ROCINHA FAVELA, RIO de JANEIRO, BRAZIL

A tours operator organises visits to one of the largest favelas in Rio; Rocinha, which is located on a hill near the wealthy Ipanema neighbourhood.

By motortaxi, our group made its way to the top of the hill before beginning the walk down through the narrow, winding alleyways. The ride up is an experience in itself, holding on tight while the driver zagzags between the other vehicles we passed in the steep curves.

A favela operates at arms length from the central government, therefore basic services, security and the judicial system are administered independently by the group who controls the favela. Many people patrol the area and there are countless eyes on its inhabitants and visitors alike.

Living conditions are cramped, humid and garbage abounds. The lower down the hill the housing is the cheaper the rent, due to the downward flow of water and garbage. The eyes and faces of people testify to the hardships of living in these social conditions.

Cheap rent and proximity to the city center, where most of the inhabitants work, is what keeps the majority of its people inside. The area is filled with contradictions, it's not unusual to cross people speaking on Iphones or wearing expensive clothing and the neighborhood even contains a McDonald's. It is said that millions of dollars transit through favelas every week, majoritarily from the illicit drug trade.

The Brazillian government has begun a process of reunification and is slowly taking control of Rio's favelas. The process is often difficult and rife with bloodshed but now Rocinha is well on its way to becoming a more integrated part of Rio, with improved security, hygiene and education services. Hopefully, recent efforts will lead to better opportunities for its people.

RIO de JANEIRO, BRAZIL

A quick, cheap flight from Salvador brought us strait to Rio. Brazil has excellent domestic airlines which serve most popular destinations at very low prices. We were able to book flights between major cities at costs ranging from $100 to $150 USD.  This saved us many painful 20 to 30 hour bus rides needed to cover this gigantic country.

Nestled on the coast amongst the hills topped with lush tropical vegetation, the setting of the city is impressive. The urban beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon are fantastic but after having been on the Northeast Coast for several weeks we found the water much too cold. It's all relative, right?

The south zone, which most tourist visit, is modern and affluent. Lined with countless Gringo bars and cafes it was not the image of Rio we were expecting.

We met up with our friend Rafael, who we met in Forteleza a month before, and had the chance to experience a different  Rio. After visiting the neighborhood Santa Theresa we headed for a small enclosed plaza in the center of the city near Lapa. After having made our way through a maze of alleys, crossing on the way countless small children and future footballistas, we joined the crowd who was starting to gather there at the end of the work day. Within an hour the plaza was filled with people singing along and dancing to old Samba songs being played live. The atmosphere and energy was truly special.

We finished the night in Lapa, which on Fridays transforms into an enormous street party, The next day we awoke just in time  to grab a snack at the juice bar and make it to Ipanema beach for the sunset. And so went our week in Rio...

We lost all our beautiful pictures of Rio when the bag that contained one of our memory cards got stolen in BA, but at least we salvaged this live performance from the Irish gentlemen at the hostel. Enjoy.

SALVADOR, BRAZIL

It's with a new computer in hand that we continue the blog where we last left off. Our next stop was Salvador de Bahia where we visited a friend who had lived in Montreal and few years ago and had since returned to his home town.

An old city centre with lots of history and a population who's appearance and culture resembles more that of West Africa than of Brazil, made it a completely different setting than what we had been accustomed to prior to this point.

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to see the area through a local perspective. Beaches, football, and late nights with lively and passionate people was the highlight of our stay. Famous for its Carnival, we can only imagine what the city is like when it revs up for the celebrations!

Salvador is a city with rough edges and although we just couldn’t escape feelings of tension and uneasiness while walking its streets, this was definitely the most exotic destination we encountered in the country.

JERICOACOARA, BRAZIL

Jericoacoara is like a trap, the end of the road for many. The daily movements are slow and we quickly got into the routine. First breakfast, then a day at the beach. Then came late afternoon where the wind and kite surfers came to shore and people from the village descended near the water to practice capoeira, football, etc. We opted for the beach bar, watching the sunset every night while listening to Stairway to Heaven being blasting through the speakers, coordinated with perfection to end as the sun plunges into the sea. Yeah, it's corny but quite powerful to experience!

The longer you stay the lazier you get until the thought of organizing transport to cross the sand dunes that protect the village and go back into civilization becomes unthinkable. At least until you realize you're out of cash and the nearest ATM machine is an hour away! Here's a tip, If you go to Jeri, bring lots of cash or be ready to pay 15% commission to withdraw with your VISA! And also, if you're going to be doing as much sitting around as we did, bring a cushion cause your buns really take a beating on those wooden chairs and stools.

