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Published: November 24th 2008
Traveling is generally filled with incredible moments. And most of this blog is filled with exactly those. But just as regular life at home can't always be perfect and good, neither can time on the road.
Two nights ago, I arrived in Port Elizabeth. PE is a city on the east coast of South Africa, about halfway between Cape Town and Durban. It's a mandatory stopover night on my bus route. I arrived super late, almost midnight (the bus was behind), and if I'd left the next day, would've been on the road at 6am. I decided I had the time, I might as well spend a full day here. So yesterday was my relaxing day. My hostel is awesome - it feels like staying at someone's house. It's new, clean, comfortable, beautiful - plus wireless internet included! Perfect place to just relax a day away.
I slept in. Very nice, as most mornings I am up early to check out of my room and go off on tours, or catch the bus. Then I spent hours online - leisurely reading the news from back home, scoping various entertainment updates, updating my blog, uploading photos to facebook, chatting with friends. About a 20 minute walk from my hostel is a really large entertainment complex. In the afternoon, I headed off for there. Because I'd arrived so late the night before, it was difficult to see where I was staying. Walking around, I was impressed. Very nice, rather upper-middle-class suburb. Beautiful homes. All right near the beach. I walked along the main road with a beautiful view of the beach and water on one side, and big houses, apartment buildings and giant hotels being built on the other. I wasn't foolish in thinking the neighbourhood lovely and elite - everyone in this area has told me how excellent and safe it is.
The Boardwalk entertainment complex is quite impressive. You walk into their front archway and I felt like I was arriving in an amusement park! Everything was so quaint with lovely walkways. Lots of restaurants and nice shops. A casino which I went in just so I could say I'd seen the inside. A few small amusement rides. And a movie theatre. Decided to treat myself to a movie - it is so cheap to go here! And I have the luxury of time to go, which I rarely if ever do when at home. Enjoyed the movie. Had a nice dinner in one of the restaurants. Outside on a stage at the small lake that the whole complex is centred around, a band was playing. I enjoyed the music with my dinner. Then for an exciting treat, I had a crepe! One of the little stands was a creperie. The people running it spoke french. It was such a lovely little taste of home.
It was about 6pm, so I headed back to the hostel. I don't go out of the hostels at night unless I'm on a tour or with people. Usually I'm going to bed early so I can get up early! And then my misfortune came along. I was mugged. A car full of people (5) drove past me on the main road and turned down the side street I was about to cross. Two men came out, asked me questions about directions and things. Later, I was told it was just a matter of getting me to speak because the accent would confirm I was a tourist. I, of course, couldn't help them, apologized and headed on my way. The one man closest to me asked for my bag. (I had a backpack over one shoulder.) I said no (not cause I was trying to refuse, but really, the question hadn't really sunk in). He threatened me. I handed him the bag. They were back off to the car and gone.
And as awful as that is, it was the aftermath, when it sunk in what had just happened that was the worst part. I was just completely helpless. I had no way to do anything to fix the situation.
But, as awful as this is, the rest of my circumstances were rather fortunate. I started off towards my hostel, shaking and crying. All I could think was I had to get to a phone and start cancelling everything. There was another man on the street (whose name I never learned), who had been about a block behind me. He reached me before the men had even got into their car. He tried to make a phone call but his phone was dead. He stopped to ask me something but I was so confused and distracted, I was hopeless. This kind man ended up waiting on the street corner for over an hour for the police to come so he could help. As I was talking to this man, I noticed a teenage boy rushing up to me. The boy (who's name is Dylan) told me that his mother saw the whole thing and that the police were on their way. He asked me to come back with him. In that moment, I felt I couldn't trust anyone. But I convinced myself to just go. Back at the corner where it happened, Dylan's father (Bruce) met us. We waited there at the street for quite awhile for the police to come. Bruce was concerned about me and convinced me to go into their home to wait with his wife (Cheryl).
