Salvador: 20-21 May

So, it finally happened to me.

I arrived in Salvador at 6.30am. Having dumped my bags in the hostel, and being an arty-fart, I thought it would be nice to go for a wander around the Pelourinho to get some shots of the beautiful buildings whilst the light was golden and the skies crisp. I merrily wandered for about an hour, thinking how lucky I was to have all the cobbled streets, colourful colonial buildings, and grand Spanish plazas to myself.

As I navigated my way back towards the hostel, I found myself in a side street behind the main square. Suddenly, two young guys appeared behind me. One grabbed me and threw is arm around my neck, pulling me into a headlock. The other circled from the front and snatched at my bag. The grip around my neck tightened and I was pushed to the ground. Fingers slid under my watch strap and quickly prised it off my wrist. I let go of my bag and struggled to free myself. And then they were gone. By the time I'd rescued my glasses from the edge of the drain, I only caught their red t-shirts disappearing up the alleyway.


They didn't get much: my old manual camera (plus all the nice photos I'd just taken!), my watch (not worth more than £15 but full of sentimental value), my mobile (old and instantly cancelled) a few pens, a credit card, and my bag. But I was a bit rattled. I spent the rest of the day looking over my shoulder. Back in the hostel I heard many worse stories - two Spaniards mugged at gun point in Rio, an America who had a knife thrust into his face as two guys emptied his pockets - and felt somewhat relieved that I'd gotten away lightly.

Despite all of that, Salvador is a beautiful place. The colonial architecture exudes an attractive faded glory. The bright colours of the Portuguese facades complement the austere Jesuit churches. For many years it was Brazil's main gateway for the slave trade with Africa. And whilst it has cast off that particular colonial yoke, it has retained the strong Afro-Latin culture - there are bands on every corner and interesting tribal arts. Empty pocketed I ambled around, soaking up the history, listened to the music, and trying not to be paranoid that the person who crossed the street was going to rob me!