Rio's slums the hot World Cup destination?
- High above the beaches in Rio de Janeiro's hillside slums, you can get some of the best views in town. And now, they come from some of the cheapest rooms as well.
With the World Cup less
than four months away, residents in many once infamous favelas are
opening their doors to tourists, renting beds, rooms or even entire
houses, and building youth hostels.
"If you want to see the
World Cup, see some football matches and experience true Brazilian life
you should really check this out," says Michael Blommers, a Dutch
backpacker staying at a hostel in the Vidigal shantytown.
Beds at hostels in
Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, which usually go for around $40 a night,
are expected to cost as much as $400 during the World Cup. Hotels are
even more expensive, with many requiring multiple-night stays.
A tourist in Rio's Vidigal favela calls to a dog on a street.
But a bunk at Alto Vidigal Hostel will set guests back just $65 -- four times the usual price, but still a relative bargain.
Of course, visitors
staying in Rio's favelas will likely be confronted with more than just a
modest room. Garbage in these areas often piles up along the roads,
while electricity, water and sewage services are spotty at best.
Transportation can be precarious.
The biggest concern,
though, is security. Just a few years ago, Rio's favelas were controlled
by drug lords. Police have since stormed many of them, in a process
dubbed "pacification," driving out armed gangs in an effort to make it
relatively safe for residents and visitors. But they've had mixed
results.
Periodic gun battles
continue in many favelas. Just last week, drug traffickers shot at
police posts in Rocinha, one of the biggest shantytowns in Rio.
Maria Clara dos Santos
says she could hear the recent shootouts from her terrace. She rents
rooms in her bright yellow house to foreign tourists and says safety
depends on knowing where not to go and following rules.
"Don't use drugs, don't bring girls home, keep it a nice environment," she says.
A Los Angeles native, Elliot Rosenberg has launched a website with an eye on the World Cup allowing residents to rent out rooms to foreigners.
With some 600,000
foreign fans expected over the course of the tournament, there could be
plenty of demand. But Rosenberg believes that many of those looking for
rooms will be attracted by more than just the about $50 price tags on
many rooms.
"They want more authentic, lively, meaningful experiences," he says. "They want to see the real Rio."
And, of course, those great views don't hurt either.
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