Things that happen when you are distracted.

Last week I was riding in the combi with the two new gals in town (they are Alisha & Jessica who are here for two months during the Shultz family's furlough). We were coming back from getting tickets for a tour of the Sacred Valley and Cusco. The Shultz's were going to be leaving the next day for the States and I was trying to send off cards and letters with them. I still had some US stamps that I was trying to use up.

I had taken my wallet out of my purse to get out the money that I needed for the combi ride and I was busy writing my card. Suddenly I realized that my purse weighed less than it should and that my wallet was missing. I looked all over on my seat and under my seat. I asked the people around me if they saw it. I even asked one man if he had it. But it was too late; my robber had already gotten off the combi and I was without my wallet.

There was more money than I normally carry but what worried me most were the bank card, the credit card and my residency carnet (which I don't usually carry with me... I was just hoping to get a discount on the tour with it). Thankfully it was relatively easy to cancel my cards and have new ones sent out via DHL and UPS. For the residency carnet, I had to go to the police station and get a denuncia (report). My housekeeper took me to the tourist police who started helping me until they realized that I was actually a resident of Peru. Then they tried to send me downstairs to the other office but the people in the other office were busy and grumpy. So, up I went back up to the tourist police who finalized my report and were much friendlier. Besides the report, I had to send a letter and money to Lima in order to get a duplicate of my carnet. I hope that's all that I'll have to do.

It really was a frustrating thing to just have my wallet snatched out of my purse but I guess it happens to a lot of people. I really was distracted so I'm sure that and being a North American made me a perfect target. Apparently a lot of people get robbed on combis anyway. I'm just glad that I wasn't mugged! I certainly learned that I need to be more careful.