Life in the favela

I had mixed feelings about a favela tour. I didn´t want to be a typical gringo, gawping at those less fortunate as if they were animals in a zoo. It was only when I learned that the money we contribute is used by NGO´s to support the favela, that I justified the trip. Besides, I reasoned, you can´t ignore something that is intrinsically such a huge part of life in Rio. Just sweep it under the carpet while we carry on enjoying life in well-to-do Ipanema.

The tour started with a hair-raising motorbike taxi ride, dodging and weaving trucks, buses and cars at breakneck speed up to the very top. Rocinha is a sprawling hillside neighbourhood. The biggest favela in South America.

The narrow network of streets were designed that way, apparently, to make police evasion easier. People on lookouts inform of police arrival with use of flares. However, we were told that incidents between law enforcers and residents occur on a daily basis. And usually involve guns.

We were given one rule; do not take photos of men with guns or walkie talkies. Dealers do not take kindly to being imortalised in a gringo´s holiday pics. We started a rapid decent (didn´t do to dawdle) through one of the main arteries of the favela (street 1) It was hard to imagine this narrow, dark, dirty, rubbish, excrement-filled passageway as a main street. The stench of open sewer clawed at my throat and as I stepped in puddles of unidentified liquids, I wished I had worn something more practical than flip-flops.

Drugs earn the favela between $US 1-3 million a month, by which time half a tonne of cocaine has changed hands. The ADA (amigo de amigos) are the controlling gang. Disputes among rivals are common.

Other than that, life carried on as normal. People enjoyed the benefits of electricity and running water. Most have mod cons and government subsidised cable TV. The locals were friendly and welcoming. We visited a gallery, a bakery (keen to capitalise on a recent visit from Lenny kravitz, they sold ´Kravitz bread pudding´) and saw where our money went when we visited a nursery. Adorable, smiling, happy little faces made me sad as i realised that many of their parents couldn´t afford to look after them and couln´t help wondering what their future might hold. Decent education is a priviledge of the rich.

Despite this, the sky was full of evidence of children enjoying their holidays. Kites twitched and fluttered over the multitude of decripit roof tops, some kids taunted us with the only English vocab they knew ´Gringo´, ´money´, ´photo´.....

Really glad I came but left, intrigued wanting to experience and learn more frustrated by the fact the only (safe) way to do so is on the internet.....