From Tricky to being tricked

arrived in santiago(via buenos aires) a little delirious from lack of sleep. had now been up for like 35 hours with just an hour or two of sleep. looked over at the luggage carousel and saw the guy who i had thought in buenos aires looked really familiar, then heard him speak and it twigged... that's tricky! surreal moment #1.

hmm.. this next section might feel a little like a police report...

My face squashed into the footpath and a knife at my neck

after a little siesta, marcus and i were having drinks in a bar in what people tell us now is one of the more dangerous areas of santiago. tell us now! a friendly guy and a girl sat and started chatting to us which was great! chatting in spanish, marcus struggling a little with conversation but i think enjoying all the same. i thought the girl said something which rang warning bells - did she say that she danced for men for a living? they suggested we go next door, but on guard about their intentions, we stalled until she showed me that they were just talking about a nightclub.

we dance a little, and marcus decides to go home. he left so quickly i didn't even have time to think to ask him to give me my santiago map back that he borrowed...or to consider that this changes the safety dynamic...

still a little suss about these two, but curious as well. i wanted to know if this was a game, if it was then what game, and why they play it.

we decide to leave. i buy them some food at a street stall. was a little cold, i find a scarf and decide to wear it. we walk a little.

then...

My face squashed into the footpath and a knife at my neck. the guy holding the knife yelling 'tranquilo'. the girl trying to grab my wallet out of my pocket. Me writhing and saying 'por que?' I was quite calm, maybe in my naiveity i assumed though they wanted to scare me, there was no way they would hurt me. suddenly they both ran off, the guy disappeared quickly and i chased the girl where she was panicking and screaming at a door for her friend to let her in. I just repeated to her 'por que?' and then gave up without answer, turned around and caught a taxi.

then i realise that i don't have the map and can't remember what street the hostel's on...

three girls start talking to me. though i was in an understandably untrusting mood, we end up going out to another club. was nice to end on a happier note, with people apparently being friendly for the sake of being friendly and not for the sake of armed robbery! realised i had a little scar from the knife on my neck... wondered if the scarf helped.