reporter: they soon see the first buildings in rocinha. the shanty town extends all the way up the hill. richard: wow, quite amazing actually. you've got such a poor society living so close to a rich. its well worth a visit. i can't wait to walk it. reporter: tour guide marcos lelal leads the group into the heart of rocinha and one of the numerous shopping streets. eileen gerard from britain says not much here reminds her of a slum. eileen: i think the people are so resourceful, that they all find a living out of very, very poor conditions. and i mean it's like a very thriving busy town - which is poverty, but it's very, very busy. they're all working hard. it's amazing. reporter: just a few years ago, taking pictures here would have been life-threatening. armed drug dealers ruled the streets. now, for the past two and a half years the favela has been peaceful. the locals have got used to large numbers of tourists here. >> i think we're privileged to have them look at our favela. >> they have the opportunity to see a favela from the inside