Hike to the best view in Rio De Janeiro

I glanced back and saw the AK-47 on his lap. He was a large tattooed man, seated and casually rolling a joint. He looked up and stared back at me. What was I doing in his favela?

Rio de Janeiro, it was my second day. Two hostel friends, Paul and Tessa, had convinced me to hike the Morro Dois Irmãos, the Two Brothers Hill. You get there by making your way up through a favela on the hill.

A favela is a shantytown or a slum. There are multiple in Rio, and they are famously in music videos and movies.

In Brazil, safe is a relative term

“It is too dangerous right now, they called in the military. There is a war going on between the military and the gangs that control the favelas.”

My friend Luciana’s father, who lives in Sao Paulo, Brazil, warning me.

It was true. Gunshots woke me on my first night even though I was staying in a safe area by Copacabana Beach. Paul and Tessa had persisted; It is a spectacular view, and this favela is safe. The police control it, they pacified it. I was hesitant, but I thought, isn’t travelling about getting out of my comfort zone?

We took an Uber to the hike. While driving, we saw an armoured vehicle and a group of ten to twenty military police on a side street dressing up in bullet-proof vests and riot gear. I was nervous. Please be planning to raid a different favela. Our Uber stopped in front of the Sheraton Grand. From here we had to walk about half a kilometre to the opening of the favela.

Young men (boys, really) in yellow safety vests are waiting around for tourists. These youths drive travellers through the favela to the base of the hike. Were they going to rob us? I shook a young guy’s hand; he handed me a helmet, and I jumped on the back of his motorcycle.

My driver darted up the hilly roads of the favela, weaving in and out of traffic, narrowly missing cars. My driver was fairly safe, so it was more thrilling than terrifying. What I saw surprised me. This favela wasn’t a shanty town; it was a suburb. There was lots of hustle and bustle from the shops, offices, and grocery stores.

Hiking in Rio

At the top of the favela, we arrived at a soccer (football) field. We found the entrance to the hike and followed the well-worn path. It starts nice, but at ¾ it becomes steep. Large trees shaded us from the sun and heat. On the trail we had ample opportunity to spy monkeys and other wildlife, we stopped and got excited each time we saw animals or had viewpoints.

Climbing to the peak, nothing prepared me for the stunning view. I was in awe. You could see the Christ the Redeemer, the city sprawl, the ocean, Ipanema and Copacabana beach. There were only a few other hikers at the top, so it was peaceful. We took pictures, drank water and ate lunch. We gazed upon the view and contemplated things you do at the top of a mountain.

Rio is marvellous, there are countless places to view the city, but this was my favourite.

Wandering through the favela

The hike up took 45 to 55 minutes, and we stayed for about one hour. Rather than ride the motorcycle taxi to the bottom, Tessa, Paul, and I walked through the favela. It had seemed safe enough earlier. We noticed the residents dressed very nice. It had a nice small-town feel to it.

We were walking along when Paul grew rigid. “Did you guys see that?” he asked. “Don’t look, but that guy back there has a machine gun.”

I couldn’t help myself and glanced back. Sure enough, there was a large tattooed man sitting outside a small shop. He looked like a stereotypical Brazilian gangster. There was an AK-47 on his lap and he was rolling a joint. He looked up and stared at me. I quickly faced forward. We walked faster until we got around a corner.

I found a grocery store and bought a large bottle of beer and started walking behind my Caucasian friends. The plan was to convince any people watching us that I (mocha skin and swigging beer) was a local trying to scam these two tourists, so they should not bother.

Typing this now, I realize how utterly ridiculous and absurd this sounds. We stuck to the main road and stayed fairly safe. We noticed a few police cars, but no looming raid. You quickly learn to avoid being near police cars since those are likely gang targets.

Be smart in a favela, like anywhere in Brazil

Avoid being an easy target. Don’t wear flashy jewellery or carry valuables. It’s ok to take pictures on your phone but return it immediately to your pocket (out of sight).

On the advice of my friend Luciana, I kept a small amount of “robbery money” in my front pocket to hand over if I was being mugged.

It was just a small amount – enough for the mugger to leave. Luckily, I never had to ‘spend’ my robbery money. I still think it helps to have mocha coloured skin to blend in.

Leaving, we decided to walk to Ipanema Beach. I noticed the stark contrast of the favela against the lavish Sheraton Grand. The Sheraton seemed built to block out the favela. How many tourists see the hillside favelas as nothing more than pretty backdrops to their photos? I think if you actually visit the favelas you get a better appreciation for the people who live there.

Planning on visiting Rio, soon? Have you ever wandered into a favela? Let me know in the comments below.

– amo

Morro Dois Irmãos
Rio De Janerio, Brazil
Visited: Monday May 28, 2018