While tanned sunbathers soak up the sun on the beaches of Ipanema and Copacabana, the other side of Rio de Janeiro is attached to the surrounding mountains.
About 750 favelas, or shantytowns, are found in and around the city — a crowd of poverty which serves the city's wealthy elite and the tourism industry.
Poor conditions
About 20 per cent of Rio's population lives in favelas, which are impossible to ignore. Drug violence and poor social conditions have been likened to an urban civil war.
With the introduction of tours designed to give a view of this world, visitors are heading to the slums, entering high-crime zones where few locals would dare to tread.
Some argue this has created a human zoo while others feel it is essential to appreciate the city. I decided to see for myself.
A row of moto-taxis greeted us at the bottom of the hill. Rocinha, the biggest of the favelas, is also considered the most infamous in Latin America.
Narrow alleyways and open sewers separate square-shaped cement living quarters. Either painted or plain, these are jammed on top of one another, sprawling up the hill.
Be a Local has been arranging favela tours for six years and is the only company that offers walking tours through Rocinha.
After a five-minute motorcycle ride through packed traffic, we were dropped off at the top of a hill and our guide, Marcio, told us the rules.
“If you see anyone with a walkie-talkie or a machine gun, please don't take photographs,'' he said.
Safe tours
Rio's favelas control a massive drug trade, with slums off-limits to cops, patrolled by armed gangsters and ruled by drug kingpins.
While favelas are a no-go zone for tourists and locals, these group tours are safe, operating under the protection of the ruling drug lords.
About 40 per cent of the company's profits go into Rocinha's community projects and Marcio proudly pointed out daycare programmes and schools sponsored by the company.
We crossed the main road and slipped in single file into the alleys. Hole-in-the-wall shops offer groceries, hair salons, internet access and pharmacies for the population of 150,000.
Fiery alarm
I heard a sudden explosion that made me jump. These were alarms set off by children to warn drug dealers of the approach of police or outsiders — a beginner's task in this violent world.
But there were honest, hardworking citizens too, who live the best they can, sending their children to one of four schools available.
I saw huge wire knots hanging above us but was told power was largely pilfered by electrical engineers. Rocinha has its own garbage control system, postal system and governing authority.
While some may challenge the ethics of a tourist visit to a slum, there's no doubt it gives a fascinating insight into an important part of Rio — and South America. Anything that brings people together, across income or culture gaps, can only be good.
— Travel writer Robin Esrock is the co-host of Word Travels, an adventure series on Nat Geo Adventure. Read more of his journeys at www.moderngonzo.com
Be A Local
Be A Local offers guided favela tours twice a day on weekdays (10am and 2pm) and at noon on weekends.
The cost is 65 Brazil reals (Dh102) per person and includes hotel pick-ups and moto-taxi rides. For further information, visit www.bealocal.com
