Travel
Tours into the favelas (above) are an uncomfortable experience for tourists, whereas some of Rio’s other famous attractions (right) are more in line with glamorous expectations
4 black beans and list] or at a churrascoria banquet on succttlent slices ot~ roasted meats. bet‘ore heading for the nightclub district ot~ l.apa and dancing to the Bra/ilian beat ot‘ ‘t‘orro‘. To my delight I realised that a strong pottnd tneant I really cottld the Me to the lull in a city that each l5ebruary' holds its world famous. hedonistic carniyal.
llowey'er. Rio is tar t'rom a picture-perfect paradise. l lirst saw the tniles ot' sprawling. halt—built. red—brick shanty towns (t‘ayelas) whilst city-bound from the airport. It‘s a depressing spectacle. Almost 25 per cent ol cariocas reside within (i()() ot‘ these tayelas. many homes clinging precariously to the steeply t'orested hillsides that form the backdrop to Rio‘s beach districts. 'l'o suryiy'c. scores of children and youths adopt a street lite. some tttrning to petty crime and mttggings to make their way.
The contrast in lit‘estyle between Rio‘s rich and poor is staggering. In the ‘sal‘er‘ southern beach lone. whilst at'tiluent residents and tourists shop in designer boutiques or sip the juice from a t'reshly cut coconut on (‘opacabana beach. jttst blocks away. thousands liye in areas practically deyoid ol amenities including schools and hospitals. liyen t‘or heavily armed police patrols. areas can frequently be deemed ot‘t' limits. controlled instead by armed and powert'ul drug lords.
Yet. in the midst ot‘ these areas. which inspired the moyie ('t'ty' o/timl. a soy euristic t'orm ol‘ tourism has emerged. l-‘or less than £6
and. I suspected. with the tacit approyal ot‘
drttg barons. l was whisked into the strange world of the l'ayela. ()y'er two tascinating hours. our small group explored selected areas ot‘ a t‘ayela district and were given the opportunity to talk with residents who often liye out their liyes within sight or walking distance ot‘ luxury apartments surrounded by
96 THE LIST '3 .Ja"
liort Knox—like security.
By introdttcing tts and other tourists to the tlttpttllsltetl sttle til~ Rio. ltttlt' ttt‘gttttlset's hope to breakdown the perception that all layclas are crime—ridden and intimidating. lt‘s trtte that layelas contribute many ot‘ the samba participants tor carniyal and produce much ol' the talent that maintains llt‘a/il as the kings ol \yttt'ltl litttttltztll. Despite these [Ntsltl\es. on tny return to the beach I did not need to \enturc tar tront the hotel to become conscious ot' how problems in the layela manit'cst thcmsclyes in tourist areas. It can be disconcerting to be strictly ad\ised to turn lett. not right out ot~
your acconttnodation to mold trouble. to witness do/ens ol armed. surly —looking police patrolling the streets and to learn that one is best to ayoid the cheaper public buses l’or tear til~ t‘ttliliet'y.
'l‘o proclaim itselt‘ as the 'Tylzu‘yellous (‘ity' is perhaps to ignore the all too ey idenl problems
and social diyisiotts on its streets. Yet. despite its ills. Rio‘s intoxicating mix ot' all-night partying. mouth—watering t'oods. retreshing tropical drinks. and impressiye natural and historical slgltts will continue to prime irresistible to the l'.ttt‘opeatt in search ol' paradise and the Latin American spirit.