Little disasters come back again

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I´m not going to beat around the bush - I´ve lost the camera.
All the pictures from the trip are gone.
I´ve taken over a 1000, plus videos.
I went to Elso´s house when we got back to Manaus, the first gringo he´s ever invited to his home. I was quite honored. We sat together in the internet cafe while I did yesterday´s entry, then we got a taxi to his house where his wife, Paula, had prepared delicious food, and we sat around strumming guitars, watching the events in the street below as people came and went and danced in spontaneous parties till about midnight. I remember getting out my journal to swap contact info. I got another taxi from Elso´s house to the airport shortly after midnight for the 3:00am flight. I remember thinking I should take a last picture then didn´t.
If I had I would probably still have the camera!
I noticed it missing as soon as the plane landed in Brasilia. So that means there are only two real possibilities: either I left it in the internet cafe, in which case it´s done, or I left it at Elso´s house, in which case, there may yet be hope.
In the meantime, I´m going to have to buy a new one here in the new city Cuiaba, before I go for my next safari into the Pantanal.
I feel terribly drained by this, to be honest. First it´s the cat, then the thieving rat, now the bleeding camera and all the pics. Yet inbetween I´m having a brilliant time and meeting amazing people and seeing wonderful things.
It´s not just the 3 hours of crappy sleep I registered last night; it´s more that I can´t believe that something like this has happened again: 2 years ago it was the 541 photos from West Africa, last year, I dropped and smashed the new camera, now all my lovely photos and videos are gone - except the ones already published on the blog!
I´ll write about the rest of the Amazon adventure after I´ve had some sleep and feel less depressed!
See you on the flypaper (which seems especially sticky on this rollercoaster trip),
mike

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Comments

[deleted_20337]

Nooooo......
I was hoping you were playing a grand prank on us here (the queen of reality TV watching too many reruns of MTV's Punk'd). I'm sorry. Let's hope it is safe and sound with your friend Elso. My own karma isn't much to write home about right now, so I'm afraid I don't have any of that 'good' stuff to send you. I'll cross fingers instead. But you said it....having a brilliant time, meeting amazing people and doing wonderful things. And you are safe and healthy. That's really what counts most, isn't it? I'll put these blog photos on a disc for you - not quite the same, I know. Good luck. And chin up...more brilliant times coming up! xo, Suze

[barb]

aaaaaaaaaahhhhh!#!#%*! I know how badly you feel but don't beat your self up. You may get it back and even if you don't, at least it's all in your head. It's really more our (the spectators) loss because I did so want to see from your eyes.

[Lucille]

disaster
HI, sorry to hear about your camers. I know you must be very pissed off right now. Losing allthe photos and video of your amazing adventures is awful but remember that you ,personally have all the experiences,memories, new friends etc to help you remember always. who knows maybe youleft it all Elso's house?? will you be able to get in contact with him? I will send some prayers and wishes that he has it and you will be able to somehow get it. Well go get another camera, you must have it for when you get to the Pantanal. You'd beent alking about that part of the trip alot before hand too.

[ontheroadEandS]

Are you freaking serious?!?!
This is a huge ooprtunity for me but even I can not take a shot here. Grim. Grim dogger. I think the word you used 2 years ago was marose(sp). I can truely say I am sorry and know the feeling. The only thing I can possibly offer is this... "did you go on this trip for the pictures or did you go for the adventure and experience of it all?" I know the answer already, but you were right when you said this and it must hold true even today. We both know that those pictures only tell such a small part of the story that they would only lead others astray. The real story is not in the pictures but in the people and places which will forever be entwined. It sounds like you have come across many good people. F the pictures. They will never do justice to your minds eye.

[mike allen]

Clare, Hannah, Dana
Cheers. I feel a bit better today, acceptance wise, but am scared to check my email in case Elso says it´s not there! I´ve met some neat people here in Cuiaba now, so that helps too! See you soon. mike

[mike allen]

Eric
I only wish I was joking. Last night, I thought I was dreaming, but it turns out to be true. I spent all yesterday cursing myself up and down. Today it´s only once every five minutes! Thanks for the thoughts, dude. Are you meeting up with Kristin and Cristina? mike

[mike allen]

Lucille
Thanks for the thoughts. I´ve got my fingers crossed, but I fear the worst! I´m scared to check my email! mike

[mike allen]

Barbera
My words exactly! I was quite proud of some of the pictures, but the rest would have been great mermory aids for me. It´s funny: I used to always travel without a camera on principle. Now the principle seems to be fighting back! mike

[mike allen]

Suze and Gia
If only I was! I´m so pissed off I can barely breathe. Thankfully, I´ve met some nice people and I might be able to rescue some of the photos from them: George, Dani, and Sherrira, even if Elso can´t help. I guess I got 140 on the blog, so it´s better than nothing! Thanks for your kind thoughts, mike