We`ve decamped to the upscale neighbourhood of Ipanema, to see how the ultra rich of Rio live. It`s an expensive neighbourhood and our accommodation is ultra pricey to match – it is also a dump! We instantly decide to just spend one night in our cardboard box and move elsewhere. The one night proves more than enough, especially after being woken at 3 am in the morning by farting and burping germans in the next room – the airbrick was just above my head.
On our second night a man tries to rob us, or he pretends he is about to rob us – I`m not really sure. We have just left a bar and have decided to go to a party that we have been invited to, when a man in a jacket, and sweating profusely, asks us something in Portuguese. “No fala Portuguese.”, I say, deploying one of my few Portuguese phrases. He tries to say something in English before shaking his head and walking off. We frown and cross a busy main road into a quite residential street.
Suddenly the man is back in front of us demanding money. He has his hand in his pocket and shows us what he says is a knife, or gun, I can`t understand him. I put my hand in my pocket and take out our decoy money, about 30 Reais (10 pounds). We have taken to not carrying anything, except what we immediately need in Brazil, so we don´t have a lot of money, but we do have some more stashed in other pockets.
“No”, he says, “give me the dollars in you back pocket.”
I have my pocket notebook in that pocket, and I take it out to show him. He has obviously been watching , has noticed the bulge and convinced himself I have a whole stack of dollar bills.
When he sees my notebook his menacing scowl changes into a smile, and he laughs. He thrusts the 30 Reais back into my hand and walks off laughing loudly. “Welcome to Rio!!”, he shouts repeatedly at us as we hurry away.
We are not exactly sure what has just happened, but it has shaken us and when head quickly for the nearest bar. We can only guess that he was after a big haul of dollars, and a handful of Reais was not worth the potential trouble it could have caused him. A very strange experience.
1 Comment
August 19, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Was introduced to ur blog by Donovan Beukes & log on regularly to follow ur ‘adventures’.
My compliments on ur writing & photography.
Better than any armchair travel guide i’ve read.
Enjoy ur journey
nick