Our man (on the beach ?) in Rio

A British embassy staff meeting ?

Just tried calling the British embassy in Rio (0055 61 3329 2300), which apparently no longer processes British citizenship applications but tells you to do so via the British embassy in Washington ... very helpful and logical. But I wanted to talk to them anyway. So I call, am given the usual recorded voice options that clearly want to avoid all direct human contact at any cost, hoping you will sod off and leave them in peace, and why would you even think of talking to a live human being when everything is answered on their website ? Or not. So I pressed 5 for the "emergency" line, intended for those dealing with things like life endangerment and Brazilian prisons (pretty much the same thing).

I waited while it rang and rang (at 12.35pm), no-one picked up, so eventually gave up. I have done this at least twice before. God help any Brit in need of urgent help from the British embassy in Rio. Too busy organising preprandial cocktails are we ?