One afternoon in Cidade de Deus (City of God)

The whole idea with my journey to Rio was to get in touch with the locals. To talk to them and let them speak their mind about how they see their city, instead of only seeing it through the eyes of a foreigner. Everyone I spoke to before my trip had told me how awesome Rio was and how much they loved it etc. though many had also warned me and told me to be cautious and careful with how I dressed and looked. Rio is a fantastic place to be and most people there are so helpful and kind even though many of them don't speak a word of English!

I was in Rio for 17 days and managed to get robbed twice, see a bus explode, eat tear gas and puke in the street and even get shot with a marble bullet... But I also got to make so many new friends - many more than I can count on two hands, I went surfing in Recreio, I went to a hip hop concert and got to shoot some backstage pics with a guy who turned out to be the biggest rapper in Brazil, Mano Brown. I  met Ze Pequeno from the movie City of God and got invited into a home in the favela by a man I had just met!

Rio is truly a paradise in many ways, but Rio also has a dark side that is hidden behind the crowds of tourists, the long white beaches, the samba in the streets and fresh coconut water. People here do struggle for a better life, while politicians greedily feed on the massive amount of corruption money.

As a human being this experience has changed me completely! I have now seen real poverty - that reminds me how lucky I am and that I should cherish all the good things I have in my life. I've met tons of awesome people in so very little time, from all different parts of Rio and the world. It has helped me take my thoughts away from a person, they recently have been focused on, and my troubled thoughts, who for long time had haunted my mind, day and night. I got close to a person here, who I made cry by just saying goodbye. I'm happy... I'm actually pretty fucking happy! Rio,  you've helped me set my mind free and I'm looking so much forward to travel more and get to see and experience life in a new way!

You have to listen to this song while you go through my pictures from Cidade de Deus:-)

Stopping by a Samba school

Samba is a big thing here in Rio and every year the samba school competes with each other to get a dancer from their school to represent them at the big annual carnival.
As you can see, sundays are also used to just chill out ;-)

Cooling off in a pool. 27 degrees and Spring has only just begun.

They start early:-)

Having a chat with a local... I didn't understand much of it.

One of the guys proudly shows the logo of the dance school.

My friend told me that we're in a part of the favela that he calls The Beverly hills of City of God

You see this kind of graffiti all over the favela. Sadely it is a tribute to people who has been killed here. Saudades means "Miss you Paulo Victor and Thoy".

The government built these apartment complexes to get people out of their sheds, but with little success. They continue building these sheds with no power or water access. They steal power from the powerlines that you see everywhere in the favela and connect them to their sheds. It's done with high risk of getting injured or even killed.

 

Kid playing with a kite

Ze Pequeno

Leandro Firmino da Hora who played the gangster, villian Ze Pequeno, in the award winning movie, City of God. If you haven't seen it, then you should! Amazing movie about the life of three friends growing up in a favela between the 1970's to the 1980's! Did you know that the average age of a male in a favela is between 20 and 22 years old!

The beautiful blue eyed girl from Cidade de Deus

Friends

Ka Milla, Bruno & Neil

Friends of Cidade de Deus

The tee says: I'm from Cidade de Deus

The Assis Family

The family turned out to have a tight connection with one of biggest samba schools in Rio, The Mangueira school.

Samba spirit is always present anywhere you go in Rio. Especially in City of God!

Max Assis, the man of the house said to me: Next time you come to Brazil, don't spend money on hotel or a hostel, come stay at my place. My house is your house"!
Didn't know what to say other than thank you, I feel truely honored!

We we're celebrating and welcoming this little new one to the family!

The gang and I

So sad I had to leave so early, but I had a flight to catch.