Rio has some stunningly beautiful sights such as the Corcovado Christ Statue, Sugar Loaf Mountain, the mountains rising out of the ocean, and the numerous sandy beaches. It is famous for its "Cariocas" who can teach the world about partying, its football, and of course the Samba. But, it is also a city of contrasts. About 20 per cent of its 5.6 million population live in the "favelas", or slums, which are compared to East LA or the Bronx. We felt it was important to see this part of Rio as well in order to fully understand what life in Rio is like.
If you saw the film "City of the Gods", you will know about the violence, the drug gangs, and the crime of the favelas, but there is another side to life there and this is what we experienced. We visited Rocinha, the largest of the 800 favelas where about 300,000 people live. Picturesque from the distance, the houses are quite simple. We walked through the narrow paved streets, ducked down even narrower lanes, visited the shops, a market, and learned about the programs aimed at giving those who grow up there an opportunity to find jobs and avoid the inevitable drug scene. Many people go to work every day in the surrounding part of Rio and come home to the favela at night. The Samba Schools provide the opportunity to dance, do crafts, etc. for part of the year, and the remaining half of the year is devoted to sports programs. We visited a craft centre and saw their schools. It seems like an almost impossible task, but thanks to many committed people, slow progress is being made.
If you saw the film "City of the Gods", you will know about the violence, the drug gangs, and the crime of the favelas, but there is another side to life there and this is what we experienced. We visited Rocinha, the largest of the 800 favelas where about 300,000 people live. Picturesque from the distance, the houses are quite simple. We walked through the narrow paved streets, ducked down even narrower lanes, visited the shops, a market, and learned about the programs aimed at giving those who grow up there an opportunity to find jobs and avoid the inevitable drug scene. Many people go to work every day in the surrounding part of Rio and come home to the favela at night. The Samba Schools provide the opportunity to dance, do crafts, etc. for part of the year, and the remaining half of the year is devoted to sports programs. We visited a craft centre and saw their schools. It seems like an almost impossible task, but thanks to many committed people, slow progress is being made.
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As storm is moving out the US into Ontario bringing snow pellets after noon, turning to freezing rain and sleet by rush hour. I'm trying very hard to see the adventure in this.
On Saturday evening, the full moon will rise out of the South Atlantic at sunset, and will be in the shadow of the Earth then or soon afterwards. Brazil is a good place to see this eclipse from. The Moon will look dark red or coppery. So don't count on bright moonlight for your evening adventures Saturday night.
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