- Time of past OR future Camino
- Frances x5, Portuguese VdlP12, Sanabres, Aragones, Norte,Salvador,Primitivo, VdlP 17,Madrid18Norte
For 2024 Pilgrims: €50,- donation = 1 year with no ads on the forum + 90% off any 2024 Guide. More here. (Discount code sent to you by Private Message after your donation) |
---|
My friend has just posted on her blog that three pilgrims have been robbed in Azofra's Albergue today. Korean girls lost over 1000 euros each,all three were in showers when it happened!!!
Oh dear! When will they learn but so sad this is happening.
camino07, Is the friends blog public? Can we read it? Is there a link?My friend has just posted on her blog that three pilgrims have been robbed in Azofra's Albergue today. Korean girls lost over 1000 euros each,all three were in showers when it happened!!!
Oh dear! When will they learn but so sad this is happening.
I guess they forgot to pack their common sense. Not smart. It doesn't weigh anything, nor does it take up a lot of space.
It is very sad for them, yes, but the camino might be the camino, but it is still the normal world, and sadly things like this happen in the normal world. Lots of people on the camino seem to forget this.
4 things i always take with me to the shower. Money, bankcard, identity card and phone. The rest is not important enough. The rest you can buy again. Yes, a phone you can also buy again, but then it comes without the great pics and all the contacts
I was thinking about taking my things to the shower, including a mini iPad. Amazon sells these dry paks. This one looks big enough for passports, phones, cash and iPad. Interestingly the touch screen works through the pak and oooooh there is a ear-piece connector for when I REALLY need to be totally in my own little space (with my cash). http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AW4ITSE/?tag=casaivar02-20Asians in general have a distrust to banks and keep their money stashed in their house or on their person. Lots of home invasions in San Diego involving Asians and large sums of cash, usually $10K or above and robbed.
I visited the ATM when I got down to €50 or if it was going to be a few days before a town with an ATM.
k1ypp, The blog it came from was http://solocamino.wordpress.com/author/solocamino/ I happened to subscribe to it and read about the theft this morning. There is very little information in the blog though.camino07, Is the friends blog public? Can we read it? Is there a link?
Thanks
I'm sure she wouldn't mind,http://solocamino.wordpress.com/author/solocamino/camino07, Is the friends blog public? Can we read it? Is there a link?
Thanks
More bad news... a friend reports that he was robbed of his cash under similar circumstances in Mansilla de las Mulas two days ago.
I agree with you. It is a strategy.
Im sure if the people where interviewed they would say they had been be-friended earlier on the the day by someone(s) who had an interest in there gear...how much it cost and watched you carefully when you took out your camera, phone or wallet. And watched even more closely as to where you placed it.
I had a young girl try this on me out of Logorono. She demanded I take a picture of her and then demanded to take one of me. She got annoyed with me when I said no. She asked me if my gear was expensive. I caught her in the next town...talking to two others an eyeing me up and looking at my bumbag. As I left and went to walk past them they made a big song n dance about having someone take there pictures. That confirmed my suspicions.
A few days later I found out that people had been robbed during the night in the Albergee in that town. (The name slips my memory its the first town after Logorono and there are some ruins as you enter it.).
Some of the other signals I saw were:
* this persons pack looked stuffed with paper not pilgrams gear. It made it look light.
* it sat on an angle that if it had been that fill would have been hard to carry
* she was too clean. She wore long trousers and they where super clean around the cuffs. So were her shoes. No dust build up.
* she walked slow. Now what I mean by this is....she was young...slim....im older and fat and walk slower than a pigeon somedays. She kept slowing down and looking back at me. So I slowed down.....she would slow down.
Im not saying this to scare anyone. Especially women. I did the Camino by myself and was fine. And the Camino is supper safe.....just dont forget to pack your instincts as well. And trust them.
I also had three people try and pick pocket me as a team while I was in line to see St James tomb in Santiago. When I indicated that I knew what they were doing....they left me alone.
I am having a hard time understanding why they were carrying such a large amount of cash. I know that in some cultures credit cards are frowned upon - cash is the only reality. However unless you are carrying your own safety deposit box I would very strongly advise against this. In all circumstances where ATM/Cash points are commonly available (Australia/USA/most of Europe) I usually have a max of two/three days cash requirements (say around E100/$150) and even this is separated into at least two storage places. I also bring with me passport/phone/most of the cash whenever I go to shower or out for a meal.
Please - if you are someone whose culture frowns on credit cards there are foreign currency cash cards (both VISA Plus & AMEX) - available in US dollars / Euros/ Japan YEN and I think Swiss Franks (as well as Aussie dollars) - they can be loaded with as much cash as you need - I think the limit is $1000 US - or equivalent currencies. So if you have to carry cash try these. Buen Camino.
(PS I hope they reported it to the police - everyone who was staying at the albergue MUST be known!!!)
Hola Kanga - thoroughly agree - regardless of how foolish you feel - whenever you are the victim of theft report it to the police and the hospitalero. Make a very big fuss/noise in the albergue. The "pilgrim" who reacts could be or thief!!Sounds like the Camino albergues have been invaded by a single or gang of professional thieves. Eyes and ears people, time to get the police involved and for everyone to help catch them.
Mark I know exactly what the Knights Templar would have done and it is not very pretty.So sad, and the old former copper in me get's ticked off when I hear about stuff ....!
I wonder what the Knights Templar would have done with such thieves who would victimize peregrinos?
Is there some objective evidence of this? Advising people to be cautious is one thing, unnecessarily frightening them another. Almost all of the stories on the forum this year were at best hearsay - I heard about this from another pilgrim who told me that they knew of someone who was robbed. And so it gets started. I only recall one forum member claiming a personal experience they insist was theft. Although some others have lost things, they also admit that it might just have been forgetfulness that resulted in something being left behind.The cases of pilgrims being robbed while in albergues are escalating on both, frequency and boldness. Much like pickpocketing, this is not a crime of violence, it is a crime of opportunity in distraction. EVERYTHING you need to know to avoid been a victim is already said and popular knowledge. The time now is to act accordingly.
Hey Jason.
I dont know if they were local and I wouldn't have a clue what minority they were. But it was a women in her 40's with two younger men.
The indicators were:
* a lot of bumping into me when in line. (There was no need for getting that close as there was plenty of room)
* Feeling hands moving towards my bag
* Efforts to distract me by the two guys while the women kept "bumping" into me. I.e they started to push in front and encircle me.
When we were down by the tomb I stepped out of the line and indicated they could go in front of me. The look on there faces and the panic that followed....told me I was right. They were "out of there" quick.
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?
We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:
Do you accept cookies and these technologies?