Finally got to do the Favela tour. I've been wanting to do this since the last time that I was in Rio. They take you to Rocinda, which is the largest Favela in Rio. It´s pretty much the wild west out here. Cops don't go in. I saw a guy with a machine gun and grenades. GRENADES. Other guys are perpetually posted at entry and exit points with these big flare shooting devices to warn the drug dealers, incase the authorities try and storm the place. Each Favela does about 3 to 6 million a month in drug trafficking. All in all, they have a pretty bad rep.
Favelas are generally on the mountain side, so the tour took us to the bottom of the mountain, and we caught a motortaxi up to the top. Motortaxis being certified lunatics riding motor bikes at stupid speeds up winding roads while dodging trucks...
Anyway, the tour was seriously amazing. Definately a highlight for me. Its truly a different world there. It is like a rabbit warren, paths everywhere. Noone pays for electricity there, they just rip it off the nearest power cord.
In the favela though, things are not what you imagine. The people are so friendly! and the kids! they love having photos taken, sometimes it was hard to get around, because little kids would grab you and beg you to take their photo...
These were the cutest little girls.
This is a wall they call the "wall of death" (or murder or something). Its where the drug dealers shoot people. The hole in the middle is a bullet hole. ADA stands for Amigos do Amigos, which Friends for Friends.
About a week before I went on the tour, some guys from the Favelas stole some heavy duty machine guns for the army! Understandably, the army wasn't so happy, so they sent their troops in. And the drug dealers tried to stop them. So all over the news, you would see pictures of favela dwellers standing on top of their buildings, branishing their machine guns.... which makes this pic kinda scary in a way.
Its not all drug dealers though. There are alot of people who hold steady, even good jobs and live in the favela because its cheaper.
There is fricking machine gun graffitti on the wall.
If there was an asian in here, it would be a benneton ad...
These were the cutest little girls.
This is a wall they call the "wall of death" (or murder or something). Its where the drug dealers shoot people. The hole in the middle is a bullet hole. ADA stands for Amigos do Amigos, which Friends for Friends. 
Its not all drug dealers though. There are alot of people who hold steady, even good jobs and live in the favela because its cheaper. 
There is fricking machine gun graffitti on the wall. 
1 Comments:
Hello,
I'm a student from Brazil and I'm working on a research project about favela tours. We're now working on the tourists's perceptions about tourism in Rocinha and were wondering if you would like to articipate as an interviewer. We could send you the questions (about 15) by email and would appreciate it if you could get back to us with any suggestions you find useful.
Thank you for your attention,
Palloma
pallomamenezes@hotmail.com
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