Not sure where to classify this one. Generally I am not paranoid about my gear and pack. but I lock and zip it wherever possible. I always try to watch my pack go on and come off. I always carried my valuables on me, just took basic care of my pack and I was never robbed in hostels/rooms or on the road.

On the route from Rio Gallegos to Ushuia,
you need to enter and exit Chile.
This is the first entry point.
I’ll preface this story by saying that I would strongly recommend the Patagonia area for ease of traveling, safety and some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world. One day I took a bus in Patagonia from Punta Arenas, Chile to Ushuaia, Argentina. The bus carried about 30 backpackers. Half way, just before we got to the border with Argentina, we stopped at a small station with a small cafe in the middle of a large plain surrounded by nothing but Patagonia Llamas. For some reason they change buses here. This was probably due to the upcoming border. I didn’t eat anything so I just loitered around. From afar I watched the llamas and then bus workers throw all the bags from one bus to the hold of the other and leave. No possible scam here I thought, just a slow, beautiful day. After a while, I am not sure what got into me, but I decided to look in my old bus. Maybe I was bored, maybe something else. Sure enough it was empty except for some tools and a tarp in the back. Then something came over me, I did something I would normally never do, I partially crawled into the hold and looked under the tarp. I was really shocked to find one bag... my backpack! I swore, picked up my bag and moved it to the hold of the second bus. No one saw me do this and I really didn’t have anyone to complain to. I actually was a bit stunned. I then watched the bus until we left.
Once again my “spidey sense” seemed to have saved me. I really don’t think it was an accident. I believe the bus crews do this to one random bag every trip, to see what goodies they can get and share.
/groups/jeffstravelstories/search/index.rss?sort=modifiedDate&sortDirection=reverse&tag=crimelist/groups/jeffstravelstories/search/?sort=modifiedDate&sortDirection=reverse&tag=crimeBe careful out there!CustomTagSidebarCustomTagSidebar?sort=modifiedDate&sortDirection=reverse&tag=crime0/groups/jeffstravelstories/sidebar/CustomTagSidebarmodifiedDate5CustomTagSidebarreversecrimeBe careful out there!custom/groups/jeffstravelstories/search/index.rss?tag=hotlist/groups/jeffstravelstories/search/?tag=hotWhat’s HotHotListHot!?tag=hot5/groups/jeffstravelstories/sidebar/HotListjeffjeff2011-01-25 20:57:02+00:002011-01-25 20:57:02updated4Added tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-12 20:49:16+00:002011-01-12 20:49:16addTag3jeffjeff2011-01-12 20:48:44+00:002011-01-12 20:48:44updated2First createdjeffjeff2011-01-12 20:48:29+00:002011-01-12 20:48:29created1weblog2011-01-25T20:57:02+00:00groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/6ec66FalseSome Favorite Travel Photos/groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/6ec66/Some_Favorite_Travel_Photos.htmljeff4 updatesSome Favorite Travel Photos
Falsejeff2011-01-25T20:57:02+00:00jeffjeff2011-01-09 18:13:44+00:002011-01-09 18:13:44updated9jeffjeff2011-01-07 15:33:10+00:002011-01-07 15:33:10updated8Added tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-07 15:33:08+00:002011-01-07 15:33:08addTag7Added tag - turkeyjeffjeff2011-01-05 21:44:26+00:002011-01-05 21:44:26addTag6jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:48:03+00:002011-01-01 16:48:03updated5jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:47:48+00:002011-01-01 16:47:48updated4jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:46:03+00:002011-01-01 16:46:03updated3jeffjeff2011-01-01 15:58:42+00:002011-01-01 15:58:42updated2First createdjeffjeff2011-01-01 15:57:33+00:002011-01-01 15:57:33created1weblog2011-01-09T18:13:44+00:00groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/a5bc0FalseTurkish Drunk Driving Test/groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/a5bc0/Turkish_Drunk_Driving_Test.htmljeff9 updatesTurkish Drunk Driving Test
A Tourist Steam Engine in Turkey
[image]
