Post: #1

I spent some time in Rio De Janeiro and one the most memorable experiences was walking around a favela. Favelas are the shantytowns usually on hilltops where the land is considered unsafe and the settlements are illegal. The movie City of God is about life in a Rio Favela, if any of you have seen it.

My purpose in posting this thread is to share a unique experience. I do not think the drug lords are good guys. I posted this thread believing there is a general acknowledgment that people who kill are bad and so I focused on why the residents and its drug lords make Rocinha such an interesting place. They do this through creating their own sense of order. But this entire topic can be a bit touchy as favela life is not so simple. I am not making any moral claims...just showing my brief experience with Rio Favelas. For a great detailed explanation you can read this article.
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa...tBody;col1



We began the tour at the bottom of the favela where we hopped on the back of some motorcyle taxis to ride to the top of the favela, a city within a city of more than 200,000 people.



We exited and were met with this monstrosity. Apparently most people just make there own tappings on to the overhead lines for electricty.



The water is also turned on every 3 hours so that people who can not afford water can fill up for free.

The favela we visited, Rocinha, is the largest favela in Rio and we were told was run by different gangs involved in drugs.

We began our walk down the narrow alleys.


Visited a neat art studio


Some kids banging on cans for some extra money

Post: #2

Our group walking single file down the streets






I have no idea what this girl was on about?



Dinner!



As you can see I made some nice friends





Chickens running amok

Post: #3

Kites were pretty popular. children flying kites used to be a common sight in the favelas as a way to communicate with drug dealers. They don’t need to rely on kites anymore, because they have cell phones, radios and firecrackers. Firecrackers are used as the first warning signal, which I heard once while we were there.



Open sewers


Corner Store



Friendly Carioca





This was an overall positive experience and a fascinating opportunity to see something completely different.

Post: #4

It didn't end there though.

Another day I attended a July party with some friends and a woman we met through Couchsurfing. A July party is more of a traditional neighborhood block party. Everyone from the neighborhood goes to theirs, held in their neighborhood Samba school. They eat traditional food like Fejioa, drink capirinhas, and dance to live music.







Still not over....

I led a group of 12 tourists into a favela to go to a big funk party in the favela. To give some perspective, tourists pay a tour company over $50 for this service.



The sparklers always catch everyone's attention, creating a fog that makes it nearly impossible to see 5 feet in front. At the same moment the DJ blasts the music even louder playing a series of catchy dance songs followed by Brasilian funk music.









At one point during the night, the MC collects a mix of 20 people and stops the music. Each person is individually forced on stage and the MC forces each to put on a show. Some strip down to their panties and bra to perform the type of dance one expects in a go-go bar.



My two favorite performances consisted of an awkward Irish guy forcefully grabbing the microphone from the MC to rap. In the middle of it all he falls flat on his face as he tries out a new dance move he events on the spot.

Post: #5

Men dancing without shirts in their undies was a normal sight.



So that is pretty much my experience with the favelas in Rio. If anyone has any questions I am happy to answer them.

Post: #6

Great pics man.

Was this some kind of tour, or did you just take your camera and start shooting pics?

Post: #7

wish those pics were still up

Post: #8

Can't see the photos!!!

Post: #9

The pictures of me outdoors were taken on a tour during the day. They are pretty popular tours that tons of backpackers choose to do. I went to the parties myself, without a tour.

I posted this on another forum and they ate up all the bandwidth so they won't be up till the end of the month I think.

Post: #10

(10-21-2008 08:05 PM)jmb Wrote:  The pictures of me outdoors were taken on a tour during the day. They are pretty popular tours that tons of backpackers choose to do. I went to the parties myself, without a tour.

I posted this on another forum and they ate up all the bandwidth so they won't be up till the end of the month I think.

Looking forward to the photos. I badly want to go to Rio. I may before the end of the year. So do you have a particular favela you'd recommend visiting? Or a particular favela tour? And how did you find the parties? From just walking around?

And how easy was it to hook up with the girls, did you need a lot of game to get laid there??

Post: #11

The most popular tour company with Backpackers is called "Be A Local", http://www.bealocal.com/, which you will have no trouble getting hold of if you stay in a hostel. They pretty much have a monopoly amongst the backpacking crowd. They will take you into Rocinha, the largest favela in Rio and it was well worth visiting.

