When I was robbed in Mexico
It was Sunday afternoon, the 22nd of May 2011. It was one of those ”bad” days when I was angry and sad and disappointed at the same time. It seemed like the end of the world when I was robbed in Mexico. I still cannot believe it happened to me.
I spent 2 and a half months in Mexico having the best time of my life, meeting many great people, getting a lot of amazing press trips, ”free” tours and hotels in exchange for blog promotion… And then the robbery happened. It was not as pleasant as all my other experiences in Mexico. Such a shame!
Life can get hard, right? But we do try to make it nicer… However, sometimes it is not enough to try… There are some other people or situations which do not let us to be happy and enjoy our time…
After incredible 10 weeks in Mexico my last 2 weeks started. It was then when I got robbed. But let me start from the beginning.
The Sunday 22nd was the only day after a long time when I had no tours or trips planned. So I contacted some friends I have in Cancún to visit them during my free time as my good friend in Playa del Carmen when I was staying over for 2 weeks had to work that day.
When I was leaving his house that morning, I took one of the credit cards with me and I NEVER take any when I go to the beach, just in case. But that morning something was telling me to take it. My sixth sense.
The same sixth sense was saying to take the laptop with me, I went down the stairs, and then again up to the room, looked at the laptop again and thought it was not a good idea go to the beach in hot weather and by myself and take a laptop, I was scared to get it stolen so I left it at home and left with a weird feeling that I did not listen to my sixth sense. Yeah, men, you do not know what I am talking about right now, but trust me, women do have sixth sense!…
I took a van to Cancún and straight away went to my fave restaurant Natura to have lunch while waiting for a friend to finish at work to meet up. The whole day I had a weird feeling and did not know why. But obviously I did not like it.
Then when watching a movie with my friends at their place, my friend from Playa del Carmen texted me they robbed into his house and stole some things.
I was shocked and worried! I left everything in there, all the credit cards apart from one, all the ID cards, driving license, passport, laptop, all the chargers, some money, the hundreds of presents I bought for my family and friends, all the clothes, cosmetics, everything …
The house was left in a huge mess, including my things everywhere so the first moment it looked like they had stolen my wallet, chargers, passport, laptop, but left the suitcase with the clothes! Two seconds after I heard that, my friends were driving me to take a van back to Playa del Carmen.
I did not know how to react, if to shout, burst out crying, be angry, upset or what… Guess what? It was all of that! When I imagined all the problems they caused me, I could not find the right without words. The goodbye with my friends in Cancún was not what I expected as I had to go back straight away. I saw only 3 out of 10 friends I have there and just kissed them goodbye and ran into the van.
My laptop was robbed… Who dared to take the most important thing??? How could he?
So many questions were now in my head… All the thousands and thousands of photos and videos I took in Mexico and did not have them at any other place, just in my laptop. All the articles I wrote so they were ready to upload to my travel blog. All the information, details I had about the tours and my 3-month mexico trip. Literally everything important for me.
Just after my family and best friends, the laptop was the most precious thing to me. I am not angry because of the money I have to spend now again to get a new one, but because of all the material I had inside. It was not just my memories, but the photos to promote all the travel agencies and hotels who sponsored me during my trip through Mexico. What will I do now??? Without the photos I can´t do the posts, the pictures are number 1 material for the articles. You all can imagine, I think. Literally, I am fucked like never. They fucked me!
I was so careful with all my stuff every day in Mexico as it is said it is very dangerous, but the places where I went, I found less dangerous than some parts of Europe. Anyway, I have had a pepper spray on me all the time, and have NEVER taken all my documents with me to the beach or town, and have never left all the time at just one place, just in case I got robbed. Had money at 4 different places, together with a copy of my passport as one never knows.
I have to admit, I was so happy nothing ever happened to me in Mexico and so proud of myself for surviving 3 months of traveling around this dangerous country on my own. I would never think they could rob the house where I was staying … EVER!!!
I almost fainted on the way to the house, must have been from the stress! When I saw the 2 holes in the wall of the house and then my things all over the place, I stopped breathing! But fortunately, after a while, I found my passport and the wallet, so at least all the cards were saved! But they took the money logically, and the laptop with the charger and the laptop bag.
All the rest of my things were there, but I would prefer to get stolen the documents instead of the laptop! I could get all the documents back, but never what I had in the laptop :(
And my suitcase I bought a week ago was destroyed as well, great … So all together a 5-month-old laptop of 350 Euro, and money – 200 Euro and 2000 Mexican pesos, and 500 pesos I paid for the suitcase. Shit, that was supposed to be a budget holidays, which was pretty working for me until some bastards decided to rob things of other people instead of going to work their ass out! Unbelievable, how some people can be! Really hope karma will work its way…
I do not think I will be able to enjoy the rest of my trip like I would love to… and since now, I will be scared to leave my things everywhere, but cannot take them with me all the time… what to do then?? Plus, I lost material for so many articles I was planning to upload during the summer when at home in Slovakia… And I wanted to improve the blog with so many videos, had the idea how to do it already and now I lost it all. And will not be able to show all the beautiful places I have visited and things I have done to anyone :( It does hurt like crazy!
Believe me or not, for the first time in my life, I was keeping the track of all the money I spent, on what and where, just to let you know then how cheap you can travel … It took me a lot of time every day but I wanted to know how much cost me all the taxis, buses, food, souvenirs etc. And now, even that is lost. Great! And when I think that someone got into my laptop and now can enter all my bookmarked pages without using the password, and see all my photos as well, I feel like without skin, ouch!
But on the other hand, let’s think positively! I am so glad I do love my friends in Cancún that much so I had to visit them one more time before leaving, because no one knows what could have happened to me if I stayed in the house when they robbed it (I try not to think they would maybe never have robbed it if I did stay!).
