Sex at a price:The untold story  of Brazil's World Cup

The World Cup may bring business for Belo Horizonte’s prostitutes, but there’s a price to pay, writes Ewan MacKenna

BLINK and you’ll miss much. The city centres of Brazil’s concrete jungles tend to be a little different from what you’re used to. Often places to be avoided rather than embraced, this isn’t high street, high value or high society.

Instead it’s high rise, and where much of the underbelly of Brazilian culture either survives or thrives behind a grey veil. Forget the stereotype of sun, sand, soccer and samba, this isn’t even the stereotypical projection of the nation’s sexual culture. Yes, there’s no shortage of seediness, but to the unfamiliar eye it’s more sad and shocking than seductive.