Getting off the tour bus in the middle of nowhere when it’s dark. Should be much closer to my house to take an Uber from there, rather than driving to the city center and paying much more for getting home. So I get off the bus next to the highway. No people, some suspiciously looking guys 20 meters from me. Tour guide coming out of the bus and saying to me to wait on the other side of the road where there is a gas station, because it is more safe there. He had a serious look and he seemed worried about me. “Please lady, go there, it is dangerous here.”
At the gas station a local party was happening, as it was a friday night. Grilling meat in the parking lot and loud music from the speakers, dogs barking and walking freely. Big, shiny SUVs arriving, pretty sure they didn’t get the money legally to buy these fancy cars. Wrote to my friend that it’s kinda creepy here. No Ubers close by. Connecting to 8 nearby drivers for the last 6 minutes.
My friend wrote to not stand alone. I said that if something happens I’ll run to the petrogas men. Had to wait 11 minutes. Just heard a story the day before about shooting and one of the volunteers getting attacked. For the first time being here, I felt like the danger is real. The time waiting for the Uber felt like forever. I, a white european girl with a flowery skirt waiting with a scared face for 15 minutes, would have been an easy target.
Luckily the police came with red sirens to the gas station and I felt a little more confident. When the Uber finally came I said to get me out of there fast. Everything went well, I am alive and I have all my things. Arriving home I went eating ice cream with my host and everything felt right again.
