Alright, folks, I have many stories back in Brazil, but grab a seat and let me tell you about this one wild hike I had there. Imagine a couple of teenagers accidently spotting an illegal operation in a conservation area and finding themselves in trouble.
So, there we were, a bunch of friends and I, in Brazil for some hiking. Honestly back then, over there we didn't call it hike. No one called it a hike or a walk in the woods, although this is what it was, we just went to the forest, with no gear, no special shoes, nothing specific for a hike. We were exploring a hill, part of a conservation area, right behind a friends house. The place didn't have breathtaking views, nor was famous for anything, we just went places like this to entertain our mornings, but we'd soon find out, some pretty unexpected surprises were about to happen this time. You won't believe what happens next!
The hike started off great. We were surrounded by this dense, vibrant forest, the kind you see in those travel magazines. The air was fresh, and the sound of exotic birds filled the air. We were having a food time, taking in the sights, talking, discovering interesting pathways weaving through the bushes, around fallen trees, and amidst large rocks. The way was always so fun, we never needed a destination.
But then at some point, after only a few minutes into the hike, we stumbled upon something... off. At one point, we caught the distant murmur of voices and the clinking of metallic equipment. Curious, we got quiet and moved closer, and that's when we saw it – a small group of guys around chopped trees. It didn't take us long to assume this was no legal operation. It looked like they were logging illegally in an area protected by national government. This could be a very dangerous place for a couple of teenagers to be at, so we immediately start to walk back.
They had dogs with them and I think one of them spotted us because they started barking like crazy. We started to run, next thing we knew, they were unleashing the dogs on us! We kept running gaining more and more distance, but dogs are obviously a lot faster than us. I know my way around a forest, but I'm still a city folk, so suddenly we found ourselves in a real-life chase scene in the middle of the Brazilian forest.
Maybe it would have been easier to climb a tree, like in movies, cause we cannot outrun dogs, but we just couldn't think of it in that moment. And in fact, climbing a tree might not really be enough to save us as the dogs would still find us, being able to point us out to the people who was probably coming right after.
We can hear the dogs barking behind us and it's clear by the sound of it that they're getting closer quite fast. We reach the bottom of the hill and keep running through the open forest. The dogs are now just a few meters from us when one of them finally makes to attempt to bite me, tearing the bottom hem of my pants in the process. I stumble and almost fall.
With no other option, we all stop and turn around facing the dogs who also stop chasing us. They still had a very aggressive stance and seemed ready to attack when we hear a whistling coming from the hill. The dogs hurry back to where they came from and we rush back home, never to go back to that hill.
We made it back, safe but shaken. We considered reporting what we saw, but honestly, we weren't quite sure about what was actually going on. For all we knew, they could have been government agents flagging an operation, and we happened to assume it all wrong. We don't know if they sent the dogs to chase us, or if the dogs just chased us by instinct, spotting something moving behind the bushes. Perhaps we created a whole story in our teenage heads; who knows? Plus, we were a bit scared, to be honest, so we decided to leave it at that and swore off that particular hill for good.
A few weeks later, my friend mentioned noticing some individuals entering the area, something that never really happens. They appeared quite legit and professional, so I like to believe that nothing illegal was happening, or if there was, it got resolved.
Looking back, it was one heck of an experience. We went for a hike and ended up in a chase scene straight out of an action movie, at least that's how it felt to us as teenagers. It was scary, sure, but in a strange way, it was also thrilling. It's a story we still talk about whenever we get together.
So, that's my story, it's no quite a Hollywood story but it's definitely a true story. Next time you're on a hike, just remember – it's not always just about the hike. Sometimes, you get a bit more adventure than you bargained for!
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