As I was sitting on beautiful Ipanema beach in Rio just a few days earlier, my peaceful reverie was broken by some noise coming from Av. Vieira Souto, the road closest to the beach. I couldn't quite tell from my vantage point, but squinting to get a better look, I saw at least 30 teenagers with picket signs. I saw half of one sign, which read "DEN---" and what appeared to be some kind of insect on another. Doing a bit of medical calculation, I arrived at the strange conclusion that this had to to with dengue. Not understanding much more and watching the protesters leave, I returned my attention to the beach.
It was only about five days later, on the bus ride back from Barra da Tijuca, one of the largest shopping districts in Rio, did I understand what was going on. My girlfriend and I, in our confused state over Rio's bus system, caught the attention of a beautiful Brasilian woman, who we later learned was visiting her sister in Rio from the most southern part of Brasil, close to Uruguay. After leading us to bus # 175, she advised us to be on our guard about the dengue epidemic in Brasil. Dengue epidemic??? Why hadn't anyone warned us? Stupid Americans. She gave us a few tips about hydration and bug spray and told us not to worry, and that we would probably be fine, which we are, so far.
After I returned home to New York, I've been doing a little more research about the situation in Brasil. As an aside, I had a boyfriend in college who was a bit of an adventurer. He traveled a lot, but unlike many Americans (myself included) traveling was not necessarily a vacation for him. He seemed to remain aware at all times about the impact of tourism on a place. He stayed away from local tourist traps, preferring instead to take the less beaten (and probably more dangerous and uncomfortable) path, with his small backpack and camera. I really admired him for how much respect he maintained as a tourist, and from him I learned to always question the beauty and polish of a place and to realize that everything has its price. The beauty of one area is just the other face of the extreme poverty afflicting another.
Anyway, back to my story. I probably don't need to tell you that Brasil is a very poor country. I happened to see some of it firsthand from the comfort of an air-conditioned bus. The landscape of Rio de Janeiro city is dotted with close to 700 favelas, or the Brasilian equivalents of shantytowns. Barefoot street kids are a common sight, often traveling in groups of three and sleeping in the dirty roads. I had to look twice at some of them and often paused to catch my breath. The sight is truly heartbreaking, reminiscent of hard lessons I learned during my childhood summers in India.
Right now, the Caxias community of Rio is getting hit very hard by the dengue epidemic. Compounding the strong presence of the disease are the limitations posed by its high crime rate and extreme poverty. In this city, where I soon learned even private medicine is unable to meet the demands for medical care, it seems improbable that these people are going to receive the care they desperately need and, quite rightly, deserve. What's even more sad is that the treatment of dengue does not require fancy, hard-to-get medications - it is mainly supportive, requiring extreme hydration and antipyretics (medications to lower fever, excepting aspirin).
I often feel guilty as a traveler. I saw two communities in Brasil that made up the richest percentage of the country's population, and what did I do? I damn well enjoyed it. I loved the cleanliness of Rua Oscar de Freire in Sao Paulo and the modern, beachy architecture of Ipanema. They were a sight for my bored eyes. At the same time, it seems so silly and superficial to like a place when all that the beauty translates to is more money. It is my traveler's dilemma and I will probably take the guilt with me wherever I go. I think that the best I can do is to minimize my ecologic footprint as much as I can. Walk when possible, car pool if necessary, and waste as little as I can - try to leave the place as I arrived in it.
