Favelas

Living in Sao Paulo we are very protected. We work in a lovely area, and live in a really nice, safe one, with great amenities. We can walk alone, even at night and really do not need to worry. It is really easy to forget that not all of the city is actually like this. In Rio, the favelas are right next to Copacabana and much more integrated into the city. However in Sao Paulo things are much more separate and it is easy to assume Sao Paulo is one well developed metropolis. 

I read an article on the BBC today about the lack of adequate housing in Sao Paulo and the growth of favelas. Driving back from a school trip recently was a bit of an eye opener, realising that when you drive in the opposite direction from school, Sao Paulo is not so swanky and modern anymore.  

This spread for miles. It is one of the biggest in the city.

Bus blur!

Brazilians continue to be so angry about the money wasted on the World Cup when housing, education and health have been so neglected. It is so easy to see why. Manaus was a very ugly run down city (except for the opera house) yet now has a swanky, expensive new stadium.