Extratropical Cyclone Arani in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Storm surge in Icaraí, Niterói

A rare extratropical cyclone swept into Rio de Janeiro, creating some monster waves and flooding the streets - including the street where I lived in Icaraí last summer (summer in Rio, winter in California).

According to NASA:

Arani has the appearance of a tropical cyclone but has been classified as a subtropical cyclone. Subtropical cyclones are low pressure areas that develop with a cold core and transition to a warm core in the mid-levels of the troposphere, resembling a tropical cyclone. They more typically form outside of hurricane season (which is June 1 to Nov. 30 in the Northern Atlantic, for example). They also have broad wind patterns and that means that their maximum sustained winds are usually located farther from the center than a tropical cyclone. They also have no weather fronts linked to them, such as a typical low pressure area that brings summertime storms with an associated cold front. Subtropical cyclones can sometimes become tropical cyclones, and occasionally, tropical cyclones can become subtropical.

Tropical cyclones are very rare in the Southern Atlantic Ocean. In 2004 a cyclone called Catarina formed in the South Atlantic and caused some controversy when it was classified as a hurricane by the United States' National Hurricane Center.

Note that Cyclone Catrina was the first ever hurricane to hit Brazil in recorded history. Arani is only the third (second official) named tropical cyclone ever recorded in the Southern Atlantic Ocean.

Things are changing - its about time we take notice so we can start taking proactive, preventative steps to mitigate against the already evident threat of climate change.


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Here is a great video of the waves crashing onto the streets throughout Rio.

Another video - you might recognize the MAC (Museum of Contemporary Art) in the background:

2010 Lunar Eclipse and Solstice

Lunar Eclipse Over Icaraí Beach

This morning I got out of bed at 4:45am to watch the lunar eclipse (after not sleeping all night out of excitement and fear of missing it). This lunar eclipse is a special one - it coincided with the solstice - winter solstice for the northern hemisphere, summer solstice for the southern... Meaning today is the longest day of the year here in Rio de Janeiro!

NASA reports that the last time these astronomical events took place in sync was on Dec. 21, 1638, and it won't happen again until at least 2094 - making this a once in a lifetime opportunity for me.

See my photos of the lunar eclipse on Flickr.

The view was incredible of the moon setting behind the city and right after the moon was fully covered by the Earth's shadow it set behind the buildings as the sun rose from the East. All the birds and bugs began their early morning singing to the sun and Russell and I did a quick meditation session while the sun, earth, and moon were in perfect alignment.

Lunar Eclipse & Summer Solstice Meditation

View of Rio de Janeiro Across the Bay

Heavy Rain in Rio de Janeiro Floods Streets

Flooded street in Icaraí

Last night, after Fluminense (a Rio soccer team) won the Brazilian Soccer Championship, the festivities were cut short due to an incredible storm that came through Rio de Janeiro. Within an hour streets around Rio and Niterói were flooded with up to three feet of water (between 7pm and midnight over six inches of rain fell in some areas).

Russell and I were walking down the beach from his dad's house to his mom's house when the rain started. We ended up stranded at his mom's house for the night because the entire road in front of of the complex was flooded - not even buses were passing, and that is saying a lot because buses will generally go anywhere regardless of weather. A few drivers tried to go through the rising water - all except for a large truck were stopped in their tracks and the drivers had to get help from passer-bys (sometimes offering money) to push their cars out of the water. Some of the cars that were parked on the street are surely destroyed. One brand new Honda was covered over its tires with water and when that large truck passed by it began floating on top of the massive wave that was created.

Many people waded through the flooded street to get to wherever they needed to be. Some women were up to their waists in water. The most heart-breaking thing came when a family of homeless people begged and pleaded for shelter under the building, but they were turned away by the doorman. I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like being homeless, in a downpour, wet from head to toe, and no place dry to lay your head down. I also wonder if any favelas fell.

December is the month of pulverization for favelas. This time last year is when the state of Rio was in a state of emergency due to all of the landslides that killed hundreds and blocked roads for weeks - they are still dealing with these landslides today, we saw many of them on our way to Paraty. Everybody is saying that yesterday's storm was just an introduction for what is to come.