This family was so kind and generous with me. Cheryl had seen what was happening from her apartment window. She and Bruce managed to get the car's description, license plate and a far more detailed look at the people than I got in the chaos. They took me into their home, waited with me for the police and hosted us there for filing the report. While waiting, Bruce drove me to the hostel so I could get my backup photocopies of all of my information that I had in my suitcase, as well as my passport (thankfully I didn't have it with me!) so I had identification. Then they let me use their cellphone for call after call after call as I frantically began trying to cancel my cards. They offered me drinks, dinner, wine, rides today if I needed help sorting things out, even just company in the city if I need it. I said to them again and again, that as horrible as this situation was, I felt very blessed to have people like them right there to help me.
The bad news: I lost quite a bit. I had my digital camera and my rental cellphone in the bag. Thankfully both are insured, so hopefully that will be recovered. Normally I do not take my regular wallet with me; I usually only carry a small change purse with minor cash and one card in it. But because from here I'd planned to spend the next couple weeks in really small rural places, I needed to get significant amounts of cash. (Along the backpacker route, nearly everywhere takes cash only, which makes it very difficult.) So I had my full wallet with all of my different cards. And quite a bit of cash. Plus travellers cheques. My meds (thankfully I brought extra with me that I had in my suitcase). And then lots of just little things that are of no finanical importance, but you depend on - my keys for the lock I had on my suitcase back at the hostel (Bruce helped me cut the lock), the papers I'd written all of my travel plans on, the phone numbers of my friends in south africa, those sorts of things that all day today I keep thinking "shoot, I don't have that anymore".
The good news: The cards were all cancelled before they could do anything with them. The camera and phone should be able to be replaced. The travellers cheques are cancelled and will be refunded. The cash can't be replaced and really sucks because with my work, it takes a long time to save up anything, but everything else should be able to be replaced.
The most important good news: I'm fine and unhurt.
Today has been one headache after another. As much as every company has all of these procedures in place to help you, it is incredibly difficult to get that help over here. I'm trying to cancel and replace credit cards and don't have a phone to do it on. To get a new cell phone, I need a credit card. I try to call the "toll free/reverse charge" numbers that all of the companies give you but no operator in any country can actually get me connected to the numbers, so I have to call South African companies who can't help me and I talk to half a dozen people before somehow getting connected to Canada. It is all incredibly frustrating.
Figuring out how to get through the rest of my time here without cards is stressful. An emergency replacement card from one of my credit card companies is being sent to me - but it won't get here for 4 days! That was I think the worst news of all for me, because I just want to get out of this city! I've arranged to have it sent to the next hostel I plan on getting to. I spent some time trying to figure out how to leave here tomorrow and get things sorted elsewhere, but I've decided against it. I think I'll be rather stir-crazy the next couple of days, but it seems to be the place where I can draw on resources best. And at least I have the unlimited internet!
I feel like I should be providing some thoughts on this entire scenario. I think I'm still a bit too in the chaos of it all to be able to have wonderful tidbits of wisdom. Here's a bit of a ramble instead . . .
For me, the worst part of it all is that I put so much energy into doing everything "right". I know I have a lot of friends and family back home who worry about me while I'm off traveling and some who can't fathom doing what I do because of the risks. I put so much energy into convincing people of the good part of what I do and that I'm safe and that things will go well. So hitting this roadblock makes me feel like that's been a waste. In the immediate hours after, I was most worried about calling home and making people worry. (So please friends and family, don't start worrying more - it only adds to my anxiety!) I am aware of the realities of travel and of the places I visit, but I focus on the positives and believe in the best parts of everything. So that part of me feels taken advantage of.
But I think it is most important to say that as upsetting and frustrating as the past day has been and I'm sure the next few will be, I've seen and done so many incredible things. And if I'd chosen to stay home to avoid the possible dangers you can't predict, I'd never have had those experiences. And they are priceless. What's keeping me going now is knowing that I have more priceless experiences waiting for me. I've just got to get through the next few days to get to them. And I'm sure they'll be even more precious when they happen.
A side and happy note: Today is my mom's birthday! Happy Birthday Mom and lots of love to you!
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julia
non-member comment
Janet!
What a scary story, I am so glad that you didn't get hurt, you must still be shaken up. I hope that they catch the buggers! Sending you hugs and kisses from montreal! xxoo