I thought yesterday was a pretty amazing day but today was just as good.  Our tour today was with a company called Jeep Tours to visit a favela.  The very brief description of a favela is a slum area which has been built on one of the hillsides overlooking the bays of Rio de Janeiro - to quote our guide - "you're going to visit a slum with ocean views"  There seems to be a variety of stories on their origin but briefly the version we were given was that soldiers returning from war had no homes and no place to stay.  Rio has only a thin coastal strip and then the mountains are directly behind so normal flat real estate was at a prime. However if they could find a piece of land on the hillside which had no trees - as they were regarded as National Park, they could build on 200 sq m and the electric company had to provide a service to them.  If after exactly 5 years - no more no less -  the government had not had any need to use this land, they could apply for ownership of the land and property.  In order to make money they would then subdivide selling off 100 sq m, then the next person would sell off 50sq m and so on resulting in incredibly dense housing.  The only rule stipulated was that there must be stairs or a walkway access to every property when sub dividing.  Then there was the height factor - buildings can be up to five levels high without the need of an architect or engineer being involved. This ruling only applied in the favela.  The name favela was derived from a little plant which grew on these hillsides - so people would say - you live out by the favela.

Back to our tour - we hopped on the back of an open topped Jeep and headed out to the Vidigal favela.  Our guide on the way there asked if we'd ever been on a motor cycle and told us that was how we'd get to the top of the favela.  We thought he probably meant little tuk tuks!  So we arrived at the foot of the favela - now remember these communities are built on the side of very steep hills!  We were confronted with a group of 150cc motor bikes and riders holding spare helmets.  I was immediately grabbed with a big smile by the only girl in the group, helped on with my helmet and gestured to get on the back of the bike and hold on to her.  She didn't speak English.  And we were off on the hairiest journey of a lifetime.  Up the hill dodging in and out of other bikes, cars, dogs, cats, chooks, trucks - if the truck was going too slow she squeezed through by inches, swerved to miss bumps and potholes.  And up and up we went till we were right at the top of the favela.  I have to say I just relaxed and enjoyed the thrill and didn't think about the what ifs.  At the top I caught up with Craig who was by this time grinning from ear to ear but he said he'd thought he was going to die - he'd recognised and been concerned about all the hazards where I'd just assumed blind faith in my driver.  Sometimes ignorance is bliss.   But it was definitely one of those lifetime experiences and one we'll both dine out on in years to come.   There were 3 others on the tour with us and together with our guide we started off at the highest point in a bar - which was closed but which had the most incredible views down over  Ipanema bay.  From there we wound our way down through a rabbit warren of stairs - all differing heights, some with hand rails - most without, little alleyways and ramps and along the way waving and smiling to many of the occupants going about their daily business.  It was just the most incredible experience.  

Some of the information we got from our tour guide who himself lives in a favela though not this one.

What he didn't mention but we've heard from other sources is that they are centres of massive drug and arms distribution which is probably what allows the subsidising of their costs.  But needless to say we didn't see any evidence of that and only happy people going about their day.  At the bottom of the hill we stopped off in a typical favela bar and enjoyed the most amazing cold beer - it was so hot and humid and it tasted like nectar.  The rain came on around this time and it poured and we had to wait about 10 minutes for our driver - but we found a dry spot and were ok though got wet bums when the jeep arrived as the seats were all wet and it was raining very heavily all the way back.  Then we were dropped off back at our hotel.  What a tour!  It actually bore hardly any resemblance to the description we'd been given but boy was it fun.  

If you're interested there's a bit more information on favelas here - some of it quite different to what I've outlined above.  Guess we were given our info today from someone who is within the system while this link gives the official view.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favela

We came up to our room and changed out of our wet/damp clothes and went back over on to the beach side of the road and found a little cafe and had some lunch. We'd both been awake early again and we knew we had big night ahead so we came back to our room and I downloaded a heap of photos, we read for a while then had a couple of hours nap. 

At night we were going to Ginga Tropical one of the spectacular samba shows.  So we got dressed and headed down to the foyer and enjoyed a drink while we waited to be picked up at 6pm.  There were only 5 of us doing the dinner part of the evening and the bus picked up three Italian men at another hotel - an uncle and two nephews - the uncle was 91 and incredibly frail, moving very slowly with a wheeled support - apparently he doesn't like wheelchairs.  We decided that he must be very rich as the two nephews waited on him hand and foot!  We were taken to a restaurant where we enjoyed another amazing Brazilian BBQ - very similar in style to the one we had at lunch yesterday.  We were a bit smarter today though and didn't fill up on so much from the salad buffet and had room to try lots of delicious meats.  We were joined by a latecomer to the tour - Dan a South African so we had a lovely meal chatting to him.  Then the bus picked us up, there were already quite a few more on the bus who were only going to the show, and took us to a fairly small theatre where we enjoyed the most fantastic show of dancing and singing.  Many years ago we went to the Tropicana in Cuba - this was a huge extravaganza which we loved.  This one tonight was much smaller and I think because of that you could feel the energy - it was simply brilliant - beautiful dancers, costumes, acrobatic dancers - these guys had the best six packs I've ever seen in my life, then there was both a male and a female gaucho with the whirling bolas - such talent.  Then at the end they came through the audience and got as many of us as they could up on stage - needless to say Anni was there making the moves with the best of them!  Should have said that the show started with a samba lesson for us all - we stood up and were taught all the moves and wiggles - mid much hilarity - by a compere/dancer on the stage.  And then it was time to go home.  In another one of life coincidences we met up with a family of three mum, dad and daughter of probably mid 20s from Ohio - but of Mexican origin I'd say - who are boarding the same cruise as us in Buones Aires!  By the time the bus had done all the various hotel drop offs it was midnight - we were the first on the bus at the beginning of the night - and the last off.   But what a night and day - one to remember!