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An eye-opening time in the favela

RIO DE JANEIRO — The famous Copacabana Beach or Ipanema would be far likelier on tourists’ travel itineraries when visiting Rio de Janeiro than a trip to one of its infamous favelas, or slums. But not only did Jun Tan buck the trend, he was also glad his initial misgivings did not stop him from a rare experience.

RIO DE JANEIRO — The famous Copacabana Beach or Ipanema would be far likelier on tourists’ travel itineraries when visiting Rio de Janeiro than a trip to one of its infamous favelas, or slums. But not only did Jun Tan buck the trend, he was also glad his initial misgivings did not stop him from a rare experience.

The Singaporean, who is on a week-long stay in Brazil for the World Cup — he watched Sunday’s Group F match between Argentina and Bosnia-Herzegovina at Rio’s Maracana Stadium — visited the infamous Santa Marta favela and played football with its residents.

Tan, part of a number of Singaporeans in Brazil to watch the month-long tournament, signed up for the visit with Rio Football Tour, which conducts such trips.

“Knowing it is within a favela, the more I wanted to go. I have watched and read about the favelas and have always wanted to visit one,” said the 33-year-old senior manager at a meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions firm in Singapore.

Located on the steep hillside of Rio’s affluent Botafogo area, Santa Marta, also known as Dona Marta, is home to about 8,000 people living in 500 wooden and 2,000 brick houses. Many draw a median monthly income of 1,000 reais (S$562).

Until 2008 when Brazil’s Pacifying Police Unit moved in as part of the city’s efforts to improve living conditions in its numerous favelas ahead of the World Cup and 2016 Olympics and Paralympics, the favela was controlled by notorious drug trafficking organisations and was the location for Michael Jackson’s video, They Don’t Care About Us.

These improvements include building a cable car to transport residents to the higher parts of the hillside where the favela is located.

But anger at Brazil’s government spending US$11.5 billion (S$14.4 billion) to host the World Cup rather than on improving the country’s creaking social services and infrastructure remains, and social divisions still persist, with the poor living mostly in slums such as Santa Marta and Rocinha, while the rich occupy prime real estate such as Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanema.

“I was feeling uncertain as I have heard so much about drugs, guns and violent stories,” said Tan, who spent more than S$5,000 for his trip. “When I was at the foot of the favela, I already attracted many unwanted stares from the locals.

“Although travelling with the guide is considered safe, I was still very cautious.”

On the way to the hilltop where the football pitch was located, Tan and his group had to negotiate a steep and narrow path. He was shocked to find the locals lived in houses no bigger than two standard Housing and Development Board-sized bathrooms. But he also felt that the locals were misunderstood.

“The locals from one of the small shops that I bought water from were extremely helpful and friendly despite not knowing what I was speaking!” he said.

“After the game, I felt comfortable enough without having to worry about anything negative.”

Tan and his team, which included American and English tourists, lost 8-5 in a five-a-side match on a run-down outdoor pitch to a team of local kids from the favela. But the result hardly mattered.

“Visiting and experiencing places such as this is a reminder not to take things for granted,” said Tan, who exchanged his jersey with one of the local kids after the game.

“We come from a city where everything is well catered for. In some countries, people are struggling just to make the basic (daily necessities) work.”

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