Wallet stolen in Madrid

[trecile]

So, I feel really stupid right now. I was pickpocketed somewhere near Plaza Mayor while I was on a walking tour. I lost all my credit and debit cards.

I have made a police report and notified the banks involved. My husband will send me cash via Western Union.
I am taking the train to Pamplona tomorrow where I have a reservation at Pensión Corazón Puro. One of my banks will send me a replacement card to Corazón Puro. Hopefully it will arrive by the time I walk to Pamplona from SJPDP. If not, I can spend more time in Pamplona waiting for it, or take a bus back to get it.
Does this sound like a good plan? Any other suggestions?
BTW, how long should it take to walk from SJPDP to Pamplona. I will be spending the first night at Orisson.

 

[Kanga]

Oh no! You poor thing (no pun intended). Let us hope that "the Camino provides" and the whole experience does not make you feel too uncomfortable. From SJPDP to Pamplona takes me three nights, four days. Corazon Puro is not in Pamplona, but is in about half-way between Roncesvalles and Zubriri - in a little village called Viscarret-Guerendiain.

 

[Deleted member 3000]

My wallet was stolen in Barcelona just before I was going to spread the cards and money around my body and luggage! My ATM card was canceled in Florence, and the replacement took five days to arrive. The "800" number on the back of a credit card is not toll free. The toll free international number on the back is not toll free from a cell phone.

You have all of my sympathy. I hope all goes well from here on. Buen camino.

 

[Rick of Rick and Peg]

@trecile, I'm sorry that your your trip started out so badly but I like the attitude you are showing; something bad happened but I'm okay and now how do I go on from here.

The Brierly guide would have you do this: St. Jean -> Orisson -> Roncevalles -> Zubiri -> Pamplona

I would recommend spending the night at the parroquial albergue in Zabaldika. Both Peg and I agree that it was one of the best places to stay on our camino. It is just a tiny bit off the main camino and only an easy 5 miles before Pamplona. It looks like it is about 15 miles from Corazon Puro in Viskarret, a day's walk after getting your new cards.

Buen Camino.

 

[SYates]

Oh dear! So sorry for you, but glad that you keep the spirit up. As for time frame: SJPdP > Orrisson > Roncesvalles > Zubiri or Larrasoana > Trinidad de Arre or Pamplona would be typical stages that many do. Buen Camino, hopefully only with pleasant events from now on, SY

PS You do realize that Pension Corazon Puro is in Vizkarret/Bizkarreta, not in Pamplona itself? See http://www.corazonpuro.es/AlbergueEng.html

 

[NualaOC]

Hi @trecile, I'm so sorry that this has happened to you - well done on being so pragmatic about it.

I suppose you will just have to wait and see if your card arrives at Corazon Puro on time. If it doesn't, perhaps you could ask them to send it to another location a few days' walk away (and leave money with them for the postage)? For example, there's a very friendly private albergue in Los Arcos: http://www.casadelaabuela.com If you book your bed/room in advance, I imagine that they would be happy to take delivery of your card.

Good luck, and I hope that the rest of your Camino is incident-free.

 

[trecile]

Oh dear! So sorry for you, but glad that you keep the spirit up. As for time frame: SJPdP > Orrisson > Roncesvalles > Zubiri or Larrasoana > Trinidad de Arre or Pamplona would be typical stages that many do. Buen Camino, hopefully only with pleasant events from now on, SY

PS You do realize that Pension Corazon Puro is in Vizkarret/Bizkarreta, not in Pamplona itself? See http://www.corazonpuro.es/AlbergueEng.html

Yes, I do realize that. It's the only place I had an address for! I don't knowlong it will take to get my replacement cards, so if I have to continue on, then take a bus or taxi back that's what I'll do.

 

[trecile]

Hi @trecile, I'm so sorry that this has happened to you - well done on being so pragmatic about it.

I suppose you will just have to wait and see if your card arrives at Corazon Puro on time. If it doesn't, perhaps you could ask them to send it to another location a few days' walk away (and leave money with them for the postage)? For example, there's a very friendly private albergue in Los Arcos: http://www.casadelaabuela.com If you book your bed/room in advance, I imagine that they would be happy to take delivery of your card.

Good luck, and I hope that the rest of your Camino is incident-free.

Thanks for your suggestion. I'll just see how it goes.

 

[TaijiPilgrim]

So, I feel really stupid right now. I was pickpocketed somewhere near Plaza Mayor while I was on a walking tour. I lost all my credit and debit cards.

I have made a police report and notified the banks involved. My husband will send me cash via Western Union.
I am taking the train to Pamplona tomorrow where I have a reservation at Pensión Corazón Puro. One of my banks will send me a replacement card to Corazón Puro. Hopefully it will arrive by the time I walk to Pamplona from SJPDP. If not, I can spend more time in Pamplona waiting for it, or take a bus back to get it.
Does this sound like a good plan? Any other suggestions?
BTW, how long should it take to walk from SJPDP to Pamplona. I will be spending the first night at Orisson.

I am sorry that you had to start your camino this way. Istvan and Barbara at Corazon Puro are very helpful and they may be able to come up with an alternate plan if the card does not arrive while you are there. If you have money, I would suggest you keep to your plan to start at SJDP because you will have to walk right past Corazon Puro on your way from Roncesvalles to Pamplona, and the card might have arrived by then. Routinely, Istvan picks up pilgrims in Pamplona so he might be able to drop the card off where you plan to stay in Pamplona as well. So don't fret too much. The Camino usually does provide.