Lots of backpackers also book a tour with "Be A Local" to take them to the Favela Funk parties. They charge out the ass for this so I asked the name of the favela funk party and which favela it is in, gathered a bunch of people and 3 taxis. I just told the driver the address and he took us there. Taxis wait outside when its over so you will have no problem getting back. For reference, its called Castello Das Pedras in the favela, Rio Das Pedras.

I'll post my advice about hooking up with girls later but I think Roosh probably had better success and can give the best advice.

Post: #12

The favela funk parties are more expensive than upscale clubs here.

I missed the photos before the bandwidth exceeded.

Post: #13

Quote:I missed the photos before the bandwidth exceeded.

Post: #14

Can someone explain to me what these "funk parties" are about? Is it funk music like we are familiar with in the U.S.? Is it a street party? Or inside a venue? Paint a picture of what one of these is like.

Post: #15

Here ya go!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Dd1P3VSuww

Post: #16

That looks wild. Are those kind of chics down there cool when approached? I know that girls that look like that here in the states will give you visual daggers if you even looked like you were going to approach them. It seems like hot girls in the U.S. don't even want to be talked to when they go out, they just dance in little circles of other girls and freak each other like attention whores.

Post: #17

great pictures, I thought it wasn't recommended to travel to the favelas? Esp if you are a gringo?

Post: #18

Ah finally get to see them. Yes, good photos.

So what did you think of the overall safety during your time in Brazil? I've heard people say they had no issues, and I've met people who have been violently robbed more than once in the same trip. Was it uncomfortable to have to pull out your camera in the favela?

Post: #19

Where is here? DC? I was able to go to the favela funk for $20 reals roundtrip (shared taxi) + $5 reals entrance + something like 2 reals/beer.

Post: #20

(10-28-2008 10:07 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  That looks wild. Are those kind of chics down there cool when approached? I know that girls that look like that here in the states will give you visual daggers if you even looked like you were going to approach them. It seems like hot girls in the U.S. don't even want to be talked to when they go out, they just dance in little circles of other girls and freak each other like attention whores.

I never really approached any of them to be honest. But Brazilian men are really aggressive (as in i something saw men force women to make out with them until they managed to get away) so I think they are probably more receptive to the casual gringo approach.

Most girls there are pretty much dancing facing forward by themselves until a guy starts grinding with them.

Post: #21

(11-10-2008 03:27 PM)james Wrote:  great pictures, I thought it wasn't recommended to travel to the favelas? Esp if you are a gringo?

Well yeah, its not safe to go into a favela without knowing someone is most cases. But in my circumstances, I am pretty certain it was pretty safe (went with a tour group into the favela during the day, went with a women who lives in the favela for that July party, and took a taxi straight into the favela that dropped us outside the disco which always gets a ton of gringos to go).

Post: #22

(11-10-2008 11:24 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  Ah finally get to see them. Yes, good photos.

So what did you think of the overall safety during your time in Brazil? I've heard people say they had no issues, and I've met people who have been violently robbed more than once in the same trip. Was it uncomfortable to have to pull out your camera in the favela?

I also hear its pretty hit or miss. I personally experienced no issues at all. As a tourist, you are pretty much going to be in the nicer areas, which feel like any other city you have ever been to. As in, you can walk around around with few worries.

Now, a lot of Brazilians always claim that its incredibly dangerous. But I think if you live there long enough you are bound to hear some horror stories which is probably where a lot of that comes from.

The people I am going to mention did not deserve any of this. I did come across a couple who were held up at knife point watching the sunset on Copacabana beach. But anyone with a common sense knows that to stay away from Copacabana beach at night. Or the guy who was robbed of all his belongings. But again, he was a 70+ year old guy carrying a huge backpack on a bus at midnight. Doing stupid shit like that can get you in trouble...but it won't happen unless you lack common sense. Again, they do not deserve those things to happen to them but they really put themselves in those bad situations.

Post: #23

(11-13-2008 01:15 AM)jmb Wrote:  Most girls there are pretty much dancing facing forward by themselves until a guy starts grinding with them.

Yeesh, so in IOW just like any club in the USA. And I was hoping you were going to tell me hot bronze beauties were throwing their panties at you the second you stepped off the plane. Oh well....

Post: #24

Nice Pics man!

Post: #25

Can't wait to experience it for myself. I think paying $50/$20 is nothing if it buys you a degree of safety. How did Edward Norton in the second Hulk film manage to live peacefully in the favelas?
I still certain all the truly stunning supermodel giselle look-a-likes go to trendy exclusive bars and clubs.