Twelve years old. Playing in the street in a favela [slum]. The police arrive in a hail of bullets, flushing out the drug dealers. Bullets bounce off the walls, the street. Daniel is hit twice in the chest, once in the back. "They don't count," he dismisses them, "they were only ricochets."

Fourteen years old. It's a holiday, 40C. Too hot even for the beach. To escape the heat, Daniel and Marcos, his best friend, are heading off to spend the day in the airconditioning of Barra Shopping. The heat proves too much for Daniel, and while waiting to cross the road in front of the shopping centre he faints. He cracks his head on the ground, and knocks himself out. He is lying in the street, unconscious, bleeding - Marcos runs to a public fone to call me.

A passing security car sees him, picks him up and delivers him to the nearest public hospital. He has no ID with him, so is put on a stretcher and left in a corridor, still unconscious, waiting his turn to be looked at. However, there is a tad of confusion, and an hour later Daniel wakes up in a back room, beside two corpses. Hmm.

Still fourteen. Today is Daniel's Birthday. An American who has been on several of Daniel's tours gives him a Playstation as a present. Daniel calls his friend Robledo to come and play with him. In the evening, Daniel asks if he can go sleep at Robledo's house, and take the Playstation there. Since it's only two bus stops, I see no problem.

At the first stop - it's just 6pm - two guys get on the bus and threaten the driver and passengers with a gun. Daniel has his Playstation hidden in an old backpack. The thieves force him and Robledo off the bus at gunpoint, then take everything, including their shirts and shoes. When this happens, it is not uncommon for the victim to be shot. Fortunately there is a lot of traffic around, so the thieves run off.

Daniel comes home crying, saying over and over "I'm sorry, dad, I'm sorry." As if he was responsible. He runs into the bathroom and vomits.

Sixteen years old. Xmas eve. Here in Brazil Xmas is celebrated at midnight: presents opened, Xmas Dinner served. Having eaten all he can, Daniel packs up the excess and takes it up into a favela, to share with some families who otherwise have nothing. He takes with him his most valuable possession - an Ipod he received that very night for Xmas.

In the favelas it is not wise to steal, as they are controlled by the drug lords and the penalty is death. [Rio averages 30 murders a day, a lot of bodies come rolling out of the favelas].

Unfortunately, Daniel's Ipod disappears during the festivities. A fourteen-year-old boy, acting on impulse, walks off with it. Even more unfortunate, the local drug lord hears of it and sends two thugs to collect Daniel and take him to the top of the hill. Few return from this trip.

He is presented with a machine gun and told to go and execute the thief. He is forced to fire several rounds in the air to show he can handle the gun. He is told, you don't live in this favela, you brought temptation with you. Kill the boy, or we will kill you.

3am. Daniel is face to face with the boy, in his house [shack, like those pictured on this site]. The kid is distraught, crying, panicking. Daniel says: Look, sorry but I have to kill you. Leave now, fast, take nothing. Here's the fare, go to my house and I'll hide you till we can fix this.

He returns to the top of the hill. What happened, he is asked, did you kill him?

No, says Daniel, I told him to run away.

The drug lord can't believe it. Well, he says after a while, it's Xmas night, so I'll let your honesty save you. Go, and never return here.

He went.

Seventeen years old. Daniel travels an hour out of Rio to deliver some medicine to a sick kid. Since it is late, he stays overnight. The family is mum and three kids.

It's 1am - Daniel is lying on the couch, watching TV. The household is asleep. The door bursts open, and the boyfriend, very drunk, appears. He has a pistol in his hand. "Who the fuck are you?" he screams at Daniel.

Daniel leaps up, the boyfriend fires two shots at him. The first hits the floor between his feet. The second ploughs into the wall beside his head. Plaster chips cut his ear, causing it to bleed. Daniel leaps through a window and disappears into the night.

Nineteen years old. Taking a tour in Buzios, a resort town close to Rio. He is the passenger in a dune buggy, his friend is driving. The buggy flips at speed. Daniel is thrown clear. The buggy rolls onto his friend. Trapped with it across his chest, he is screaming: "God Oh God! Get it off. God it hurts. Help me."

Dazed, bleeding, his foot badly injured Daniel hobbles over to the buggy and in an instant flips it off his friend.

To this day he cannot believe he did it, cannot imagine where the strength came from.

Enjoy Daniel's anecdotes through his blog - certain to be humorous, revealing and highly entertaining.

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