Lightning in Icaraí

On the bright side, all of the lightning was very beautiful. There were strikes at least every 20 seconds. There was a huge amount of lightning all night long. I have never seen a lightning storm last for so long. It was incredibly beautiful and only added to the power of the storm.

There is supposed to be another one coming tonight... I don't know if it will be as strong. Rather than the normally hot days and rainy nights, yesterday's storm came after 3-4 dry days and nights, so I think all the rain from the previous days were just packed into one punch. I guess I'll find out tonight! Pray for all the people on the hills and on the street.

Complexo Alemão in Rio de Janeiro Has Been Taken

Complexo Alemão in Rio de Janeiro Has Been Taken. Via O Globo

Unsurprisingly, the PM moved in to Complexo Alemão, Rio de Janeiro this morning. What does suprise me is the fact that there was very little resistance from the favela community that is considered the trafficking stronghold of the city. Police raided the German Complex at 8am on Sunday, with about 2,600 men, and around 10 am had already reached the top of the hill. [See the series of events in photos]

I was seriously expecting a huge battle to take place when the PM finally made their move into Alemão. It was suspected that over 600 traffickers were hiding in Alemão. The right hand man of one of the traficante leaders came down from the hill to turn himself in after Rio’s authorities had urged the hundreds of traffickers hiding in Alemão to “surrender with arms in the air by sunset on Friday.” I wonder how long it will take for other gang members in jail to badly hurt of kill him for his betrayal.

Also on Saturday many of Alemão's residents took to the streets with white flags and tee-shirts proclaiming PEACE. These are the people who are really suffering. Many of them have been without water and electricity for over 24 hours. Some residents fled from their homes in fear of the imminent confrontation. Anything, everything. and anyone going in and out of Alemão was thoroughly searched and residents were prohibited from returning to their homes in the hours before the raid began. And you thought the TSA was bad...

But now Alemão has been taken by the state and a search of all homes has been issued. There were very few arrests and so far I've only heard of one death. This means that the traffickers have fled - yet again. I've heard many people in Niterói suspect that they will inevitably flee here, to Ntierói, and also to São Gonçalo. Very unfortunate indeed. Residents of Alemão have said that they have seen traffickers fleeing through the sewer line installed by the works of the Growth Acceleration Program (CAP), which in my view show that they are getting pretty desperate to have to resort to fleeing through sewage lines - extremely disgusting and full of terrible bacteria!

Right now there is tranquility in Complexo Alemão, but it seems people are still on edge because of the ease at which Alemão was taken. Even spokesperson for the Bureau of Drug Enforcement said, "The environment is quiet. Disturbingly quiet."

What is amazing is the amount of support the police are getting from the general public. It seems like all of Rio is ready for a change. The middle class is tired of the violence that occasionally spreads into their communities, and I get the feeling that favela residents are also ready for a new page in their history.

I can't say that I support the invasion of favelas, especially since it just seems to be transplanting social issues from one area to the next, but I can cay that I support the UPP program. To be clear I do not think that any of this is happening because the government really cares about these people or is doing them a favor, I believe that these people are now seen as consumers. Pacified favelas now have to pay bills to legitimate electric providers instead of paying gangsters in the informal economy for stolen electricity. Even McDonald's is considering opening up shop inside one favela. Vila Cruzeiro was just promised a R$400 million (US$231 million) to build infrastructure, a shopping mall, 47 new shops, and a park with space for a cinema. A wave of social services has been promised to Alemão as well.

I just hope that this can last. I think it gives hope to people that their communities can be better and that they don't have to be run by gangsters. I hope that even though many traffickers fled, they are loosing some of their power, slowly but surely. There will always be drugs and guns, but now it is being forced to be underground rather than flagrantly out in the open. At least now kids are not idolizing traffickers with unlimited guns, drugs, and girls that hangs out on the corner every day (not to mention their mini-mansion hideout) .

Now all I can do is wait and see where the fleeing traffickers turn up.

Map of the Violence in Rio de Janeiro

Below is a map of the violence in Rio de Janeiro. Click here for a more detailed map.


