.

Several previous studies have compared the genomes of people with facial features, but in the general population, said researcher Esteller. The study from the Josep Carreras Leukemia Institute found that genetic markers are important in the development of the shape of the nose, lips and mouth, bone structure and skin texture.