March 27-28, 2006
Day 180-181
After getting all of my most valuable possessions stolen from me by thugs with guns, I had to spend a few days sorting everything out. First, I went back to the police station with Kristian. They gave me a final copy of the police report, but it wasn't a complete copy of my statement. Instead, they only gave me a list of the items that were stolen. I hope that's good enough for the insurance company.
I also went to the embassy with Kristian and Wendy to report what had happened. Everyone was concerned for our safety, but they admitted that there wasn't much they could do. At least maybe they'll be able to warn other travelers not to attempt to walk to the top of Cerro Arco.
Most of the rest of my time was spent getting the insurance process going. I had to send out several emails, make a few phone calls, and figure out what I had done with my receipts. I think it's all in order, but now I have to wait for my insurance company to answer some of my questions before I can do anything else. I hope all goes well, but I can see a big battle in my future.
The good news is that everyone I have met has been extra nice to me lately. I have barely told anyone what happened, but it seems that every random person I meet on the street wants to strike up a conversation with me. One person in particular that stuck out in my mind was a lady selling fruit in the city's central market. She noticed that Ines, Kristian, and I were tourists and asked where we were from. When Ines said she was from Germany, they lady started talking to her in German! Ines had never before met someone from South America who spoke German so fluently. Then she started speaking English, and said that she knew Italian, too! She had never even left Argentina, either. I couldn't believe that such a sweet lady who spoke four languages would work in a fruit stand.
I had big plans for Mendoza when I got here. The biggest bodegas in Argentina, the tallest mountain in South America, whitewater rafting, and national parks are all nearby. However, now that I got robbed, I don't really have the ambition to see any of that stuff. I'm just going to chill out for a few more days, work on my insurance claim, and take off for San Luis.