Visualizar Ataques no Rio a e reação da polícia em um mapa maior

Blue: Bus fire
Red: Car fire
Green: Attack on a Military Police booth
Light Blue: Death
Yellow: Suspected bomb
Purple: Arrest
Pink: Police reinforcements sent

Bandits Attack Rio de Janeiro, Set Fire to Busses

Last night Russell and I were told not to leave our house because there would be muggings and attacks at night. Our inside source was right. This morning we woke up to breaking news - there were attacks  in Rio de Janeiro as well as the nearby cities of São Gonçalo and Niterói. Thankfully the community within Niterói where I live - Icaraí - was not targeted.

I've been reading about what happened on O Globo, the major Brazilian new outlet. From what I can tell so far here is a basic time line of what's been going on:

Shots were fired as bandits trawled and set fire to cars - Photo CléberJúnior

Throughout the day this past Sunday, "bandits," as they are called, continued with their series of car thefts and muggings in Rio de Janeiro city, giving the general population in Rio a little scare. Basically what happens is a group of bandits come out of the favelas with their giant guns and shut down the road. They then trawl the jammed traffic for valuables and cash (which is why they are referred to as arrastões, or trawlers, here). Some people flee their cars and take shelter in nearby businesses, others wait in their cars and hand over all valuables. Never try to outsmart the bandits, they have no problem putting those massive guns to use - seriously.

By Sunday afternoon the first reports of cars being torched began hitting the news as car thefts and trawling continued.

On Monday morning five armed men torched three vehicles and attacked a Military Police car. Soon after, the same men are suspected of attacking a Military Police booth in Irajá with machine guns.

The Military Police began a series of raids in Rio's favelas in th e very early hours of Tuesday morning after four more cars were torched and another Military Police booth was attacked. Later in the afternoon intense fighting between Military Police and bandits erupted in the streets shutting down Avenida Nossa Senhora da Penha in Rio. It was reported that the Military Police were fired upon when they arrived after receiving a complaint in the area, but it is hard to know what really happens in these firefights.

Military Police continued their raid of Rio's favelas on Tuesday. Eight criminals were arrested, two traffickers killed, two men arrested, and two children taken into custody. Explosive devices, jugs of gasoline, weapons (including shotguns, a revolver, and some handguns), motorcycles, marijuana, cocaine, and crack were also seized. The military and municipal police forces announce that they will continue the raids until a sense of security is restored to the people of Rio.

A bus that was torched on Wednesday morning / Photo: Eliezer Bridges

Last night and into this morning more vehicles were set ablaze. So far, at least ten cars, a van, and five buses have been torched since the latest early dawn attacks began. Four people were taken to the hospital when a van was set on fire, leaving the driver and passengers with severe burns to their legs. Others were injured when a bus waiting in traffic was set on fire early this morning. The violence also spread beyond Rio de Janeiro into the nearby cities of São Gonçalo and Niterói, where a handful of cars were torched. Thankfully the community within Niterói where I live - Icaraí - was not targeted. Russell and I also had forewarning that violence would enter into Niterói and were warned to stay home.

In response, the Military Police has called all officers to duty, not allowing those already working to go home and calling in all off-duty officers. All administrative duties were called off and every officer is being sent into the field in order to prevent further violence. Unfortunately, violence has only escalated as the Military Police have killed at least 10 people in multiple favela raids this morning, leading to the first deaths in the conflict. The military and municipal police have also joined forces throughout the state of Rio in hopes of preventing more attacks.

Today Secretariat of Intelligence Security Bureau announced that for the first time in 16 years, the two major criminal factions in Rio teamed up. The Rocinha gang (from Rocinha favela) joined forces with their rival gang from Complexo do Alemão (another favela). Their goal: destabilizing the primary public safety program in the state - the deployment of Police Pacification Units (UPP - Unidades de Polícia Pacificadora). Security secretary Jose Mariano Beltrame responded by promising to double the force of the Military Police and warned that, "those who cross the path of the UPP will be run over."

