The story

For whoever has seen the 2002 movie "City of God" -- based on real stories set in the eponymous slum in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro -- a favela can be a scary place, plagued by violent crime.

The unpretentious Pousada Favelinha, a modest guest house and hostel located at the top of Rio de Janeiro's favela Pereira da Silva, is one notable exception to the city's criminal reputation.

Originally inaugurated in January 2005 by a Brazilian woman and her German husband, it is now run solely by its "carioca" (Rio-native) owner, Andreia da Silva Martins, whose family is both at home and on friendly terms with everyone in the neighborhood -- as well as the police. Read full article »

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