No passaporte, ni siquiera una fotocopia!

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Sun Feb 10 - After a pretty stressful night on the bus, I arrived in Bariloche, a very quaint ski town by an enormous lake. It’s extremely beautiful here, and very touristy - ice cream shops on every corner, etc. I’m staying with a woman named Valentina Farías, a psychiatrist who lives with here two teen aged children - a son, Martín, in high school, and a daughter, Paula, home from college for the summer.

I met with Monica, the headmistress of the school and she loaned me a bit more money, until Dale gets here and can bring me money and another credit card. I went into town and went to a locutorio to call Dale and tell him what happened and to cancel my credit and debit cards. It was hard to cancel them - the 1-800 emergency numbers don’t work from abroad, and I can’t find any other numbers to use on a Sunday. So I emailed them. It was wonderful to talk to Dale and have his support.

I’m realizing just how vulnerable I am without my passport. When the bus entered Bariloche this morning, for example, La Policia came through the bus checking identity cards. I’m not sure why, but maybe because Bariloche is located within a national park. Well, of course, I have no documentation, ¡ni siquiera una fotocopia! So I explained to them that my passport was stolen, showed them my police report and they went and got a supervisor to come check out the situation - all the while the whole bus is waiting for this to get straightened out. Anyway, we worked it out - as the Argentines would say, “ya está.”

I’m appreciating all the comments and messages of support that I’m getting. Thank you all! People keep reminding me that it wasn’t my fault. I appreciate hearing that. I do feel *so* stupid and naive. And of course, I’ve learned some really important lessons about not letting down your guard for a minute in a place like Retiro. When I reported the theft, the police were very nonchalant, kind of like, “oh yeah, another purse snatching, happens every day.” Considering that there is a policeman every 100 feet or so in the bus station, makes you wonder why they can’t prevent it. But tourists are at risk, and being alone is twice as bad. I had lunch with Lesley (my compañera from England) in almost the same exact spot where I had my purse stolen a few days later. When you’re alone, you need to put your back against a wall or something - you can’t have eyes in the back of your head. And I had 3 bags to look after. Well, I’m really still digesting it all. All will be well …

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Comments

[Bill Roach]

We look forward to joining you!
We are enjoying BA but look forward to joining you in Bariloche. Everyone here at at Casa Maria Tango, smiles when they hear your name!