UPDATE: Another bus has been set on fire. There have been 150 people arrested so far. The death count for today is now at 13. Among the dead is a 14 year old girl, victim of a stray bullet in the slums of Grotão in Penha.

According to Military Police Colonel Lima de Castro, some 17,500 police are on standby throughout the metropolitan area.

"We did not start this war. We were provoked into it and we will be victorious," said Col. Castro.

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Favela invasion and pacification has become the preferred technique of the Military Police in an effort to rid Rio of violence in preparation for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games. The Military Police special forces, Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais (Special Police Operations Battalion), commonly know by its acronym BOPE, storm the favela, often with helicopters and on foot. Traffickers either flee or stay and fight the BOPE creating an urban war zone that often leaves innocent bystanders in the crossfire. After violence calms down BOPE moves out as the UPP (Police Pacification Unit) moves in. Basically a heavily armed office now takes the place of the heavily armed gang member. These have been many success stories out of favelas that have been pacified, although there is still widespread anger about the takeover and occupation process. One major problem arises when you consider that many traffickers flee before or during the invasion, thus transplanting rather than solving the issue.

Slackline With A Homeless Family

BOPE occupies a favela in Tijuca, photo by Max Coelho/BOPE.

The amount of homeless in Icaraí has drastically increased since my last two visits in 2008 and 2009.  From what I understand, Rio won hosting duties for the World Cup and Olympics and now the government has begun Favela Pacification - favelas are invaded and occupied by police forces. Sometimes there can be all out war between gangs and military police but often war lords and drug and gun traffickers flee into the cities surrounding Rio. Basically the homeless, as well as war lords and drug and arms traffickers, are being swept out of Rio and into the surrounding cities, such as here in Niterói.

[Favela Pacification Spreads to Tijuca]

The girls go for a dip with the baby after playing on the slackline.

Russell and I are very popular on the beach when we do slackline. We are equal opportunity and all different types of kids, from high class kids to favela kids, come and want to try the slackline. So when a homeless family set up camp under a shade tree next to us, their kids obviously wanted to come and play - and they did.

The social gap between couple walking and the homeless family is palpable.

Our conversation:

Are you a gringa?
   Yes, yes I am.
Laughter
Where are you from?
   America
Germany?
   No, The United States of America.
Oh, Germany.
   No, the US.
Germany must be nice.
   Yes, Germany is nice.

Deep, I know. But they didn't seem to know of the US - Russell even told them and they still didn't get it.

The family seems to consist of one older man (certainly drunk or on drugs, or both [read about the crack epidemic among the homeless]), a woman my age or a little older (she seemed to be in charge of things), two male teenagers, three younger girls and two younger boys, and one baby.

They all had giant Coca-Cola bottles to drink from. I often see homeless people with Coke, but never see them with water. Why? Coke is cheaper than water. How can that be, right? I know. It's outrageous. Not to mention how may health and dental problems arise from drinking sugar filled Coke as a substitute for water.

Slackline on the beach.

It really sucks that instead of getting these kids off the streets and into school (which in Brazil is mandatory and free) the government instead is just ignoring the problem and transplanting these social and structural issues from Rio into surrounding cities. I don't think invasion and occupation are long term solutions - but hey, at least Rio will be looking good in the harsh international spotlight (note the touch of sarcasm in my voice).

Rain in Rio

Last night was heavy rain. It has actually rained more in the last 24 hours than it has for all of October. It does not rain all day, but rather the dark clouds move in a night and the downpour commences. Last night there were two landslides - both in favelas - one person died.

I love the rain. It smells so good and I love the sound it makes hitting the trees and rooftops. Last night, though, I couldn't help but think about this boy, Mattheus, who Russell and I met slacklining. He, along with his parents, I'm pretty sure are homeless. I wondered where they went to hide from the rain all night.

What a difference, huh? I enjoy the rain from a 9th story beachfront window. Others probably dread it, fearing that their houses will fall down mountains, and some not even having a home to retreat to.

But still, I look at the sky and am thankful that my life is so beautiful.

