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).

Waldameer Park & Erie, Pennsylvania

Waldameer Park, Erie, PA

After a great day at Niagara Falls we had to go to the local company picnic for one of the wineries Kris' company oversees. The picnic was held at Waldameer Park in Erie, Pennsylvania. When Kris said there would be roller coasters and water slides, I pictured something like Six Flags. No - this was more like state fair style. I didn't go on any of the rides because they looked a little bit decrepit, but there were a lot of people, young and old alike, having a blast. I think this may be the place to be in this small town... well it was bigger than my home town, but I think this town is much further away from larger cities.

I also saw more mullets at that park than anywhere else I have been. The vast majority of the people were overweight as well. I just read an article that rated Colorado as the most fit state followed closely by states such as California and Hawaii. Considering that the only states I have spent any significant time in are Cali and Hawaii (well NY now), it was a little bit of a shock to see how unhealthy parts of the US are becoming. I couldn't help but wonder how our health care system is going to deal with all of these middle aged people who are overweight, and are therefore more likely to succumb to easily preventable illnesses. And then there are the children. It is so sad seeing a child that is fat. That child is learning terrible habits at such a young age, and habits learned at a young age can be the ones most difficult to break.

Skipping rocks in Lake Erie

I swear the food and health industries are conspiring together. We get poison in our food (seriously, the Pentagon used to have aspartame listed as a biochemical warfare agent, until the food industry realized they could make a profit marketing it as a zero calorie sweetener) and we are exposed to massive amounts of antibiotics that are making us immune to nearly all antibiotics out there... and don't even get me started on the super gene that is making its way around the world and who is resistant to everyday antibiotics that are carried in your everyday hospital or all of the GMO food out there. Then there is the ease of getting our hands on all the shitty food we can eat thanks to factory farming and subsidies (high fructose corn syrup, anyone?). Well all this (and more) is slowly fucking us over. And who will benefit from an unhealthy America? That's right, the health industry. No wonder they want to keep insurance privatized - and now every American has to buy private insurance.... Welcome to corporate America.

Ok sorry for that little tirade... The good thing about Erie is all of the greet forests that surround it. We went for a drive along Lake Erie and stopped at the beach and skipped rocks. The scenery is so beautiful in this whole area and everything smells so fresh!


After our day in Erie, it was time for the nice drive back into Canada...

Relaxing on a beach at Lake Erie, PA