Over the two week period we had the opportunity to meet people we greatly appreciated. The Cevicheria, was the central node, where we got to know the staff and a few faithful customers and some locals. We heard the stories of many Brazilians who had come to Jeri and established businesses, Europeans who had seen the place and decided to purchase property or pousadas to stay forever. 

It's difficult to summarize a place like this in a few lines. The ride in a dune buggy (especially the adventurous return at high tide), sand covered streets, the surrounding fresh water lagoons, great restaurants and cafés, nightly caipirinha at a beach baraka… etc. All this in an area of natural beauty with a great laid back vibe, earn Jeri a well deserved place amongst the most coveted beach destinations.

FORTALEZA, BRAZIL

We had a good time in Fortalaza, but let's just say it wasn't a highlight. It's a new metropolis that sprung up quickly, with little charm or beauty. We made it a short hop between Pipa and Jericoacoara, a nice break after a 12 hour bus ride.

The pousada we stayed at, Datamar, had a French owner who just recently acquired the place. He gave us an interesting incite into Brazilian life by bringing us shopping in the city centre. Nearly all prices are advertised in monthly payments. People here purchase nearly all goods on credit. Most products sold are cheap Chinese goods, not seen for decades ago in stores back home. Brazilians are frantic shoppers, their consumption mannerisms remind us of Western consumption patterns of a few decades ago, when opulence and excess was exhibited by a new booming middle class in the 50's. Store clerks are plentiful, with nearly a dozen people waiting to serve customers in every store or restaurant.

The cultural centre, Drago do mar, was where we spent most of our time, eating outdoors and listening to live music. Temperatures are so warm during the day that most people seem only to come out at night. The further we travel north the warmer it gets. It's currently winter here and we can only imagine how hot it gets during the summer! 

In the city square we met someone from Rio who works temporarily near Fortaleza. After helping us with our Portuguese as we ordered our meal, he ended up joining us for drinks until midnight as he had to catch his plane back to Rio. He shared much insight about Rio and invited us to a local Samba party if he's in the city when we visit. The warmth and friendliness of people in Brazil has been exceptional.

ECONOMIA do BRASIL

One of the topics most often mentioned by foreigners we've met is the recent rise of the cost of living in Brazil compared to neighbouring countries. Many hotel and restaurant owners we've spoken to are particularity worried about falling tourism and about falling currencies back home, where they've kept most of their savings. Unfortunately out of the people we've met, nobody has offered an explanation besides stating that what is going on in the global economy is irrational.

PRAIA de PIPA, BRAZIL

Pipa is sold as a natural paradise for fauna and aquatic biodiversity. Pleasant weather all year round and kilometres of beaches that are not yet overdeveloped and overrun by tourist is what sets this place apart from other beach destinations further south. At the Baia de Golfinhos, you can swim with wild dolphins who come within of a meter or two. Since most Brazilians prefer to stay in shallow waters close to shore or simply in power boats, you pretty much have the dolphins all to yourself.

The Pousada Xama was mainly made up of foreigners, but again we ended up finding the only Brazilians there and hanging out with them all week. There's just many similarities between the two cultures, making it especially easy to develop friendships. We're especially grateful for their countless Portuguese lessons, despite the little progress that we made!

We're getting used to the sun setting early, it gets dark around 5 pm, as well as the random opening hours for stores and restaurants. The village had great restaurants like Pipa Cafe and Quintal, that prepared fine seafood dishes and also local eateries where we ate delicious tapiocas out of local ladies dining room.

Despite all the fun and an intro to Brazilian bikinis, which Vanessa ended up getting, we had to leave and continue making our way North but we vowed to return to the beach in a short while...

OLINDA, BRASIL

We arrived unknowingly in Olinda during a week long MIMO music festival and a Latin American sociology conference, not the best place to get some rest after a long flight and a month long frenzy surrounding our departure in Montreal.

We joined the evening parades through the old town, celebrating Brazilian Independence day and several other "festas". Gotan Project gave a show during the festival, which gave the Brazilians the chance to express their disdain of Argentinians.

One of our favourite places, Bodega Viejo sold everything from mouse traps to fine cheeses and we always began the evening there with tens of dozens locals who had refreshments and dinner out in the street. They pushed the boundaries of excessiveness when a flamethrower showed up and starting walking on a tightrope suspended above it all.

The Pousada Alto Astral was great and most local Brazilians staying there spoke French! Not much help when you're trying to learn Brazilian Portuguese but they shared much about other cities, Rio, Sao Paolo, which will make our visits there even richer. We met great people and look forward to seeing them again in a month or two, with hopefully, a better repertoire of their language.