My wife and I were debating the other day about the safety and cleanliness of a Brazilllian favela versus the safety/cleanliness of a bario in Santo Domingo. Anybody been to both places and have first hand knowledge about the relative differences and similarities between the two?
I have an apt in Villa Mella for my wife and I when we visit her family. I've no intention of going up into the
favelas. I was in Rio and Sao Paulo last week for a short biz trip... Parts of Rio and Santos reminded me a bit of SD. (Brahma Choppe in annoyingly small qtys...where's my Jumbo!?). My driver insisted on taking me
to churrasco upon picking me up at the the airport in S?o Paulo after which he also insisted on showing me the
"sights" in the port of Santos where my meeting was the next day.
At the foot of the hills where favelas are is very dangerous as many (as pointed out) are controlled entirely by
The drug trade. Large groups of crack addicts could be seen scoring and publicly lighting up here at the base
of the foothills on the way to my hotel. And the safety warnings were as strong in Brazil as I've seen. Pacification and relocation programs are big here, with the government building apartment complexes and relocating folks
out of the favelas into free housing ....but guess what they have to pay for once in the new apartments ? Luz!
Sound familiar? Not very popular, and a bigger issue where World Cup and Olympic construction is forcing folks
out of their homes.
Beyond that, S?o Paulo is a massive massive city, and Rio is stunning. And I find the favala tourist trips curious
If not exploitive , and rather sad for obvious reasons, but in truth I did not go so I can't really speak to them.
