Faveles de Rio de Janeiro

Passenjant pel barri de Botafogo ens vam fixar en les cases que hi havia a la muntanya del costat. Era la favela de Santa Marta. Ens va semblar un escenari d'alló més curiós, i jo sabia que el meu germà havia sortit de festa algun dia per una favela, així que li vaig proposar d'anar a visitar-la. Ens hi vam apropar i vam veure que hi havia un funicular que pujava la pendent. Ens hi vam apropar i no vam trobar l'entrada. Voltant per trobar-lo vam veure una paradeta on "moradores" (gent que viu a la favela) s'oferien a fer una visita per la favela, i ensenyar els punts més curiosos d'aquesta. Cal dir que al principi ens va semblar una idea gens atractiva. No voliem perdre el punt d'aventura agafant un guia. Després ens vam mirar, vam veure que jo duia camisa, que anàvem amb càmara i que teniem una pinta de guiris que ens l'aguantàvem (he de reconèxer que jo especialment). Així que vam anar a parlar amb un noi que anava amb el cap rapat amb dues ratlles encara més rapades i sense samarreta. Quan va veure que ens apropàvem es va posar una samarreta del Flamengo per atendre'ns.

Es deia Fumaça i vivia a Santa Marta. Es va esmerar molt en assegurar-nos que la "comunidade" era molt segura i ens va acompanyar a agafar el funicular. Un cop dintre de la favela, ens vam adonar que no transmetia gens de sensació d'inseguretat. Era com un barri humil, però no necessàriament deliqüent. Els carrers no existeixen, tot eren cases connectades per escales. No hi havia aigua corrent ni clavegueram, i tot el que entrava ho havia de fer pel funicular o una carretera que dónava a la part del darrere de la muntanya. Passejant per l'entramat d'escales passaven desenes de nens que jugàven sense samarreta ni preocupacions de cotxes. Ens va semblar tot molt feliç tot i la pobresa, però aleshores se'ns va mostrar la cara de l'altre moneda. Vam aturar-nos per que el funicular no funcionava i el Fumaça es va posar a parlar pel mòbil a veure què passava. Mentre ell parlava pel telèfon i el meu germà i jo miràvem les vistes espectaculars que tenen les faveles pel fet d'estar a la muntanya, se'ns van apropar dos nens d'uns 7 i 9 anys amb ganivets d'uns 20 cm de llarg. Un d'ells l'anava picant contra la barana mentre l'altre donava voltes al nostre voltant. Nosaltres dissimulàvem com si no els haguéssim vist. Aleshores, el que ens donava voltes va donar un cop a la butxaca on el meu germà duia la càmara. Comprovava què hi duia. El Fumaça, seguint parlant pel mòbil, se'ns va apropar, moment en el qual els nens es devien adonar que anàvem amb ell. Van marxar. Va ser en aquest moment en el que vam decidir que havia estat un bona idea anar amb el guia, d'una altra manera estàvem amb dos nens que ens volien robar amb ganivets enmig d'una favela, que no té carrers i on és fàcil perdre's. Apart de l'ensurt, una excursió molt recomanable. La favela de Santa Marta és la primera que es va pacificar a tot Rio de Janeiro, amb lo qual no hi ha armes ni tràfic de drogues. I hi ha representació policial.

Walking around Botafogo, we looked at the houses that were in the next-by mountain. It was the favela of Santa Marta. We thought it was a really curious scenery and, since I knew that my brother had been partying around some favelas, we decided to visit it. When we got closer, we spotted a funicular that climbed the steep slope. We went closer but we didn't find the entrance. Going around to find it, we saw a tent where some "moradores" (people who live in the favela) would offer themselves to guide us around the favela and show us the interesting spots. We didn't find that idea attractive at all, we didn't want to spoil the adventure with a guide. But then we realized that  I was wearing a shirt, we had a camera and we looked completely like tourists (especially me). Therefore, we went to talk with a guy with two shaved lines in his head and without a t-shirt. We he saw us approaching, he fitted a Flamengo's shirt to talk with us. 

His name was Fumaça and he lived in Santa Marta. He made his best efforts to convince us that the "comunidade" was safe and came with us to take the funicular. Once inside of the favela, we realized that we didn't have the feeling of being unsafe. It was like a poor quarter, but not necessarily felonious. Streets didn't exist, there were only houses connected through stairs. They didn't have running water nor sewerage. And any materials that had to go into the favela had to do it either through the funicular or through a road that would end in the other side of the mountain. Walking around the web of stairs, dozens of kids would play around without t-shirt and without worrying about cars. Even though it was a poor area, we thought that everything was quite happy. But then we saw the other side of the coin. We stopped for a while because the funicular wasn't working and Fumaça started talking with his cellphone to check out what was wrong. While he was talking, my brother and I were enjoying the spectacular views (because of the fact of being on top of a mountain), when a couple of kids around 7 and 9 years old came with 20cm knives. One of them was knocking it against the rail while the other was walking around us. We pretended that we hadn't seen them. Then, the one that was walking around us hitted softly the pocket where my brother was carrying the camera. He was checking what he was carrying. Fumaça, still talking through he phone, came closer to us and the kids realized that we were with him. They went away. It was in that moment when we realized that having a guide was a really good idea, otherwise we were with two kids wanting to rob us with knives and in the middle of a favela. A place without streets and so easy to get lost in. But, besides the final scare, it is a must-do excursion. The favela of Santa Marta was the first one to be pacified in Rio de Janeiro. Therefore, there are no guns nor drug commerce. And there's police.

 

A les darreres fotos es veuen cases de colors, això pertany a un projecte per remodelar tota la favela de Santa Marta. De moment només hi ha les cases de la primera linia que dóna al carrer.
In the last photos, some colorful houses can be seen. These belong to a project that desires to do a makeover on the whole favela. Right now, only the shown houses are painted, which are those closer to the street.