Getting Robbed in Cusco, Peru. And Catching the Thief.
While in Cusco, Peru, Jim and I had a couple hours to kill before we were to catch a flight to Lima. We decided just to wander around town.
We were walking in a non-touristy market-y area on a beautiful Saturday morning. There were lots of people out on the street as you can see in the photo below.
I just want to note, than when Jim and I are traveling, the person who is NOT wearing the backpack (is this case I am referring to a small daybag, not a giant backpack) is in charge of keeping an eye on the backpack being worn by the other person. We are very vigilant about this. In fact, literally two minutes before the incident happened, we were standing on a bridge and Jim was taking some photos. I put my arm around his back, over the backpack, while it was exposed to passersby. This is just an example of how careful we usually are around protecting the bag. Even when we are walking around, I will stay ever-so-slightly behind Jim just so I can always keep an eye on the bag.
The photo Jim took from the bridge a minute before being robbed
Back to the story. Suddenly, the sidewalk got extremely crowded to the point where all of us were pushed up against each other. Jim got separated from me and was about one or two people in front of me. At that moment I realized this was not a good situation and that I better keep a closer eye on him and his bag.
Then I saw that a bird crapped all over the back and side of Jim’s neck. I saw him sort of turn his head when he realized it happened, but he didn’t really react. I remembered thinking, “That sucks, we will have to go get him cleaned up.”
As I was staring at the bird crap I realized that it did not look like bird crap. It looked like spit.
Then, in the next two seconds, a few things happened. I realized immediately that someone spit on Jim and that it was part of a scam and my brain went into defense mode. As a backpacker, you have either read or heard about the scam where someone either spits on you, squirts mustard or hand lotion or crap on you, then comes over and helps you clean it off, all while robbing you. I immediately looked at his backpack and sure enough I saw that the small outer pocket was UNzipped. I starting yelling to him, “Jim! Your bag! Your bag is open!” Remember we were in an extremely crowded area.
In that same second, I looked around to see if I could see someone actually robbing him. There was a small older lady next to me, maybe about four and a half feet tall, and I must have seen her hand on his bag or something – I can’t remember what I saw now – but I knew it was her. I grabbed her. I grabbed her arm so she couldn’t get away. I don’t even remember what I said to her, but likely she didn’t understand since I don’t speak Spanish. I am still surprised at myself that I actually grabbed her like I did.
Immediately she reached into her pockets to show me she didn’t have anything. I thought this gave away her guilt that she even knew to show me her pockets’ contents.
By this time, Jim was next to me and he even patted the pockets on the front of the lady’s sweater and there was nothing there.
I asked him what was in that front pocket of his bag (I had thought it was empty anyway, other than some change). He said, his iPhone! I couldn’t believe he had his phone in there!
So I couldn’t stand there holding on to the lady any longer, and I was starting to wonder if maybe she WAS innocent, so I let her go, and she calmly started to walk away.
At that moment, two police officers showed up out of nowhere. I pointed at the lady walking away and exclaimed “She robbed us!” It felt like a scene from a movie. Jim was exclaiming the same thing to them but in Spanish (which I’m sure was more helpful than my English).
The male officer saw us clearly pointing at the lady, who was only about 6 feet away, and he just stood there. He didn’t make any moves to go talk to her or anything. He just let her go. We couldn’t believe it. He just stood there!
Then, I saw a woman standing at the side of the bridge point to the ground. I went over to where she was pointing and there was a little pink plastic bag on the ground literally an inch from falling off the side of the bridge. I looked closer and saw the iPhone was inside the bag.
Jim said the woman who was pointing to the bag said that the thief woman dropped it there.
I couldn’t believe we recovered the phone. My heard was beating fast.
I know what you are thinking: “I would never be dumb enough to let that happen to me!” Jim and I are usually extremely, extremely vigilant when we go out – almost to the point of paranoia. All it took was just one moment of laziness.
You are probably also wondering: Why on earth would you put something expensive like an iPhone in an easily accessible front pocket of a backpack? This was my question for Jim! He said when we was packing that morning, he was thinking about packing for our long flight home, not thinking about walking around on the street. If he was thinking about being on the street, he never would have put anything in that pocket.
You may also be thinking: How did you not know to put your backpack on your front side when in a crowded space? This is another bit of laziness on our part. It was also my bad for not being sure to stay directly behind him so I could keep my eye on the bag. He said he also thought I was right behind him, watching the bag, so he didn’t think he needed to switch the bag to the front.
After we found the phone, I wiped the giant mound of spit off Jim’s neck. It was so gross. I was actually thankful that he got spit on, though. If she would have just stolen the phone, we never would have known until it was too late. But the spit called my attention to the situation.
