Favelas

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Before catching our flight to Mexico we take a tour of two Favelas with Favela Tours who have an arrangement with the gang, 'Amigos da amigos' or 'friends of friends' whos territory it is. We are instructed not to photograph peoples faces as they may be gang members and we might be FBI agents or worse still for them from a rival gang. There are also certain areas that we are not allowed to photograph as they are where drug deals take place. We have safe passage through the Favelas on the tour as the last thing that the gang wants is the police coming into the Favela to investigate the mugging of a tourist. You would not want to cross the gang. If you do then for a first offence you get a verbal warning. For a second offence they chop off a piece of you, a finger for stealing of a piece of your tounge for saying something that you shouldn't have. A third offence is punishable by death, either a bullet in the head or 'Microwave oven' where the victim is wrapped in tin foil and several tyres put over thier heads. They are then doused in petrol and set alight. There is very little petty crime in the Favelas.

There are no building regulations. Homes sit higgeldy piggeldy on top of one and other, built in a variety of stlyes using whatever materials are available at time of construction. Allyways connect the homes together in a maze of tight corners, stairways, tunnels and overhanging buildings. Music bursts from bedrooms and the flicker of light from the TV splashes against neighbours walls. It is a rabbit warren. It's like nothing I have ever seen before. The tax here for businesses and homes is very small compared with the rest of Rio. Electricity is 'borrowed' fro the main powerlines via a tangle network of cables that hack into it. Satellite TV is aquired in the same way.

Rocinha is the largest Favela in Rio and has only three roads so it is very easy for the gang to control seeing everyone who enters or leaves. There are shops, bars, dentists, health centers, schools, churches and pritty much anything else that you would expect to find in a samll town. There are three banks and only one recorded attempted bank robery that was carried out by corrupt police officers and foiled when the gang leader sent his 'soliders' to protect the bank. The media was called the corrupt officers handed over to the police and Brazil heard about it on the six o clock news.

There is a strong sense of community in the favelas with many people living and working within them. We visited an after school club that is funded by an NGO and financially supported by charitable groups, one of which being the tour company with which we were visiting.

The fevelas seemed like positive, vibrant and exciting places to me. A dynamic self help comunity is building a better future for itself it is just a shame that it is overshadowed by the gangs drug dealing and all the misery that, that can bring to people.

We leave enriched by the experience to catch our flight to Mexico City. We are both a little sad to leave Rio it really is a great city it's beautiful, edgy and dark, lit with stunningly brilliant sunshine, surrounded by beautiful mountains and full of fun. I hope to return someday.

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