Great, great pics of the fallls. What a treat. Loved the pics of you two as well

Raids across Brazil free 4,000 slaves

Tom Phillips in Rio de Janeiro
2006
The Guardian

More than 4,000 slaves were freed by the Brazilian authorities last year, according to new government figures. But campaigners fear hundreds of thousands more still live and work in near-slavery.
The Brazilian employment ministry said its officials raided 183 farms, the highest number since Swat-style teams were introduced 10 years ago. In total 4,133 workers were freed, with R$7.4m (£1.8m) paid to victims, the ministry said.

"What we know about is the tip of the iceberg," said Father Ricardo Rezende, an anti-slavery campaigner and author of Stepping Out of the Shadow: Slavery for Debt in Contemporary Brazil, the first study of modern-day slavery in Brazil.

Although slavery was officially abolished in Brazil in 1889, Fr Rezende said the official estimate of just 25,000 slaves in Brazil could be way off the mark: "The real figure could be 250,000."
Brazil's modern-day slave trade began to boom again during the 1964 military dictatorship. Following the creation of Sudam, a regional development agency which opened up industry in the Amazon region in 1966, business people and cattle ranchers flocked to the rainforests to make money. The landowners employed middlemen, known as gatos, who found unemployed workers in Brazil's impoverished rural communities, often in north-eastern Minas Gerais.

"The gato arrives in a community and says he can get legal work in a certain place," said Fr Rezende. "They say the person will be able to send money home to their family ... [but] when they arrive they discover they owe money for the transport and the food. The first imprisonment is that of the soul.

"Often a worker will have the false sense that he is in the wrong [if he flees]."

Neide de Oliveira was the first prosecutor in Brazil to secure a conviction against a farmer for using slave labour in 1998. She says landowners manipulate workers, knowing that slavery is, for many, a more attractive proposition than unemployment.

"I once interviewed a worker with malaria and the farmer had given him a paracetamol and told him he would have to work for two months to pay for it," she told the Guardian. "I said to him, 'Why don't you run away,' and he replied, 'Run away to where? I don't have any money and I can't go home like this.'"

The campaign against slavery has taken centre stage since President Lula da Silva came to power in 2002. In 2003 a national action plan drafted a blacklist of companies involved.

Yet campaigners say a shield of impunity still exists for many slave owners and warn that until a new bill is passed allowing the confiscation of land, little progress will be made.

In the past several politicians have been denounced for exploiting slave labour. Last year, Senator Joao Ribeiro was fined R$760,000 after 38 men, working in slave-like conditions were found on his farm.

Fr Rezende, who fled northern Para state after receiving death threats from pistoleiros (hired guns), claimed that the landowners reasoned the workers were uncivilised, and that they were offering them work and food.

"It is a cultural problem," added Ms Oliveira "The landowners say, 'Everybody does this, so why should I be different?"

Reuters is a wire service

Hey guys. I made it alright, except it took me forever. Im about to hop on a bus to Rio. See you there.

Ferg, another great update. I am begining to think that there must be a future for you in Journalism. Sounds like you guys are having a blast and seeing all the sight psossible. Hope all goes well for trip; tp Rio. Continue to travel safe and look out for my Baby Girl

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- Carnival clubs in Rio de Janeiro are taking aim this year at Brazilian politicians, with special songs and costumes consisting of little more than underpants, to satirize a corruption scandal that has dominated the news.

Irreverent street processions organized by the clubs, or blocos, fill the streets of Rio before the official start of the pre-Lenten festival.

Revelers are invited to join one procession wearing nothing more than underpants and carrying suitcases.

They are poking fun at one incident when an aide to a senior Workers' Party official was arrested at an airport with $100,000 stuffed into his underwear and more cash stashed in his luggage.

"The government thinks the people are blind/And Lula says he has seen nothing/Maybe it's all hidden in briefs/Or gone with illegal accounting," sings another bloco, called "Hey, it's Carnival."

A new group of poets and pranksters call themselves "Bloco dos Valerios" after publicist Marcos Valerio, a main protagonist of the scandal over vote-buying and illegal campaign financing that led several government officials and politicians to resign.

"We are the famous Valerios/The stars of probes in Congress/We buy the right for the left/With cash from public coffers," the bloco sings.

