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Published: March 19th 2008
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Ecuador
This photo was taken at the Columbia border, there wasn't one that I noticed crossing from Peru! If I'd have known that this day was going to be the worst day of my whole traveling experience I would not have bothered getting up at 7am and popped a few Immodium helping to keep their manufacturers in the FTSE 100.
The reason for such an early start was that after deciding to bypass Ecuador and go to Columbia instead I was going to have to catch 3 different buses totaling 16 hours and get to Quito to collect my bank card from the embassy allowing me to then travel to Columbia. I had been advised under no circumstances cross the Peruvian border on foot as it is a nightmare and unsafe.
The Saga begins
The first part of the journey was a collectivo ride (public minibus) to Tumbes where I would have to catch a bus that would take me across the border, through border control and then to another city where I could change to get a bus for Quito. We arrived at Tumbes and the driver had asked me where about I was going and I told him that I needed to get to the CIF office. He advised that this guy at the bus stop worked for them and to speak to him. Before I had even had a chance to get off the minibus my bag had been put in the boot of this taxi and the guy dressed in a CIF uniform and an ID badge told me that they would give me a free transfer me to the office. (This isn't unusual as quite often businesses tout for business in this way). I had no reason to not believe him so got in the back of the taxi, the driver and another guy jumped in the front and straight away I knew that something just wasn't quite right, they were all overly nice which just fueled my suspicions. As we started driving down an isolated desert road I became concerned and asked how far to the offices (knowing that they should only be a km or so away). Then the bullsh** began. The guy went in to some story that the border was going to be shut at 12pm for a 10 day demonstration and that it was necessary to get me straight there otherwise I was going to be stuck in Peru. I have crossed enough borders in my time to know that this was absolute nonsense and realised that I was either going to get robbed or ripped off but as a lone female with 3 random guys in the car I thought if that’s the worse that happens they can have my money. (You might think that I would be the first with the heroics with my gob but forget that, I savoured my life too much). I decided at this stage it would be good to have a weapon to hand for self defense as I was in the middle of the desert and had a key in one hand and a small deodorant can in the other (aim for the eyes I thought). My new found friends were asking why I had this deodorant can and started to make jokes about them being smelly and then continued to give me a tour pointing out the local prison etc. As we came close to the border that’s when the punch line came, due to the border being closed I would have to pay the police money to cross, the sense of relief that they just wanted to rip me off must have literally put a smile on my face. I was taken around the back of some car park and handed over about $80 and walked around the corner to still fend for myself crossing the border. The best of it was this one guy had wanted me to rush but due to my hobble had to carry my bag; he then had the nerve to try and get $5 off me for helping me to carry my bag. At this stage I felt safer with people around so told him to sling his hook.
I crossed the dreaded border on my own to then have some teenage brat run past and snatch my bag. The day wasn't getting better but worse.
Just when I thought the mayhem was over I was stood at the Ecuadorian border waiting to get my stamp when a German guy asked me if I was going to be around for a while, long enough to get my stamp then I’m off I told him - he disappeared. I went to catch a taxi back to the bus station (yes, after all that I still had to pay out for other taxi's) and this German guy reappeared and asked dif he could jump in my taxi with me. While in the taxi he seemed very agitated so I asked him if something was wrong, the poor guy had only been on a bus from Lima and somebody had robbed all his things when he fell asleep. Oh my god I thought how lucky am I at least I still have my backpack, passport and a bit of money in my pocket to get somewhere safely. All he literally had was a photocopy of his passport. He told me that immigration had told him that they would allow him to cross into Ecuador on the photocopy but he would have to try and get a bus to Quito to get to his embassy which was $10. I said to him that I could help him; I gave him $15 and wished him good luck on his journey. He offered me a photocopy of his passport, I told him not to worry about it but when he asked me for more money I said I don't have any more that you can have and thought that's a cheek. He asked if I was staying where I was, which i were as my bus was going to be another 40minutes. I sat there quite concerned for this guy but when he returned 20 minutes later in a taxi I thought he was all sorted until he started telling me that he had stayed 17 days longer than his visa would allow him and that he was going to have to pay $17 to immigration before he was allowed to cross the border and whether I could give it to him. By this stage I couldn’t[t believe my ears and sent him packing, telling him I had no money i had already explained what had happened to me that day in the taxi and that he would have to find somebody else to help him. After he left I could not get it out of my mind, had I just sent a guy off in need without helping him when I could have helped? His story just didn't add up though. Then after a few hours it came to me, I met this guy at the Ecuadorian border, if he had overstayed his visa it would have been the Peruvian border who would have fined him for overstaying his visa and that the Ecuadorian immigration wouldn't have been bothered but this is where I met him.......it hit me like a lead brick. This German guy who was in him 40's was also a con artist and was using the lowest trick of them all to get money from people. After my escapades of the money I thought i was being a Good Samaritan but ended up getting conned again for a 2nd time that day. I can say though that if it happened again I would still give them the benefit of the doubt as if they were really in need Would hate to think that this guy would make it worse for others.
When the bus arrived I felt great relief to be on my way to Quito. The day was behind me, I would report the bag to the police when arrived and the bus was direct to Quito. Yes the bus was direct but it stopped around a 100 times to let people on and off and the guy sat next to me was drunk as a fart and kept on falling asleep on me with his hand dropping on to my leg. In no mood for this I continually poked him in the ribs. The night arrived it was freezing and I just wanted my nightmare to finish. I finally arrived at 2am, caught a taxi to my hostel and just thanked my lucky stars that a bad situation wasn't as bad as it could have been and it was only onwards and upwards tomorrow.
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Lisa Bx
non-member comment
Never had you down for gullable you must have been having an off day babes!!!! But happy to hear you would do the same again extra points for your Karma hun, even if they are con artists!