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Theft - Madrid

lckgj

Active Member
just a quick word of warning... arrived Madrid airport last night and had my hand luggage stolen from under my nose whilst buying a metro ticket_ have lost EVERYTHING - PASSPORT, CASH, CREDIT CARDS, CAMERA etc. Luckily hotel paid for in advance! Now off to british embassy to see what to do. Hope to put it behind me and head for Burgos asap
The rotters!! (Or maybe a few stronger words...)
 
€2,-/day will present your project to thousands of visitors each day. All interested in the Camino de Santiago.
The same thing happened to a friend of mine in Madrid (Plaza del Sol). I hope they can help you at the embassy without too much delay, and that you had some sort of insurance.

Advice for others: Important papers should be on your body when traveling in these bigger cites.

Good luck and buen camino,
Ivar
 
Hmm... I had one of those little pouch type bags that I could sling over my shoulder. and move to the front of my body.

I think thieves will target those who look like they're on the move, purely because you're so preoccupied with all your bits and bobs.

Sorry to hear about your woes, though.

Buen Camino... May it soon be forgotten about.
 
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
Sorry to hear this. Hope everything will get fixed soon.

This being said there was a post not long ago where advice was given regarding theft on the caminos and in refugios.

Before you leave home, get a small pouch that you can attach around your neck and wear it under your garment the time you cross your doorstep. In it there should be :


  • Passport
    Credit card
    Credencial
    Small amount of cash (<40 euros)
    Airline tickets (if applicable)

Never leave it, including for showers. At night keep it in your sleeping bag or around your neck.

A photocopy of your passport should be in your pack.
 
Photos and Bird I.D. please!

Thanks for your sympathy and good wishes. It was a mixture of bad luck and a moment of stupidity - I am normally ultra careful. I was definately targeted by a professional as they were so very fast and despite alterting a security guard within seconds who gave chase the thief disappeared into the crowds. The Guardia Civil were totally disinterested and did not even want a description of the bag I had taken from me. The British Consulate much more helpful.

Despite the above trauma I made it to Burgos and completed my walk from there to Leon. The beautiful wild flowers and the clamorous birdsong on the meseta soon put my troubles into perspective.

I was very sad not to have a camera with me to capture the flowers and the breathtaking vistas - if anyone has any favourite photos of the meseta in full flower they could forward to me I would be very grateful.

Also, although I wrote what I thought were detailed descriptions of the wild birds I saw along the trail I am still having trouble identifying them in my bird guide now I am home. Are there any expert ornothologists out there that could give me clue as to what they probably were and narrow down the possibilities?

My best guesses at present are yellowhammers, corn buntings, goldfinch (only 1), linnets, black redstarts, crested larks and either shrikes or wheatears (neither picture in my book looks quite right). I asked lots of othe peregrinos along the way if they knew for sure what any of them were but most people seemed to be in too much of a hurry to secure a bed in the next stopping place to take much notice of the wildlife!

The noise of the frogs in the rivers was great too!
 

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