I am glad it worked for your girlfriend.

One should still not simply walk into a Favela as a tourist. I have family in Brazil (Sao Paulo) and a majority had different experiences even when being careful.

Regarding "Not wasting time and money", it goes quick. A guy on a motorbike with a gun, a car that stops and 3 people jump you etc.

I love Brazil, the people, the music, the landscape, the farova, but criminality is a problem (more then 50 000 homicides per year).