Thursday night in Rio
It's about half ten, we've spent the day wandering around Ipanema, came home, watched some tv, read for a while, had some dinner, drank a glass of wine with a nice English couple. He works in advertising, she had a dream she was going out with Michelle McManus.
Laura and Sinead wanted to go to a Samba nightclub, so around half an hour ago, they had their showers, got changed, got a group of backpackers together and headed off. I decided to get an early night and give my wallet a rest.
But i still fancied a walk, it was a nice evening, so i walked the two blocks to the garage to get some chewing gum. And maybe a can of Coke.
Between the hostel and the garage, there's a roadblock. Police cars block the road, and plainclothes officers dressed in jeans and t-shirts stand around, M-16s cradled in their hands.
I move along past them, on the path. They nod at me, I'm a tourist, one of them smiles. I get to the garage, buy the chewing gum, decide against the Coke, it's late, I could probably do without the caffeine and the sugar.
On the way out, a Taxi passes me. You have to understand just how crazy fast the taxi drivers go here. They run red lights, regularly hit 140kph. This guy's not going especially fast.
I stroll up to the roadblock unwrapping my gum. There's shouting, the Taxi has tried to run the roadblock. The policemen are pointing their guns in the driver's window, screaming in Portugese, the blue lights flashing off their guns. I don't know whether to walk on through the roadblock, or stay where i am.
They open the door, the driver gets out, his hands up. Two machine guns aimed at his chest. The guy who smiled at me now screaming orders at him. One of the policemen reaches in and pops open the boot. I follow the small crowd and walk on, unsure of gawker etiquette here. As I reach the corner, i look back. The driver is on the ground, one of the cops is emptying the boot, the other has his rifle trained on whatever might be in there.
I get home, rabbitting about what I've just seen.
'Oh, that's normal around here'
Laura and Sinead wanted to go to a Samba nightclub, so around half an hour ago, they had their showers, got changed, got a group of backpackers together and headed off. I decided to get an early night and give my wallet a rest.
But i still fancied a walk, it was a nice evening, so i walked the two blocks to the garage to get some chewing gum. And maybe a can of Coke.
Between the hostel and the garage, there's a roadblock. Police cars block the road, and plainclothes officers dressed in jeans and t-shirts stand around, M-16s cradled in their hands.
I move along past them, on the path. They nod at me, I'm a tourist, one of them smiles. I get to the garage, buy the chewing gum, decide against the Coke, it's late, I could probably do without the caffeine and the sugar.
On the way out, a Taxi passes me. You have to understand just how crazy fast the taxi drivers go here. They run red lights, regularly hit 140kph. This guy's not going especially fast.
I stroll up to the roadblock unwrapping my gum. There's shouting, the Taxi has tried to run the roadblock. The policemen are pointing their guns in the driver's window, screaming in Portugese, the blue lights flashing off their guns. I don't know whether to walk on through the roadblock, or stay where i am.
They open the door, the driver gets out, his hands up. Two machine guns aimed at his chest. The guy who smiled at me now screaming orders at him. One of the policemen reaches in and pops open the boot. I follow the small crowd and walk on, unsure of gawker etiquette here. As I reach the corner, i look back. The driver is on the ground, one of the cops is emptying the boot, the other has his rifle trained on whatever might be in there.
I get home, rabbitting about what I've just seen.
'Oh, that's normal around here'
posted by Andy at 3:07 AM
1 Comments:
eh. ok.. you're now not allowed go anywhere in Rio after dark. not without your own policeman at least. (and not a corrupt one that only wants to sell your kidneys) We need you back in one piece. Otherwise who will place "Beautiful ladies in danger" at my parties?
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