Slumdoggies (in a Jeep!)

After our trip to Sugar Loaf Mountain....we spent the afternoon on a Jeep Tour through Brazil's largest favela, Rocinha.  Favelas are underdeveloped, overcrowded settlements, many of which over time create their own organizations and become their own small communities. In other words...the poor people of Brazil (or the slums!).  Rio consists of 500 different favelas and a third of the city’s population live in these towns.

According to our local guide, these shanty communities in the hills (outskirts) of the city are where the drug lords operate.  He said to be prepared to see men with guns standing along the streets...but he also said it is a completely safe area for tourists to visit and see the day-to-day lifestyles of the locals.  Basically, mind your own business and they'll mind theirs. 

We didn't see guns or drugs, but we saw a hell of a lot of wires!  It seems the government supplies these communities with free electricity, free cable TV, and other basic utilities.  It's up to the residents to distribute all of these free services throughout their neighborhoods.  No way would any of this pass inspection or fire codes back in Anywhere, USA!  Of course, the funny thing is.....there's never been a fire in these favelas.  At least not without a little weed to go with it.

On our way back from the favela, we Jeep'd through the Tijuca National Forest.  It is one of the largest urban forests in the world, occupying 15% of the territory of the city of Rio de Janeiro.  This is a man-made forest planted by hand back in the 19th century.

Needless to say...when the sun started to go down the weather went from comfortably cool in the back of the Jeep to downright frigid up in the hills of Tijuca!  Our evening Jeep ride left us shivering past Mayrink Chapel, the Chinese Overlook, and a few monkeys looking for dinner.  Enough sightseeing today, now  j-j-j-j-j-j-ust g-g-get us b-b-back to our hotel quickly.....it's r-r-r-r-r-eeeeeeeeeally c-c-c-c-c-c-c-old back here!!!