A congressional inquiry showed that Valerio siphoned off several million dollars from a contract with state-run Banco do Brasil to benefit the ruling Workers' Party.

Carnival masks of politicians, including President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, are a hot commodity, with more than 100,000 sold this year in Rio.

While the Rio Carnival is more famous for its spectacular, globally televised parades by top samba troupes in the Sambadrome stadium, unruly street processions are equally important and often more entertaining element of the annual jamborees.

They lack the lavish floats, elaborate costumes and almost nude beauty queens of the official parade, but they compensate for that with the pure joy of relentless dancing and singing as beer flows freely and flirting abounds.

"Street Carnival has a lot of satire, good-humored criticism, and not only about politics," said Rita Fernandes, head of the association of Rio's most famous blocos. "People like to scream it out during these days."

A procession founded by Rio journalists, "The Press that I Love," which parades around Rio's old Laranjeiras district, sings a boisterous samba about impunity for corrupt politicians: "And those folks are free and OK/to dance samba in most shameless way."

The Monarchs of Samba sing about "Monthly bribes, baldheads and briefs -- a tsunami of screw-ups." (Valerio is bald).

A bloco called "Honey, I'll be back in a second" sings about a popular wrestler confronting "the bearded toad," which is what many call Lula.

Other sambas feature puns with the bird flu, the Olympic Games and perennial calls for Carnival-time sexual freedom. Bloco de Carmelitas, where men dress as nuns, yells a song: "Open the convent gate/Kiss me on the lips."

Jumped on the bus from Salta- Sunday at 5 and arrived in Corrientes in the early hours of the morning...was not a bad night on the bus so we decided to explore our ticket options and continue on to Iguazu Falls. After 25 hours or so on the bus...in total...we arrived to a crazy hot evening...29 degrees...around 7:30. Nothing like 41 hours on the bus in 72...at least the Argentinian busses are comfy and have A/C...Ferg is a bus pro now and scored us some cool seats on the first level and we could stretch our legs out. Movie selection on the buses is terrible...so far we have seen 'Eye of the Tiger' (know you're jealous Joey) and a full range of old 80's movies as well. Sometimes they are in English with Spanish subtitles but they rarely turn up the sound so it is more of a tease than anything. A diversion of sorts I suppose. These buses also serve food...but you know it is bad if Ferg will not eat it! The Port of Iguazu is a nice small town and we are staying at the Hostal Iguazu Falls...it has a pool and our room is cool and compfy with our own patio & A/C...Ferg loves it! We showered up after the long haul on the bus and then went out walking...we found La Rueda...a traditional Argentinian restaurant that had been in operation for 30 years. The place was packed and no wonder...the food was excellent & the service was too. We got to know Hugo our server quite well over 2 bottles of red wine from Mendoza and may even go out drinking with him tonight...Ferg was wildly entertaining and we had a wicked night! He had a hunk of steak the size of a pot roast and I enjoyed Surubi...or Catfish from the local river. Nice atmosphere and a nice walk home...stays warm late! Today we enjoyed a lazy morning reading and then went out exploring...had breakfast in the lower end of town and now we are headed down to catch the local bus to the Falls...it is insanely hot...I am no longer teasing Ferg for opting for A/C...especially since it is only 10 Pesos more = about 3 $. Argentina is great value for your dollar accross the board...accomodations, food, and shopping! Excited to see the Falls...the posters herre everywhere make it look pretty amazing...widest falls in the world. South America also has the highest falls up in Venezuela - Angel Falls. Hoping to go out in a boat and see them close up...will try and get some good pics! Kris

O nce more, just want to thank you Fergus for all the current events. It really gets my day started. Know by your updates that you are really going to busy keeping the ones we love safe in Rio. Glad to hear that your trek is going as planned and hope you continue to travel safe and have a great time.

Hey guys. It is so cold here, last night it felt like -30. Glad Im going to Brazil. See ya Thursday in Rio.

Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)
RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (Reuters) -- A gang turf war broke out when 40 armed men invaded Rio de Janeiro's largest slum, killing at least six people as the city prepares for Carnival, police said Thursday.

