Favelas in the rain

It has been raining non-stop pretty much since Friday here. Although a common occurance in Michigan, in our lovely coastal city here it is not so common. Grey and rainy weather doesn't make for good picture taking (I know, I took about 20 shots today and only two came out and the quality is not really top notch either), it can make for good story telling about Bahia. In a city built like most "developing" country cities, there is a great hail-all to cement and not so much room left for open ground and vegetation. When there is more than a light sprinkel, water pools in various low laying places, runs like rivers down the street, and in favelas creates huge, resident-killing mud slides. Many favelas are built on hillsides, those areas being less desireable by people with monitary means because they are difficult to build on. One dwelling is built and sells the rights to build on their roof top, or perhaps half on the roof and half up the hillside, and POOF, here we are in a disaster waiting to happen. Last year I think I heard a number around 160 people killed by mud slides in favelas. I am sure it is actually higher than that and those are just the ones who make the news.