Today was another trip to a Favela. Man those places are depressing. This Favela had a leg up on the last one we visited, as they did have a few government services (garbage and police). Granted, the police drove around with four to car, windows down, and rifles pointing out the windows, but at least they were there. I guess.
Again, we weren’t supposed to take photos in the Favelas. I asked one gentleman (I hate to sterotype, but he was probably part of the trafico. He was just way to clean cut. And, he was sitting in front of a storage room filled with gas.) to take a photo, but he gave me the no-no wag. Oh well. I managed to snap a few photos in the Favela. I especially like the one of the bricks (these are the bricks a lot of the houses are made of). Interesting.
Once out of the Favela, we ventured to an occupation. The story goes something like this. The government left a few buildings abandoned when they moved the capital. Some lower-class citizens noticed the building was abandoned, and decided that they should live there. It’s a big building, with electricity, water, but no elevator.
The residents pay a monthly fee to the community for food, but everything else is free (water, electricity, rent, etc.). I felt bad for the residents. That was, until we got a tour of a few apartments (they’re basically offices that people sleep in). They had new refrigerators, new dishwashers, new TVs, and computers. The place is not luxury by any means, but the residents are living a decently comfortable life.
To live in the building residents have to make less than a certain salary. However, I couldn’t help but look at a shiny new 36″ flat screen TV and think to myself that some of the residents could move out if they wanted too. But, if I could live rent/mortgage free with free electricity and water, I’d probably do it too.
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