Police squads raided the area, not far from Rio's beaches and posh neighborhoods, after the clash erupted in Rocinha on Wednesday night. They arrested seven people, but raids and shooting continued into the early hours Thursday.

A leader of a local drug gang and several more people were wounded. A 14-year-old was among the six dead.

Police could not say whether those killed were drug traffickers or slum dwellers, who often die in the crossfire.

The invading gang, armed with assault rifles, machine guns and grenades, shot up power transformers in the slum, leaving it without light. Many slum dwellers could not get back to their homes after work due to the shootout.

The hillside Rocinha, with a population of more than 150,000 people, is reputed to be the largest slum in Latin America. It lies close to the posh beachside areas such as Ipanema and Leblon and the new rich district of Barra da Tijuca, which makes it a lucrative drug-selling market.

Gangs rule in most of Rio's slums, and warfare often spills out in the streets, even closing main thoroughfares.

Hordes of tourists are arriving in Rio for the February 24 start of Carnival. Police will occupy slums around Copacabana beach, and reinforce patrols across the city.

Left Bolivia Friday night at 6 and arrived at the Argentinian boarder town of Villazon around 18 hours later...Bolivian buses leave much to be desired and this one had no bathroom...tonnes of fun! We were the only 2 Gringos on the bus so I guess you could really say we were experiencing Bolivia locals style...peeing on the side of the road in the dark and all. The bus stopped for a grand total of 26 minutes the entire 18 hours! Highlights, however, included our first picture perfect views of Hyuana Potosi, Chacalaytaya, and Illampu...our other 5 times entering and leaving La Paz they were hidden in the clouds...incredible sunset and huge moon rise too...looked like you could reach out and touch it! The border crossing into Argentina was a bit of a gong show...people are really pushy and aggressive to say the least...lucky I am a big girl with broad shoulders. We walked over the bridge and fought for a cab to the terminal & just had time to sit and eat a bite before boarding another bus to Salta...another 8 hours or so. This Bolivian boarder crossing is something the Argentinan police take super serious and the bus was stopped 4 times and searched...looking for Drugs and Electronics mostly...just get to sleep and it's full stop and all the lights on. Passports, bag checks, and even all the luggage taken out from under the bus in some instances...one stop held us up for 2 hours...it was midnight before we arrived in Salta. At least the busses in Argentina are much more comfortable...yippee for the knees! Argentinians party all night and the bar scene goes from 2 until 6 in the morning so we were able to dump our packs and head out for Pizza and a bottle of Red wine - Santa Julia...the wine here is incredible! Around 2 AM we walked to the hostal and slept until check out at 9:30...Ferg's quick thinking got us the last 2 tickets on the Bus tonight to Corrientes(sp?)...leaves at 5 and looks like another 15 hours...we're coming Wes! Salta is beautiful and we have been exploring on foot all day and enjoying the many cafes and bars around the main square...saw 2 of the most beautiful churches of the trip here today & we have seen a lot of churches. Ferg is in heaven...Parrillias here serve huge hunks of meat BBQ stlye and are everywhere...the meat is the best in the world he tells me...that's where we are heading next to fill bellies before the bus! Seroiusly hot day here today and the town is quiet right now during the Siesta! Hoping for a smooth ride tonight...hope all is well at home, Ciao, Kris

We are in Salta Argentina, these people know steak and wine, it is tres fab. This town is very historic lots of nice historic buildings and church´s. Today we fed some pigions in the park and hung out. The bus ride to get here was long and bad. The bolivia section was 18 hours and there was no bathroom on the bus, I didn´t drink anything the whole trip. The Argentina bus was nice but we kept getting stopped at police check points, one was for 2 hours!, the artgentinians seem very suspisios of bolivians. When we were having breakfast in the square a really drunk guy came up to the table and wanted to fight me probobly because I am a capatalist pig, this was at 10am. A cop came and took him away, he was lucky I would have killed him, he was old drunk and about 130 pounds. We are taking another long bus ride tonight, 16 hours to Corrientes then on to Iguazyu falls on the Brazil border, we needed to get brazilian visas in la paz, Not many countries need them just Canada japan and nigeria, we must have done something to piss them off. I hòipe the snow is coming around at home, I think it´s just waiting till I come home, shout out to Mom and Dad and all the peeps, keep it real Fergus