South America ’23

"That guy gives me the shits. He's got a 9mm and a walkie-talkie and he thinks he's tough."

That was the first sentence from our guide through the favela after getting out off the taxi in reference to a guy standing near us asking where we're going. Welcome to a Rio Favela. Just after hearing the story of a shoot out that morning where the taxi driver lived, a young guy shot in the head. What were we doing!

What we didn't do was warm up our legs, as we headed steeply up a road and then up a set of stairs into our guide's home. Meeting his wife that had been cooking all morning, just for us. As we get to the third floor of this home, the view opened up to this ironically million dollar view of Rio. There were sat and waited for the sun to rise by ourselves while we feasted on pancakes, bacon, fruit, fruit salad, cheese, ham, bread, strawberry juice, coffee, yoghurt, eggs, and pastries... Looking at each other and laughing as we say "what is even happening right now?!"

After breakfast it was time for the tour of the favela. This Favela was on the side of a relatively steep hill. Limited government services and amenities around. But the people on the windy thin streets going about their day, off to their day of work. Truely the backbone of the city but without the minimum living standards you'd expect from your government to provide.

Our guide Henry had lived in the favela for 12 years and was an activist to the community, one of the reasons why I wanted to go with him. I knew my money was going to bettering the community, not just pictures on my phone and a tour companies pocket.

We were taken to a community garden, reclaimed from a trash pile they turned this into a beautiful area of plants and pond. Not to mention the view.

Rounding out of the garden we walked up some stairs back towards the road. Just before we arrived a man came running in front of us from the street into a side ally beside us. Hanging off his shoulder a type of SMG or Uzi. Moments later we see why, as a police vehicle rounds the corner in the road.

Continuing the path through the houses on top of houses we talk about the problems and issues causing the favelas. Sanitation being one of them, as we enter a grade 1 and 2 school to the smell of raw sewage from the storm water drain beside the school.

No building code required here, as we see the fresh slapped together brickwork holding these places together. How they even stay standing makes you wonder.

We entered into a area that someone had dedicated a lot of time to make as beautiful as possible for the kids. Because the rest of the places was no where you'd want your kid to play. Brightly painted walls with art and a little playground.

Inside Vidigal is a tiny church. A church that was going to be knocked down, but before the area became a favela it was visited by Pope Benedict. He said the area was too beautiful to knock this church down and blessed it by leaving his papal ring. I wonder what he would say if he saw it today.

Cutting through an area, there were a bunch of guys sitting around. Casually saying good morning in Portugese as we walked though like it was completely normal. But each of them holding assult rifles and one of them even had two walkie-talkies, so I knew he must have been important. Later to find out he was recently made #3 on the heirachy because he took out the previous #3 for doing a poor job. Just another guy for that guy it seemed, since apparently he already had 50 to his name. Who knows if it's true or not, but it makes for a good story. The only thing I knew was true were the guns.

How good was that sun rise though? LolLes mer