As this is the first post I assume noone will actually read it as noone knows about the blog:-).
I´m writing this on a monday after I went to the favela Santa Marta on friday.
This particular favela has a great view from the road leading up to it and from within the favela itself.
It is also famous as part of the music video of Michael Jacksons "They don´t care about us" was taken here.
In the larger schemes of things there are difficulties with favela visits though. Particularly about what the visit should be about. The easiest for a tour guide and the option he or she almost has to take is to give the general history and talk in general platitudes.
The interesting topics like how to solve the inequality and discussion social mobility has to be avoided as the guides underlying political views will shine through. Result is that the tours becomes more or less a little tacky by seeing how poor people lives. Still it is good to experience though as reading it in books don´t give the same understanding.
