photo credit: Roubicek- Witches Market
It was a hot day in the heart of La Paz, Bolivia, when a friend and I were walking towards the “Witches Market” to go shopping for the day.
We wove through narrow windy alleys, hands in our pockets, people everywhere, when all of a sudden, I felt something wet and hot fly to my hand and my arm.
I looked down in shock, to find a huge amount of human spit covering me.
At first, I was mortified thinking that someone spit on me because I was a small white girl at a local market. I thought it was a ‘welcoming,’ in a you’re-not-welcome-here kind of way, and that someone was watching my reaction, enjoying the look of horror and embarassment on my face.
So, I just kept walking. Stoic, seemingly unfazed.
It was the best thing I could’ve done (although, I’ll confess, as soon as I turned the corner I wiped it off of me and spent a good few minutes wiggling around going “eww eww ew ewwwww”.)
As travelers we are consistently aware of the dangers we face, and in places like South America, this fear seems to be a bit more prevalent, as thefts are common and we’ve all heard some horror stories.
photo credit: matiasjajaja
While I personally believe that South America is a wonderful, beautiful place that satisfies my soul like no other, there is no denying that traveling through it entails a certain amount of risk. While the things I talk about here are centered around my experience in South America, they certainly are not restrictive. These things happen everywhere.
After I returned to my hostel and started talking to other travelers, I caught the jist:
It wasn’t a warning, nor a welcome–but a scam to rob me.
Had I stayed there a minute longer, had I not kept walking, someone likely would’ve come up to me, apologizing and trying to wipe the spit off, while systematically taking everything from my pockets.
It happens SO FAST.
photo credit: Daquella manera
So, I thought I’d share some other stories I heard from travelers with you, so that you can be aware of some running scams out there, and better protect yourself.
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You get ketchup or mustard squirted on your shoulders. Your first instinct is to lift your arms to wipe it off and POOF–your pockets are picked.
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Someone comes up to you to try and talk to you about directions, or food, or anything really, while their friend sneaks up behind you and slashes your backpack.
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You are distracted by someone yelling at you while walking down the street. You keep walking, but turn around to look at them and the commotion they make. Poof. Someone is in front of you, and has just stolen your wallet.
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Or like me, someone spits on you or spills something on you. Someone comes up, apologizing profusely, seemingly sincere. You walk away thinking it was nice of them to be so concerned… but they took your passport.
I try not to live a life of fear, especially when I travel, and I have never had ANY problems. But, people do. Things get stolen. These guys are good.
So, to protect yourself, always keep an eye of your belongings and your surroundings.
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Look around. Who is looking at you?
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If anyone ever spills, spits or squirts anything on you, put your hands immediately in your pockets and keep walking, quickly. Push aside anyone who tries to come up and apologize.
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At this point, most thieves know that the small backpack we carry on our front is really the one they want. Make it hard for them to get to it. Keep your arms on it or near it. Look like you know where you are, where you’re going and that you know exactly what you’re doing, even if you don’t.
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Subways (or Subte in Argentina) are particularly re-knowned for theft, as they often get so crowded everyone is pushed together. Do NOT lose sight of your bag. Keep it in front of you at all times, with your arm pushed down on it. Don’t have anything in your pockets on the Subte. You will notice everyone, even the locals, are guarding their purses the same way.
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When on a crowded bus or subte or train, DO NOT pull out your phone. Sometimes when we’re bored or alone in our home countries, we play with our phone to pass the time. Not a good idea here.
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Never trust anyone who approaches you. Trust your gut on this one. Most of the time, if they need something they’ll know better than to talk to someone who is obviously foreign.
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Don’t carry anything in your back pocket. Ever. If you can avoid carrying things in any pocket, do it.
I really want to re-iterate that I personally have never had any problems while traveling, through South America, or anywhere. But there’s no denying that bad things do happen: thefts, particularly. So take precautions and watch out for these common scams.
What about you? Have you ever been scammed while on the road?
