So I am in Montevideo, and being the Gringo that I am, decide to explore the city by walking around, without getting any specific advice beforehand. Montevideo is kind of a ghost town right now, because it is Sunday and everyone is at the beach (Punta). As always, I feel safe. I walk down past the Plaza de Independencia. Toward the sea, I encounter two juvenile guys. I notice they are staring at me, but I ignore them and keep walking. The street is almost empty, save for some old people sitting in front of their doors. So I keep walking, but something tells me I should make sure to turn around and look over my shoulder. Lo and behold, one of the guys is in the process of sneaking up to me and making a move to either reach into my pocket or hit me or something. So I keep ducking and sliding and generally feel like a God...just kidding . Anyway, I raise my fist at the guy briefly and make a step toward him, and he moves backward and gives me this grin that says "ok dude it was worth a try but you caught me, this is as far as it goes". The other dude screams some stuff in my direction in broken English. Since the guy closer to me is backing off, I decide to not pursue the two youngsters, but to just keep walking instead. As I pass some old people a little bit further down the road who have apparently observed the scene (but not called or anything to make me aware that the kid was trying to sneak up on me), one old lady smiles at me and makes a gesture and says "ojo!"...like..."well done". I kind of wanna high five her like Borat, but decide to keep walking. Then I decide to take the same way back later, hoping to meet the two guys again (one might consider this unwise, but...). And about two blocks from where I initially met them, there they are again. I decide to take out my mobile phone (that they had tried to snatch from me) and take a picture of them. They make some gestures, but the game has been decided already...they will not try and make a move (they are two, but they are both at least a foot shorter than I am, and considerably lighter, and I don't think they wanted to fight in the first place). I take the picture and keep walking. THE END. Here is the (unspectacular) pic: They really were pickpockets rather than anything aggressive...so it wasn't really a robbery attempt, just a pickpocket attempt. Once that didn't work, they themselves were almost like...ok...HIGH FIVE :grin:. P.S.: I am going back to that Ciudad vieja area now, because it looks like the only bar that is open on a Sunday night with some action in summer when everyone has deserted the city appears to be there. I am curious to see if it is a bit scary when it's dark. If I never post again...well...you know. PAAAAAAARTY for some of you .
Just quickly read this before I am heading out again: http://www.virtualtourist.com/trave...43/Warnings_or_Dangers-Montevideo-TG-C-1.html Pretty much what I saw. There were also some very young kids begging for money...made me feel bad.
That indeed was a Guay story, viejo. I was waiting for the perpetrator to Flop, a la Manu, as soon as he saw your fist.
Glad you foiled them. It sucks to be targeted for that kind of thing. It's happened to me a couple of times before. Once in Pamplona though it was obviously very crowded rather than deserted, and once on a train while I slept. There were other attempts in Mexico, and New Orleans, and Rome but those were foiled, luckily.
Whattup SJC! Sorry about your trip but you must be a scary MF'er to throw off two would be mugger fuggers! Good job on getting out safe. You and the Stache will start muggin people in houston.
One of the all-time BBS classics. Dude had a lot of imagination. http://bbs.clutchfans.net/showpost.php?p=1366074&postcount=38
Thanks. Before my time here, but I think someone must have linked to it before and that's why it was familiar. Cool story and picture, by the way. One day, I'd like to travel like that.
By the way, just heard what sounded like a gun shot in front of my hotel. Screw it, I am going out anyway. By the way, if anyone is ever in Montevideo, there is a restaurant called Francis (YA RLY!), I can highly recommend it.
Damn, those dudes look pretty tough. You should of pantsed that guy and stared at him while he was lookin' like a fool with his pants on the ground. Glad you didn't have to whip out the blade and shred a fool, gbg style. Good to hear your ok bro, you might be the most interesting man on clutchfans.
LOL yeah, you never know people's intentions, they might have a knife or there might be more people, or whatever. But I didn't really feel threatened (which is understandable when you see them in the pic), or I would have reacted differently, I guess. Actually, my taxi driver looked way scarier :grin:. I'll try and upload some more pictures (no pickpockets, just scenery) later. I love South America. See y'all later (I hope ).
I would, if I was a girl, or a little guy. The only people I'd be worried about are people with a gun or knife, and among those, really only those who are drugged. As long as they are not drugged, they still calculate their risk, and my guess is that they would prefer easier victims than a 6'6, 210 lbs guy. Still, if someone had a gun or knife, I would just hand them whatever I have - not worth it. If it is apparent that they don't, they will likely not try to fight. The one risk you cannot calculate is if someone is so drugged that they will just shoot, no matter what. Pepper spray will likely not make much of a difference in that case. I lived one year at the corner of Cullen and Scott Street in Houston (behind a large fence, but...during that one year, two people got robbed at gunpoint right in front of my door, one professor (TSU, I think) got murdered at the McDonalds I usually went to and at least one girl got raped pretty much right next to my apartment complex). Most other places I have been to except Tijuana, some places in South Africa and Caracas don't seem any more dangerous than that. That bar (El Pony Pisador) was alright, played some live samba music and stuff, but no stellar ladies, so I am back already.
Thanks man...unfortunately...if that was true, I'd be posting less, and I wouldn't be doing this trip alone .
How did those doggamn muslims get to south america? and did they yell any religious prayers before attacking you?
