The Steps of Lapa

A Lapa nightclub - one of very many

Rio de Janeiro (like any big city, particularly in the recently developed world) has neighborhoods of wealth next to areas of poverty.  And now, like any big city in the developed world) has gentrification.
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Lapa  is a poor area next to a very rich / bohemian neighborhood (Santa Teressa) which has both.  It is a poor area, but at night turns into the very hippest of neighborhoods.
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A Very Cute Young Man who poised for me on the street one night.

We visited a few times.  The first was at night at dinner with Sam and some of his friends from Cornell.  We saw a crazy vibrant part of town that used to be scary.
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We then walked down the famous "Escadaria Selarón" steps from Santa Teressa to Lapa.  An Italian migrant artist has adorned the steps and some of the walls with various ceramic tiles facing Lapa.
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Ed at the top of the steps.

It was interesting and lovely during the day.  Quite a contrast to the poor sections of the neighborhood.

The top of the steps

This are the steps from 2/3's of the way.  At the top (the ceramic Brazilian flag) the upper steps split into two parts.
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It has quite a positive effect on the neighborhood with a few cafes at the bottom and a semi-tourist spot has grown up.