Bolivia (and why Puno, Peru is $700 richer)

La Paz, Bolivia - The world´s highest Capital

As exciting as it is to finally arrive once more in a new country, I must say it has been a trying week in some regards. My journey to the Bolivian Border via nightbus ended abruptly on the Border town of Puno - where I was to change buses, but due to illness could not go on... Acute Mountain Sickness (Altitude Sickness) can be expected when you travel from 200 meters above sea-level in the Jungle to nearly 4000 meters in the space of two days (AMS has quite the effects and has been known to be fatal at 3000m, though rare).. And so, feeling the effects on my body, I decided to spend the night in Puno so as to continue into Bolivia the following day.

While awaiting the 7:00am bus - backpack against the wall, leaning against my backpack sitting on the sidewalk and listening to music, daypack on my right - I notice a strange lady wandering towards me... She is mumbling away and zig-zagging back and forth.. So I watch her as she approaches and begins to pick through the grass beside me, mumbling away... "Hmm.. Weird", I think to myself and turn away... As I turn away she begins tapping my shoulder repeatedly.. "What the.. ?",And I turn back... Suddenly she stops and wanders off... Zig-zagging and then disappearing around a corner... "What a strange lady" ... All of a sudden a thought occurs to me, and I knew it was gone before I even turned to check for my daypack... She was the distraction.. I couldn´t believe my eyes... My daypack: Rain Jacket, Sweater, Lonely Planet travel guide, Address Book, Sunglasses, food and water, and of course... My camera - I reckon they walked off with nearly $700 of gear.. and left me dumbfounded and on the verge of rage, if a little wiser.
To be sure, I wandered every alley and side street in the area looking for a glimpse of her... But it was as if she had disolved into thin air... or more likely, hopped into a passing cab or ducked into a nearby house.

So here I am, looking for a Camera and waterproof rain poncho in La Paz... I will post pics of this beautiful city as soon as I replace the Camera (not sure when i will find a decent one for a decent price)..

I can look at it now as an experience to learn from, though at the time I had visions of dragging the culprits down to the lake and drowning them. What a lesson... It was almost as bad as the fake udercover Policia trying to get a bribe out of me late one night.
He had asked me if i wanted to buy Cocaine, and my reply being "No nessesito" must have been interpreted as I already had some instead of that I wasn´t interested.
"Listen closely, I am an undercover cop, understand? Listen, you are very far from home... if I have to search you it will be down at the station... I understand you re travelling and dont want any trouble" ... It actually made me laugh, which in turn made him even more frustrated... It is quite easy to see through people, and a dodgey person looks like a dodgey person, no matter what country you are in."Can I search you?" (likely thinking he could just take whatever he found) ... I started to laugh and told him that either he shows me his badge and cuffs me and then searches me, here or at the station, otherwise I am in a hurry to meet some friends... He looooved that... After about five minutes of him getting more and more frustrated, trying various tactics, I scoffed and just wandered off... He called after me, "You better remember me!" and I suppose me starting the laugh was the cause for the look on his face, but I must say - It truly was priceless - and me without my camera.

Ciao for now,

Joseph

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