A personal selection of photographs with their stories.
DECEMBER 2006: Red carpet in SAARA
SAARA ( similar to the Portuguese word for Sahara , but is an abbreviation for the shopkeepers’ association in downtown Rio de Janeiro) , is the cozy shopping center in downtown Rio de Janeiro . A number of narrow streets with dozens of small shops, where you can buy almost everything. You need to be aware of pickpockets, as you should be cautious in any big city in the world. As long as you don’t behave too obvious, nothing may happen. When I was there, I visibly enjoyed the atmosphere in the crowded streets. Covered markets are located next to the narrow streets; you can buy a wide range of products of the parallel market. Pirate CDs and DVDs, cheap electronics, clothing, shoes, perfumes. In order to create a more colorful street image, the city had rolled out red carpets on the pavements. And not only in SAARA. Various pavements in the districts of Ipanema and Copacabana were also covered with red carpets. It was a strange sensation to walk on these carpets. As if you were a real royalty or celebrity.
© Adriano Antoine Robbesom 2006, 2014