Lapa

In 1990, Jorge Selaron, a Chilean artist living in Rio, decided to spruce up his neighborhood by tiling a  decrepit staircase.

Initially, Selaron used only the colors of the Brazilian flag for the 215 steps that connected Lapa to a convent near his home in Santa Teresa.

Eight years later, he expanded the project to include tiles of all kinds, creating an ever-changing mosaic that became a major tourist attraction.  People from all over the world sent tiles to Selaron after visiting.

Andrew, born in New Brunswick, found a tile mapping Canada's Maritime Provinces.

Pregnancy was an important symbol for Selaron, who was found dead on the steps in 2013.   It could have been murder or suicide.  Nobody knows for sure.

Another tile depicts a pregnant woman as the archetypal favela resident.  "Those who are wise obey those who give orders."

Street art decorates the immediate vicinity.

Lapa is known for its nightlife, but our guide warned us to stay on the far side of the aqueduct if we went out.

A local sanitation worker was taking a break when we crossed into the safe zone.

Santa Teresa

A marmoset joined us for lunch in Santa Teresa, a hipster neighborhood clinging to the side of one of Rio's many mountains.  The food wasn't nearly as good as the ambiance.

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The local street car is iconic.

 As are some of the vehicles.

Cheap housing on steep inclines attracts artists and young people.

Street lamps bases are colorfully painted.

It's unlikely you'd find sculptures like these in the US but they're sold in many of the tourist shops.

The views from Santa Teresa can be spectacular with clear skies, as we learned a few days later.  Anthony, our guide, took us to Parque das Ruinas, a Belle Epoque mansion.