 

[M. McNabb]

So sorry to hear about the stolen wallet. I will need to be more careful, how and where is the best way to carry valuables? Been camino , may the rest be a wonderful experience

 

[trecile]

So sorry to hear about the stolen wallet. I will need to be more careful, how and where is the best way to carry valuables? Been camino , may the rest be a wonderful experience

Firstly, split your valuables up. I had intended to do this, but just went for a short stroll first thing this morning without doing it yet. Then I happened upon a free walking tour that was just beginning and decided to join in.

I think that being in that tour group really marked me as a tourist and made me a target. I almost always keep a hand on the top of my crossbody bag, but I let my guard down as I chatted with some of the others in the group.

Fortunately, my passport was not in the wallet, or else I would have been really sunk, since I needed it to receive the money at Western Union. And a note on that - when my husband placed the order to send the money he omitted my middle name which was on my passport. They wouldn't give me the money since the names didn't match exactly. So I had to call my husband again to fix that. That was done quickly and I was able to receive my cash, which I'm keeping in a small zipper bag pinned inside my handbag.

 

[ranthr]

So, I feel really stupid right now. I was pickpocketed somewhere near Plaza Mayor while I was on a walking tour. I lost all my credit and debit cards.

I have made a police report and notified the banks involved. My husband will send me cash via Western Union.
I am taking the train to Pamplona tomorrow where I have a reservation at Pensión Corazón Puro. One of my banks will send me a replacement card to Corazón Puro. Hopefully it will arrive by the time I walk to Pamplona from SJPDP. If not, I can spend more time in Pamplona waiting for it, or take a bus back to get it.
Does this sound like a good plan? Any other suggestions?
BTW, how long should it take to walk from SJPDP to Pamplona. I will be spending the first night at Orisson.

Trecile, do not feel stupid! There are a lot of us. I was robbed, like Falcon, in Barcelona, and I read somewhere that those people have moved to Madrid now. Luckily I was on my way home from a camino when I lost my passport, money and creditcards on the airporttrain. Some people made their income by staying on the train all day robbing tourists.
Not much help to you now, but after that I have sewed inside pockets in all my trousers where I keep copies of passport, creditcards and extra money.

 

[trecile]

Trecile, do not feel stupid! There are a lot of us. I was robbed, like Falcon, in Barcelona, and I read somewhere that those people have moved to Madrid now. Luckily I was on my way home from a camino when I lost my passport, money and creditcards on the airporttrain. Some people made their income by staying on the train all day robbing tourists.
Not much help to you now, but after that I have sewed inside pockets in all my trousers where I keep copies of passport, creditcards and extra money.

I actually made two hiking dresses to wear on the Camino that each has a hidden pocket in addition to two zippered pockets. Unfortunately, I wasn't wearing one at the time.

 

[VNwalking]

Ah, @trecile...bad luck! My sympathy.
And your attitude is fabulous! It will serve you well along the way. How ironic that after the careful preparation you got nailed before you ever got to the camino. A lesson to us all.

Your plan sounds very good, as the good people at Corazon Puro will be able to help make sure your replacements get to you, somehow.
One thought is that @Mikel Olivares lives in Cizur Mayor, just past Pamplona--it may be worth sending him a PM as I'm guessing he'd probably be happy to help, if he could. (Yes, 3 nights, 4 days if you're taking 2 days to get to Roncesvalles)

 

[Scarlet Fez]

Love your positivity at Trecile, have a great Camino.
There's thieves and picket pockets working in every major City and town with a rich picking of tourists passing through. Minimise the risk as already mentioned. Split your cash and cards so all is not last in one hit. Always make a photocopy of your passport, European health card and your credit cards and keep them completely separate in the event of you being a victim. Have a separate wallet/purse with the cash you need for that day only. So when you open it to pay for something there isn't a huge wad of cash to catch the eye of the patrolling thief to highlight you as worthwhile target.

 

[CaptBuddy]

The fortunate part of your story is the Corazon Puro. Barbara and Istvan will do whatever is possible to help you. Your first Camino Angels.
I hope the worst of the journey is behind you. Buen Camino.

 

[zzotte]

I can't help laughing at the tourists specially Madrid gather to listen to street vendors selling whatever, making a pickpockets haven

Zzotte

 

[trecile]

Update - great news! I had received a tracking number from my bank for my credit card, and the expected delivery date was Wednesday, August 24. So I stopped by Corazon Puro around 11:00 this morning on the way from Roncesvalles to Zubiri and it had just been delivered about a half an hour earlier!

I'm still waiting for my debit card from another bank. Istvan and Barbara from Corazon Puro will email me when it arrives and we will figure out the best place for them to send it to me.

Meanwhile, my husband will send me more cash via Western Union.

BTW, I'm having a wonderful time. It's a little hot right now, but the walking isn't bad if we're done early enough. I've also got a nice little Camino family, which seems to grow each day.

 

[jdpiguet]

Thanks for the news and congratulations for the good management!

Buen Camino, Jacques-D.

 

[trecile]

Final update - my debit card arrived at Corazon Puro about a week ago. They forwarded it on to the Correos office in Burgos, where I picked it up yesterday. It wouldn't have been possible for me to receive my cards so easily without the wonderful help of Barbara and Istvan!!

 

[CaptBuddy]

Corazon Puro, the best kept secret on the Camino.