Panama City, Panama
Two nights agone I was robbed past times women hither inward Panama. It was pretty damn embarrassing. The effects have got been far to a greater extent than devastating than I ever sentiment they could be.
A twelvemonth agone when I was planning this trip, before I sold everything I owned to get-go traveling long-term, my goodness friend Ferenc posed a enquiry to me:
“Before y'all leave, inquire yourself, are y'all prepared to lose everything? Because at that spot is a goodness possibility it could happen”.
I told him I was prepared. Now I´m starting to mean value I answered a trivial to quickly…
A Chain-Reaction of Mistakes
Last calendar week I spent v days exploring the remote villages & jungles of Panama´s notorious Darien Gap with my friend Gabriel from Brazil. We both shot a lot of photos & video from our challenging as well as eye-opening sense there.
On Fri night, nosotros decided to encounter 1 time again at a Cuban bar inward the Casco Viejo surface area of Panama City to portion our footage with each other.
I brought my laptop estimator along with me for this purpose. Mistake #1.
As nosotros were finishing up, the bar/restaurant got genuinely busy equally a large grouping of locals & expats started celebrating someone´s birthday.
The festive alive Cuban music inward combination with a venue packed total of beautiful dancing women enticed us to remain as well as have got a duad drinks before nosotros left. Mistake #2.
Like I e'er do, I strapped my day-pack to my chair as well as so no 1 could only catch it as well as run off. My laptop was inside. Unfortunately, the reusable zip-ties I ordinarily employ to secure the zippers of my pack had been left at the bird I was Couchsurfing at. Mistake #3.
Eventually a grouping of local women walked in. We watched them scan the bar, time out as well as whisper to each other when they saw us, as well as proceed to have got seats adjacent to us.
Based on their overtly rigid advances toward us, it was pretty obvious they were prostitutes looking to comport occupation organisation with a duad of unusual tourists. We were their targets.
Gabriel as well as I were slightly amused at the situation, but chose to ignore them, as well as continued on with our conversation virtually what nosotros had only experienced inward the Darien. Mistake #4.
Maybe an hr or as well as so afterward I all of a precipitous noticed that the girls were gone. I didn´t reckon them leave. We assumed they gave upward on trying to acquire our attending as well as went searching for novel targets. I didn´t mean value to depository fiscal establishment stand upward for my bag. Mistake #5.
After nosotros live on left the bar, I noticed that my backpack felt a chip light. Upon closer inspection, my pump sank…
My Life Was On That Computer!
For those of y'all who don´t know, 100% of my income comes from working with my computer. Sometimes I construct websites for other people, sell information products (aka eBooks) as well as run equally a freelance move writer/photographer.
I utilization specialized software programs to practise graphics, procedure high-resolution photos/video, as well as construct websites. That´s how I earn a living, as well as I practise it all from my computer.
Luckily I have got backups for most of my information. My move photos as well as videos have got been saved from disaster. But at that spot is a problem.
Lately the companionship I purchase advertising from, Google AdWords, has made some changes which have got effected business office of my occupation organisation inward a pretty negative way. I have got been forced to update my websites, or gamble my whole occupation organisation going under.
Without my ain computer, I´m effectively unable to brand those updates, as well as it´s a time-sensitive situation. There were also some of import files on my estimator that were NOT backed upward yet, as well as it’s going to have got a few months to supercede all that work. Mistake #6.
Recovery Not Looking Good…
Planning ahead, I installed tracking software called Prey Project on my laptop, only for this type of situation. But to runway it, the estimator must live turned on as well as nigh a WiFi location.
After 2 days, I´ve received null reports from the tracking software. The thieves may have got been smart plenty to hold the estimator turned off, as well as they maybe could have got only replaced or reformatted the hard-drive.
It´s non looking goodness that I´ll recover my estimator this way. The Panamanian constabulary can´t practise much virtually the province of affairs either. I filed a constabulary study with them, but they didn’t seem rattling optimistic. Panama City receives over 1,000 stolen belongings reports a month.
And to altitude it all off, my move insurance was non upward to date. My policy expired non also long ago, as well as I was inward the proccess of conducting inquiry to locate a novel provider when all of this happened. Mistake #7.
Living On $30 Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Day
A lot of people who read my website assume I must live independently wealthy to move constantly similar this. That´s definitely non the case.
After almost a twelvemonth living on the route (next calendar week was going to live my 1 Year Travelversary), my savings are running low. It volition have got a few months to resurect my business, as well as it´s going to live pretty hard (if non impossible) to hit this without a computer.
While I´m embarrassed to enjoin it, this perfect tempest of disasters volition strength me to postpone my travels until I tin lay all the pieces dorsum together.
How You Can Help
I abhor cry for for help.
But for those who would similar to, I´ve reluctantly decided to offering a few uncomplicated ways y'all tin assistance me acquire this weblog going 1 time again equally fast equally possible.
Purchase Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Travel Photography Print
Many of my move photos are available to purchase equally fine fine art prints. My icon galleries comprise unique landscapes, historic buildings, funny animals, as well as interesting people from some the world.
If y'all or mortal y'all know could utilization some novel artwork inward a domicile or apartment, or if y'all are looking for a nifty gift idea, consider purchasing 1 of my photography prints.
[button label=”Browse My Travel Photography Here »” url=”http://travelphotos.lksmadrasah.blogspot.com/Prints/” color=”#f05134″]
Any sales volition become straight towards the purchase of a novel estimator as well as so I´ll live able to proceed producing this move blog. In the rare illustration that I transcend that amount, or if the constabulary miraculously spill out to recover my estimator a few weeks from now, the coin volition become straight to some local charity projects.
Not to advert you´ll acquire something exceptional to hang on your wall!
Share This Post!
Maybe y'all don´t demand whatsoever photograph prints, maybe y'all can´t afford them, or maybe y'all don´t mean value I deserve whatsoever assistance because I´ve been careless & irresponsible. In all three cases, I completely understand.
But if you´re on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+, I would live forever inward your debt if y'all would at to the lowest degree portion this ship service with your friends.
If naught else, it´s a nifty illustration of what NOT to do. Hopefully my even out volition assistance other people avoid these same mistakes…
Thank You
The whole ordeal has been only some other learning sense for me, alongside the many I´ve had on this journeying thence far. I´m a rigid believer that all experiences, goodness as well as bad, cease upward existence positive inward the long run. I´m non going to allow this setback halt me from my goals.
“A man’s errors are his portals of discovery.” James Joyce
UPDATE: Computer Recovered!
After three months, I was live on able to recover my stolen computer using the Prey Project tracking software that I’d installed earlier! It’s genuinely quite a ridiculous story… become depository fiscal establishment stand upward for it out!
READ NEXT: Tracking My Stolen Laptop
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