[image]While living in Istanbul, I need...Falsejeff2011-01-09T18:13:44+00:00jeffjeff2011-01-06 23:02:06+00:002011-01-06 23:02:06updated17Added tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-06 01:05:34+00:002011-01-06 01:05:34addTag16Removed tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-06 01:04:45+00:002011-01-06 01:04:45removeTag15jeffjeff2011-01-06 01:04:45+00:002011-01-06 01:04:45updated14Added tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-06 01:04:44+00:002011-01-06 01:04:44addTag13Added tag - indiajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:44:09+00:002011-01-05 21:44:09addTag12Added tag - south americajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:44:05+00:002011-01-05 21:44:05addTag11Added tag - illnessjeffjeff2011-01-05 21:43:46+00:002011-01-05 21:43:46addTag10Added tag - sarsjeffjeff2011-01-05 21:43:35+00:002011-01-05 21:43:35addTag9Added tag - asiajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:43:32+00:002011-01-05 21:43:32addTag8Added tag - africajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:43:28+00:002011-01-05 21:43:28addTag7jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:44:28+00:002011-01-01 16:44:28updated6jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:26:37+00:002011-01-01 16:26:37updated5jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:26:01+00:002011-01-01 16:26:01updated4jeffjeff2011-01-01 16:24:41+00:002011-01-01 16:24:41updated3jeffjeff2011-01-01 15:58:18+00:002011-01-01 15:58:18updated2First createdjeffjeff2011-01-01 15:57:45+00:002011-01-01 15:57:45created1weblog2011-01-06T23:02:06+00:00groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/678d9FalseOf Lice and Flem (Phlegm)/groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/678d9/Of_Lice_and_Flem_Phlegm.htmljeff17 updatesOf Lice and Flem (Phlegm)
[shapeimage_1.png]Travel can be tough, different food, different bugs, different diseases. To me this is what makes travel interesting.
...Falsejeff2011-01-06T23:02:06+00:00jeffjeff2011-01-06 22:22:29+00:002011-01-06 22:22:29updated10Added tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-06 22:22:28+00:002011-01-06 22:22:28addTag9jeffjeff2011-01-05 21:25:05+00:002011-01-05 21:25:05updated8Added tag - indonesiajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:25:02+00:002011-01-05 21:25:02addTag7Added tag - lesothojeffjeff2011-01-05 21:24:58+00:002011-01-05 21:24:58addTag6Added tag - visajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:24:54+00:002011-01-05 21:24:54addTag5Added tag - bribejeffjeff2011-01-05 21:24:50+00:002011-01-05 21:24:50addTag4Added tag - central americajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:24:46+00:002011-01-05 21:24:46addTag3jeffjeff2011-01-05 21:24:26+00:002011-01-05 21:24:26updated2First createdjeffjeff2011-01-05 21:17:23+00:002011-01-05 21:17:23created1weblog2011-01-06T22:22:29+00:00groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/01cf1FalseEntries, Exits & Bribes/groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/01cf1/Entries_Exits__Bribes.htmljeff10 updatesEntries, Exits & Bribes
I have been involved with quite a few bribes while traveling. I remember always having bribe money tucked in my sock for the year I lived in Turk...Falsejeff2011-01-06T22:22:29+00:00Added tag - hotjeffjeff2011-01-06 01:04:56+00:002011-01-06 01:04:56addTag7jeffjeff2011-01-05 21:36:41+00:002011-01-05 21:36:41updated6Added tag - zimbabwejeffjeff2011-01-05 21:36:40+00:002011-01-05 21:36:40addTag5Added tag - coincidencejeffjeff2011-01-05 21:36:21+00:002011-01-05 21:36:21addTag4Added tag - australiajeffjeff2011-01-05 21:36:14+00:002011-01-05 21:36:14addTag3jeffjeff2011-01-05 21:34:09+00:002011-01-05 21:34:09updated2First createdjeffjeff2011-01-05 21:31:02+00:002011-01-05 21:31:02created1weblog2011-01-05T21:36:41+00:00groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/3cc1eFalseTravel Coincidences/groups/jeffstravelstories/weblog/3cc1e/Travel_Coincidences.htmljeff7 updatesTravel Coincidences
Everyone has their travel coincidence stories. It was quite common to meet someone on one side of a continent and then not knowing anything abou...Falsejeff2011-01-05T21:36:41+00:00hot/groups/jeffstravelstories/search/index.rss?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcomelist/groups/jeffstravelstories/search/?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcomeRecent ChangesRecentChangesListUpdates?sort=modifiedDate&kind=all&sortDirection=reverse&excludePages=wiki/welcome0/groups/jeffstravelstories/sidebar/RecentChangesListmodifiedDateallRecent ChangesRecentChangesListUpdateswiki/welcomeNo recent changes.reverse5search
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