Life in Rio is fantastic: beautiful landscapes, plenty of hikes, more beaches in the city that you can dream of, stunning women, Cariocas (that's how you call people from Rio) are so lucky...
And then there's poverty and drugs, and that ruins it all. It's not the most dangerous place in Brazil, but dangerous enough.
I had decided to volunteer in a favela. Favelas are slums that have developped thanks to loopholes in the brazilian land property laws. In Rio, they are located on hills and have the best views in town. These hills are right within the city centers, which makes areas just around them very dangerous, because Favelas are controlled by drug gangs. Drug dealers don't want trouble, so they strive to keep their favela at peace, however, gang wars are unavoidable and extremely bloody. Drug lords being teenagers (average life expectancy for a drug lord is 24 years old), they often don't value people's lives the way we do. I have walked more than once passed kids holding rifles and guns, and I had stopped wondering whether this was legal in this country, and if not, where the police was... Police can't do much in a war zone, and the army was only sent there when politicians were visiting. Too risky otherwise.
And then there's poverty and drugs, and that ruins it all. It's not the most dangerous place in Brazil, but dangerous enough.
I had decided to volunteer in a favela. Favelas are slums that have developped thanks to loopholes in the brazilian land property laws. In Rio, they are located on hills and have the best views in town. These hills are right within the city centers, which makes areas just around them very dangerous, because Favelas are controlled by drug gangs. Drug dealers don't want trouble, so they strive to keep their favela at peace, however, gang wars are unavoidable and extremely bloody. Drug lords being teenagers (average life expectancy for a drug lord is 24 years old), they often don't value people's lives the way we do. I have walked more than once passed kids holding rifles and guns, and I had stopped wondering whether this was legal in this country, and if not, where the police was... Police can't do much in a war zone, and the army was only sent there when politicians were visiting. Too risky otherwise.
I worked as a maths and french teacher for children from 9 to 11 years old, and it felt great keeping this bunch of 15 kids off the streets. Parents don't have time to take care of them as they need to work to make a living. But to be honest, walking down the narrow streets of Rocinha (largest favela in South America, 250,000 habitants), in fact so narrow that sometimes you had to walk sidewards, did not feel safe in any way. I was happy to go back home every day, to the comfort of my flat in Copacabana.The Washington Post has a great article about the favela I worked in. Check http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/15/AR2007041501085.html.
The view from the Rocinha favela.
Mind you, the beach of Copacabana isn't safe at night either, an italian tourist had been killed a few months before I arrived in Rio. Copacabana is one of the safest neighboorhoods of Rio. In Ipanema (the safest beach in town), in August, an 18 years old celebrity was shot dead in the back by a bodyguard outside a club in Ipanema during an argument in which he was not involved...
Such a beautiful city, such mixed feelings...
Now this should NOT prevent you from going to visit Rio de Janeiro!!! You're a warned traveller, so you'll know to be careful and everything will go fine. Pictures below.
Stairs in Lapa. They appeared in Snoop Dog's video "Beautiful" with Pharell.
Famous portuguese-style tile patterns, Copacabana.
All there is to see in Rio is there. Never got to see the mermaid though.
A normal day on the beach.
This was taken in the subway system in Rio. It says: wagon exclusively for women. Indeed, during peak hours, girls have their own wagons, separated from the perverts' (men) wagons, as they may and will try to take advantage of the ladies. Only in South America...
So I wore a wig and sneaked in to see if it was any different from our wagon. Nope, just the same...
Praia do Flamingo
And of course lots of Capoeira!
The view from the Rocinha favela.
Mind you, the beach of Copacabana isn't safe at night either, an italian tourist had been killed a few months before I arrived in Rio. Copacabana is one of the safest neighboorhoods of Rio. In Ipanema (the safest beach in town), in August, an 18 years old celebrity was shot dead in the back by a bodyguard outside a club in Ipanema during an argument in which he was not involved...
Such a beautiful city, such mixed feelings...
Now this should NOT prevent you from going to visit Rio de Janeiro!!! You're a warned traveller, so you'll know to be careful and everything will go fine. Pictures below.
Stairs in Lapa. They appeared in Snoop Dog's video "Beautiful" with Pharell.
Famous portuguese-style tile patterns, Copacabana.
All there is to see in Rio is there. Never got to see the mermaid though.
A normal day on the beach.
This was taken in the subway system in Rio. It says: wagon exclusively for women. Indeed, during peak hours, girls have their own wagons, separated from the perverts' (men) wagons, as they may and will try to take advantage of the ladies. Only in South America...
So I wore a wig and sneaked in to see if it was any different from our wagon. Nope, just the same...
Praia do Flamingo
And of course lots of Capoeira!
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