Tags: Cuzco, Peru & Bolivia 2010, scam
canadian pharmacies online drugs without a doctor’s prescription canada
buy drugs from canada list of trusted canadian pharmacies
I always spent my half an hour to read this webpage’s articles or reviews everyday
along with a mug of coffee.
https://canadianpharmacy.icu/# safe online pharmacies in canada
Hey very interesting blog!
fastest payout online casino online casino xb777 casino online
https://withoutprescriptions.store/# canadian pharmacieswith no prescription
https://withoutprescriptions.store/# canadian drugs pharmacies online
poker online las vegasworld best online poker sites reddit play poker online free no download
4Movierulz is the center of pirate movies and TV shows. When it comes to releasing the latest movies, no other free streaming site can match it. As the name suggests, this website is the owner of pirated movies. No streaming sites like 4Movierulz or Movierulz4 have gained popularity.
read more about latest movies :movierulz4
dating site eris free downloads chatting apps
dating sex free dating apps no fees
I’m not sure exactly why but this weblog is loading very slow
for me. Is anyone else having this problem or is it a issue on my end?
I’ll check back later and see if the problem still exists.
https://datingonline1st.com/# online payment sites
online dating no info dating services
tender dating site dating sites free chatting
https://datingonline1st.shop/# 100% inspektion
international singles dating sites free online
https://drugsoverthecounter.com/# over the counter medicine for uti
nausea medication over the counter over the counter medicine for acid reflux
naproxen 500mg over the counter amoxicillin over the counter
over the counter inhaler best over the counter nausea medicine
is ivermectin over the counter male to female hormones over the counter
https://drugsoverthecounter.com/# best over the counter toenail fungus treatment
A person essentially lend a hand to make critically articles I might state.
That is the very first time I frequented your website page
and up to now? I surprised with the analysis
you made to create this particular post amazing. Magnificent process!
It’s the best time to make some plans for the longer term and it is time to be happy.
I’ve learn this publish and if I may just I want to counsel you
few fascinating issues or suggestions. Perhaps you could write next articles relating to this article.
I desire to learn even more issues about it!
coursework resources
buy coursework online
coursework writing service uk
over the counter erectile pills at walgreens over the counter viagra
role of youth in social service essay american history essay cutting grass for the elderly community service essay
best sleep aid over the counter over the counter anti nausea
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto a coworker who had
been doing a little research on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast
simply because I discovered it for him… lol. So let me reword this….
Thanks for the meal!! But yeah, thanks for spending some time to
talk about this issue here on your site.
best over-the-counter medicine for sinus infection ivermectin over the counter
Attractive section of content. I just stumbled upon your blog and in accession capital
to assert that I acquire actually enjoyed account your blog posts.
Any way I will be subscribing to your augment and even I achievement
you access consistently quickly.
over the counter blood pressure medication best over the counter nausea medicine
over the counter medicine for anxiety and stress pills like viagra over the counter cvs
When someone ѡrites an paragraph һe/she retains tһe idea
of a uѕer in hiѕ/her brain that how to get generic cipro without dr prescription a սseг cаn know it.
Tһus that’s why this article is amazing.
Thanks!
what is the best over-the-counter anti-inflammatory for dogs over the counter stocks
It’s an amazing article in favor of all the online people; they will take benefit from it I am sure.
Very good article! We will be linking to this great post on our site.
Keep up the great writing.
Also visit my web blog … super cute dog christmas dog coloring pages
https://over-the-counter-drug.com/# over the counter estrogen
over the counter antihistamine anti nausea medication over the counter
I have been surfing online more than 4 hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours.
It is pretty worth enough for me. Personally,
if all website owners and bloggers made good content as you did,
the web will be much more useful than ever before.
Here is my site; cat and dog coloring pages
best allergy medications over-the-counter best allergy medications over-the-counter
These are in fact wonderful ideas in about blogging.
You have touched some pleasant points here. Any way keep up wrinting.
how to write synthesis essay ap lang no essay college scholarship how to write a career plan essay
over the counter pain meds for dogs apoquel over the counter substitute
mupirocin ointment over the counter diuretics over the counter
can i order abilify without dr prescription love youг blog..
very nice colors & theme. Did you make tһis website yoᥙrself or ԁid yoս hire sⲟmeone to do іt foг you?
Plz answеr ƅack as Ι’m looking to create my own blog and wօuld like to find oսt ԝhere u got this
from. tһanks
1beginning
Hello my loved one! I want to say that this article is awesome, nice written and include approximately all important infos.
I’d like to peer extra posts like this .