It could have been worse for me… and they left all my credit cards, the passport and the presents, souvenirs and clothes which makes it easier for me now. And great I did not leave more money there as I usually do, but I took them with me (strange as well as I usually do not do it.)
Once again I learned three things…
- do not trust anyone! No place is safe, but where should you have your important things, if they can rob them while on you, and can rob them while you leave them at a hotel/house too, so what to do???
- And I learned as well, that I should always listen to my sixth sense as it was clearly saying TAKE THE LAPTOP!
- And then, the irony of life is horrible, exactly yesterday I was going to buy an external hard disk and copy the photos there, and talking with a friend to upload the photos online, too. What an irony! Can you believe it?! So now I know, never leave what you think you should do for later on, maybe there will be no later!
I sweared to myself no one was going to rob me anything any more after I was robbed twice in the past, once in Barcelona and once in Brno… But I could not do anything to avoid the house robbery!
In conclusion, I was not able to upload many photos from my first Mexican trip… But at least I managed to get some pictures from friends who spent time with me on some trips.
Wish me more luck for my future trips! Let’s stay positive :)
Concerned American
| #
So I found your blog from a Google search. I actually just got robbed in Playa Del Carmen. By the police. The police are out of control there right now
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
| #
Oh no, I am so sorry to hear aboout that :( That’s very sad! Hope you well anyway. Good luck!
Jeff Dobbins
| #
Ugh, I really feel your pain. Returning from an amazing 6-week adventure in SE Asia, my camera was stolen just before my flight home. All pictures (including many I needed for posts I owed) were gone. I was overwhelmed by anger and blamed myself for not being alert, if only for a short while. Even for experienced travelers, a thief can cause tremendous problems. I too need to believe in Karma. Sorry that happened to you.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
| #
Oh, so sorry to hear about your similar experience, Jeff. We both know very well what problems our situations caused and let’s hope nothing similar won’t happen again :)
Ric Garrido
| #
Saw your tweet and clicked here to read about you since we traveled around Costa Brava two years ago. Glad to read this stolen laptop event happened in 2011 and not recently.
Crazy Sexy Fun Traveler
| #
Thanks Ricardo. I am glad it happened long ago in the past, too. Not a pleasant experience at all.
Crazy sexy fun traveler
| #
Comment@ Tim Reisdorf:
Thanks Tim! I do backup everything ever since but it is never enough :D
Tim Reisdorf
| #
I feel sooo bad for you. Such a bummer. I use external hard drive when I travel which I really love. I also upload some images to the “cloud”. Keep on smiling. Love your posts. Although not this one.
Crazy sexy fun traveler
| #
Comment@ José M Wong:
Right! They literally took everything I had with my laptop, especially all the photos from 3 months in Mexico I was just going to back up.
José M Wong
| #
That really sucked, I can’t imagine that feeling, I would’ve freaked out as well. Unfotunately México still has several bad apples that make it an unsecure country, a beautiful one, but unsafe.
The bright side is that they left you with something at least, but taking a blogger’s laptop is like taking their life. At least we now got easir acces to Clouds and stuff like that. I’ll make sure we back up our stuff after reading your experience.
Hope your second visit to MEx doesn’t include a dose of this
Cheers!
Mica
| #
Shit what a terrible story. Its so important to back up everything, I just purchased a small external 1 terabyte so small! But sometimes fucked up shit just happens. I’m sorry for you. Hope you get as many pictures as you can from your friends. Don’t worry about the thieves-karma will get them!
crazy sexy fun traveler
| #
Yeah, Mica, tell me about it! It still hurts but like you said, I just hope they will get what they deserve ;)
Abby
| #
Uggggh I hate hearing these stories, as the same thing happened to me! In Costa Rica… My laptop AND my external hard drive, hidden in separate parts of my house, while I was out to dinner. Everyone told me not to carry anything with me! It was awful, just awful. Sending good energy your way, my dear!
crazy sexy fun traveler
| #
Nooo, u kidding me? U c, then everyone says I should have a backup but where, how if anything can happen. I don’t understand those idiots who steal other persons’ stuff instead of going to work!
Sebastian
| #
That sounds terrible. it’s always bad when things get stolen but the worst thing is when a laptop with all your data is gone. My stuff was stolen couple of years ago but luckily I have my own server where I always upload everything….
I hope that the rest of your trip goes according to plan….
crazy sexy fun traveler
| #
Yeah, it was the most painful thing ever! I am crazy with the photos, so it is impossible to have a backup of all of them :(
crazy sexy fun traveler
| #
Thanks Juan Carlos, I have never said all Mexicans are the same, because it is not true. I have loads of Mexican friends which I love!
But yes, some places are dangerous like everywhere in the world.
Juan Carlos Saralegui Perez
| #
firt you need to know my english is not the best
but im improving it.
well i need to say it
what it happened to you was terrible really and i’m so sorry
but that is the risk when you travel without a trip advisor.
i used to live in Playa del Carmen and i worked there from more than
2 years there, i’m conscious of teh insecurity that some persons can live
over there, but is not always and it doesnt shows frecuently, actually to my own experience Cancun is more dangerous than Playa del Carmen.
our job as a travel agents is to secure the safety of our clients right know we are living a difficult situation in the country (There have been worse) and we are trying to give a quality service whit all that stuff.
maybe i can’t give you services for free but if you want some support when you visit the zone where i work i can help you.
just only to you know that Mexicans are not all equal, and we want to our visitors have a good time.
again, i’m so sorry for your bad experience
but i hope next ones going to be great
iveta
| #
je to hrozny zazitok,ale ja som rada,ze si ty v poriadku