Sevarem, I guess I don't mind saying where I am, which is Salvador. I doubt that any city in Brazil is much different, others would know better.

I did take a walk home in the dark last night after getting a massage (hoping to cure a bad case of tennis elbow, spent R$100 on a massage that didn't help at all). It was about a km from my place, but I went down to the gas station the other way, bought some cigars, and headed back. I'm not an easy target, I would guess.

I'll have to finish out my 2 years here, I guess. Next year I think I will try to live downtown in Porto da Barra.

[quote="PsyGuy"]Compared to the USA just about every country is safer.

.[/quote]

That is interesting. I just had a talk with my school's new superintendent, and he said almost exactly the opposite, at least regarding Central and South America.

If I had known how dangerous Brazil is, I would simply not have accepted the job I currently have. I love the school, I like most Brazilians that I have met, but I generally hate living here. People tell me over and over again about not leaving the walled/guarded condo complex at night, unless taking a taxi or maybe a bus. Going down to the beach at night is apparently tantamount to suicide. Same with walking in the nearby dunes area, at any time of the day or night.

Maybe I am spoiled. I lived in the crack ghetto of Madison WI for over 12 years, and I never once felt even remotely unsafe there. I even drove off a few times with my garage door accidentally left open, and nothing was ever stolen.

Here, it is a different story. A parent of one of the students at my school was apparently shot at while driving the kids to school. She survived because she has bulletproof windows in the car or SUV or whatever it is she drives.

This is insane. I want out of here.