RIO DE JANEIRO, (Reuters) - The government of Rio de Janeiro is building concrete walls to prevent sprawling slums from spreading farther into the picturesque hills of this world-famous tourist destination, an official said on Saturday.

Construction has begun in two favelas, or shantytowns, in the southern districts of Rio de Janeiro, a government spokeswoman told Reuters. One of the two is Morro Dona Marta, which police occupied in November to control crime and violence caused mostly by rival drug gangs.

Officials say the wall is to protect the remaining native forest but critics fear the move could be seen as discriminatory and become a blemish symbolizing Brazil's deep divisions between rich and poor.

The only trip I've ever made outside of the US was to Rio. I was floored by the slums there. It's crazy. Makes the US ghettos look like paradise. That photograph speaks volumes!

RealAmerican wrote:

i wouldnt feel comfortable staying in that hotel on the right. id be too worried about people taking shots at me when i go out onto the balcony.

Screw Rio...too many people, too many tourists... what ya wanna do is... go right or left and keep on walking til you get the f out of the city and are surrounded by giant bugs and big trees.

StarsChildren wrote:
Yeah, my friend and I went on some day trip outside of Rio that was really beautiful(mountains & lagoons). Then she met some creepy, neanderthal looking perv and abandoned me for the rest of our vacation(even going to another hotel with him). Fucking sucked. The beach was very littered there- Florida has prettier beaches. I gotta say, though, the food in Rio was amazing.

K-Bone wrote:
Too funny...

I got a friend down in Brazil... now this (photo below) is what I am talking about, its the part of Brazil I'd love to get lost in...

StarsChildren wrote:
You lucky dog! Now, that's a lovely beach! Me want to go! I'd love to see some other places in South America, as well....I just need a real friend to go with.

Oh, and my so-called friend ended up marrying that creep! I used to refer to him as The Missing Link. Our friendship ended after he carved a peep hole in the guest bathroom door! I discovered it while sitting on the toilet!

K-Bone wrote:
Well whenever I make it down that way you're more then welcome to come with...although fair warning the dude in that photo will probably, more than likely, hit on you... he lives out in the boonies, doesn't see much of the women folk (he knows I'll punch him, but you, he'd probably try).
I would say the Olympics should be held there, with all the prettiness, but all those people would f-ing ruin it.

K-Bone wrote:

then
I think the emoticons explain how that would have gone over...

StarsChildren wrote:
I know, right? I was shaking so hard, I could barely drive myself home!

Girl, I am so there! Brazillian boonies look pretty sweet! Flirtations, I can handle....someone watching me pee?