Social Class Strucutre in Rio de Janeiro - My Interpretation

I wanted to give my interpretation of the social class structure in Rio. Remember, this is an opinion coming from a blond haired, blue eyed, American girl. I just want to record my current interpretation so I can see how it changes over time. With that in mind, here is my general breakdown:

Homeless:
There are a few homeless families here. The street families beg for food all day - sometimes it is one person, usually it is a whole family. And the smell... oh the smell. It is terrible. One family lives in front of, what I call, the blue wall (a giant blue wall that separates a school from the street and sidewalk). I'm actually not sure if it is one large family or two smaller ones, but this group of maybe 15 - younger adults all the way down to infants - is almost always in front of this blue wall, and this is a highly trafficked area so there are always people walking by. They beg for food and whatever else they can get all day, then at night they go across the street, lay out a foam pad, pile on top of one another, and go to sleep. I'm not sure what the older ones do about the bathroom, and I'm not sure I want to know, but I do know that they have no problem leaving behind dirty diapers and other trash, which is later cleaned by the local municipality. So I'm sure you can imagine that if the local sidewalk sweepers don't come by for even one day, the whole area begins to smell, bad! This is the life of a street person.

Favela Society:
I have never walked through a favela. I have been on bus rides through them, but have never spent time in them, but I still wanted to share the way I am interpreting the societal breakdown here, based purely on my observation. Favelas are their own society, yet I think favelas are a mirror of the larger society - lower, middle, and upper class still exists. There are those people who are unemployed, or underemployed, and whose kids don't go to school, or go only periodically - but at least they are not living on the streets. This is the low class favelado (favela dweller).

Then there is the large and varied middle class. These people have jobs, and they likely make one to five times the minimum wage (adjusted annually, it is just over R$505 (US$270) per month for 2010). They might be street sweepers, waitresses, maids, construction workers, doormen, beach cleaners, parking assistants, (did I mention Rio's propensity for job creation!), etc. These people are also consumers. More and more have cars, cameras, and cell phones, and 97% of favela homes have a TV. But they still live in a favela, which means less access to infrastructure, such as sewage, trash disposal, and running water, and slimmer opportunities for a good education.

Upper class favelados. I know very little about this group, but I speculate that the people comprising the upper echelons of drug gangs reside here. I imagine that these people don't necessarily have to live in favelas, but choose to. Certainly these guys have cars and iphones. They control the favela - just like the very small percentage of wealthy Americans who run their tentacles through everything in US society.

Also, it is safe to bet that if someone lives in a favela, that person has dark to black skin. Although favelas sound like very dreary and poverty stricken communities, they are also self sustaining mini-economies that have their own shops, banks, and even fast food (hello McDonalds).

Middle Class Society:
Again the middle class here, like in the US has the lower, middle, and upper class. Middle class society is very similar to the US middle class, it is huge and varied. There are people trying to make ends meet, there are people living comfortably, there are those whole live a life of excess, some can afford it, others can't. People have jobs, kids, apartments, homes, cars, and TVs. Some have summer beach homes and BMWs. Others have a bicycle and a cell phone. I would say the lifestyle I am living right now would fall into the category of upper middle class (even though I think I always live like a queen, I mean, really, look at my life.. how good it is!). I go out to eat at least once a day, I live beach front, I have internet access, a maid occasionally comes to clean and cook.

High Class Society:
This group, as in the US, is a minority. Even contemplating the amounts of money people have here is pointless. I mean really, the wealth gap is HUGE now and these people who already have millions just want more while people sleep on the street. It is sick.

So far this is my interpretation of the social class structure in Rio. I'm sure it will be changing as time goes by, and it will be interesting, and maybe even helpful, to go back and read this later to see how my opinions change.

Açaí and Pão de Queijo (Cheese Bread)

Açaí and Pão de Queijo

One of my favorite things, among many, about being in Brazil is the abundance of açaí (pronunciation). I can get açaí whenever I want and it tastes much better than anything in the US. I like it com banana, morango, e guarana (with banana, strawberry, and guarana).

This photo was taken at one of Russell's favorite açaí spots. Their açai is good but I think he really likes the pão de queijo (cheese bread) more than anything - and we only eat it when it is hot and fresh.

Here is an easy recipe for pão de queijo.