Rio de Janeiro Brazil （B）巴西里约热内卢 (下）4/2017 (27)

30/4/2017-7/5/2017. I came to this Ipanema beach just before the sun set, to squeeze in one more beach for the day. This was another famous beach in Rio. The sun was about to retire for the day, shades of gray clouds painted the sky, and the lighting on the whole beach was dimmed. This scene took on a spooky look. It was like Gotham City, like a twilight zone. It felt surreal, like a fiction movie.

4/30/2017-5/7/2017 赶在太阳下山前快游伊帕内玛 （Ipanema）海滩，也是里约一个闻名海滩。太阳快完全消失在山后，临走前在层层灰云中散发橙光，身在异乡，如置身虚幻世界。

This journey through South America lasted 68 days. On the 66th day, my luck ran out. At about 1 p.m., on a bright sunny afternoon near Ipanema’s CBD area, after taking a photo of Carioca Aqueduct, a tourist attraction in the Lapa neighborhood, I spotted an approaching youth. As he closed in within 20 meters, I played it safe by quickening my steps to the middle of the two-way street, with cars running on them. I didn’t expect him to follow me there, but he did. Before I realized it, he swooped to snatch the phone out of my hand, then flashed a cheeky grin, baring his white teeth before calmly running away. Six or seven youths sitting 20 meters away shrugged their shoulders when I appealed for help. They might be accomplices. Thinking back, I could have been stabbed. My phone was cheap; so was life here.

These are photos of Copacabana beach, one of many beautiful beaches, but they do sometimes come with turbulence. My fondness for the Brazilians remains intact. Brazil, Rio, is very much the good, the bad, and the beautiful; mostly good and beautiful.

此行走遍拉美共68天，到66天不走运了。光天化日，中午一点，在里约商业中心景点，我刚拍完照往后一看，一青年在我身后朝我快步走来，心知不妙，即刻往马路中心快步走，马路还有车辆双向往来，没想到他竟然跟上来。我还没回神已把我手中手机夺去，然后发力逃跑，还回头送我嬉皮一笑。我大喊 “Help！”, 二十米处六七个青年，袖手旁观，看着我，无可奈何样子，可能也是同党。这手机一丢我就音讯全无，像在人间蒸发掉，等到回国后补办SIM卡。一个逍遥自在的人碰到逍遥法外的人，只能庆幸除个手机外没大碍。不然，没说拜拜就拜拜了。此行有点探险，终于试探了风险。

以下照片是著名的里约科帕卡巴纳 （Copacabana) 海滩。美丽的海，难免有惊涛骇浪，对巴西人的喜欢没动摇。

Look at these Brazilian men on the beach, looking like the perfect specimen—athletic but not bulky, tan and not pale. They were everywhere. The girls, well-known for their shapely long legs, were similarly well-sculptured. But I noticed they did not wear skirts here much, mostly tight long pants. Why?

这些巴西男，身高腿长， 不白嫩不碳黑，也不是大块头的肌肉💪男，不愧运动料子，在里约随处可见。女孩也一样，出名的大长腿美女，但里约少见女孩穿裙子，几乎都是单一的紧身长裤，是炫耀长腿?

This was the place to be on a Friday night. Loud music blasted onto the streets, Western pop, Latin pop, whatever moves people. People packed into the joints, spilling over into the streets. Yep, this was the place I was robbed of my cell phone, only 50 meters from here. I was told it was safer at night than during the day. Anyway, here I come again. What are the chances of one getting robbed twice in a day, right? The Brazilians knew how to party. Why not? Life is short: Work hard, party hard is not a bad way to live.

里约周五晚夜生活很热闹。这是市中心叫拉帕 （Lapa）的地方，如上海新天地，只是火上好几倍，有当地流行的乐队，拉美，也有美国摇滚，在街上各放各的，人群挤到街道上，沸膨溢出。看起来巴西人玩世不恭，但没甚不好，凡事不需过分认真，人生短暂多难，要尽兴就尽兴。是的，这里就是我手机被抢的地方，就五十米外。听说白天不安全，晚上安全，昼夜颠倒的，是个鬼地方。白天被抢过， 晚上又回来? 我就是不信邪，不会一天倒两次霉吧！其实我附近路上见到一双年轻非裔情侣，就请他们护驾到这中心。他们真的都很发自内心地友善。