GETTING ROBBED BY POLICE IN PERU11 min read

THE SOUTHERN AMERICAN SERIES PT. 15

BOLIVIA / PERU BORDER

Today I was making my way from La Paz, Bolivia, to Cusco, Peru. Little did I know I was about to have the rudest awakening coming into a new country.

I WAS MORE ANNOYED AT MYSELF, WHICH MADE IT WORSE

It was a night bus, which is always handy, so you don’t lose any days, and it meant I could get some sleep, which makes those long journeys so much quicker.

BORDER

Anyway, after an hour or so, we were at the border and had done the usual thing of standing in the queue to get things processed. Once stamped out, we headed to the Peru border, which was slightly quicker, before making our way back onto the bus. I knew that would be it until we arrived in Cusco, so I made sure to get comfortable. Neck pillow on, sleeping bag out, earplugs fitting, and my backpack padlocked and sitting above my head. BIG BIG MISTAKE.

Getting robbed by Police in Peru

FIRST SIGN

Arriving at Cusco, I noticed a small pocket was open, and my sunglasses were no longer there. F*ck must’ve been the driver. I spoke to a few people I met on the bus and asked them to be sure and check their own stuff. After a quick chat, I vaguely remember a few policemen coming in the middle of the night for a quick look. I was only semi-conscious and knew my bag was padlocked, so I didn’t think much of it. Anyway, the sunglasses were gone; lesson learned, I thought…not quite yet!

WILD ROVER

So I jumped in the taxi to make my way to the infamous Wild Rover Hostel. Since I was arriving early, the plan was to book a trip to Machu Picchu and check the place out. The Wild Rover is one of those hostels, or maybe the only one, that is happy to check you in at 4 in the morning if your bed is available. Brilliant!

THE SEARCH

So after checking in, I decided to get my tour booked and made my way back to my room to get the cash. I don’t normally keep a lot of cash on me when I’m traveling, but I knew I’d need it for this kind of thing. When a tour costs $400, it can be difficult to get the money any other way. While going through my bag, I had trouble finding the money, but I was sure it was there, so I didn’t panic. That was until I remembered about my sunglasses…sh*t!

Getting robbed by Police in Peru

PANIC

As soon as this came into my head, the panic swept in, and the bag was turned upside down, and lo and behold, it wasn’t to be seen. I’ve had a bad experience or 2 while on my travels, but this really hit me, and what made it worse was that I was on my own in a 6-bed dorm room. It was one of those moments where you have to pull it together.

Getting robbed by Police in Peru

FLASHBACK

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s someone stealing from me. I never understand it, but in this case, it might have been a good thing I didn’t spot him and approach him. Otherwise, who knows what would have happened? The last time I was robbed, I suffered a broken hand out of pure frustration and anger. Here, the same thing crossed my mind, but I thought better of the additional headache of visiting the hospital. After checking again, I was able to confirm the money was gone, and over the next day or two, as I needed them, I noticed a few other things that had been taken.

• Laptop charger
• Power bank
• Sunglasses
• Money

THINKING BACK

Thinking back to the bus, I tried to remember when it would have been taken. I vaguely remember the bus stopping and a few policemen coming on and walking up the aisle, taking a look at the bags in the overhead storage. From the few seconds my eyes opened, I remember them looking at mine. But my padlock was on, and not to mention, I was half asleep.

I had a look at my padlock and noticed it had been tampered with. I was angry, and after going nuts, I tried to gather myself. I’d say I’m pretty good at letting something slide; it’s not worth letting it get the best of you.

I had a look at my padlocked and noticed it had been tampered with. I was angry and after going nuts I tried to gather myself. I’d say I’m pretty good at letting something slide, its not worth letting it get the best of you.

Getting robbed by Police in Peru

MOVE ON

It was around 7 am, and in Wild Rover, there was only 1 thing I could do: head to the bar; after all, that’s what makes this place famous. Walking into the bar, and just the bit of luck I needed, the football was on. So I’m settled with a bottle of Corona and a front-row seat, the only person here apart from the bartender.

MORNING TEQUILAS

A few minutes later, another bartender staggers through the door, clearly late for his shift after a heavy night. After noticing me holding a Corona, he’s straight over with a bottle of tequila and a chat. Did Jesus send this man to fix me up?! He sure wasn’t expecting the story I gave him, so off he went for another top-up. This isn’t going to end well.

Now the story continues pretty much as it started; the free tequilas continue to come along with Jaeger bombs, and with each one, we toasted to the Peruvian police who robbed me. This is something I love about the backpacker community: the majority of us stick together, whether we’ve traveled for a few weeks together or have only just met!

Getting robbed by Police in Peru

BREAKFAST

Breakfast is also held in the bar, and the look on some of the people’s faces as they came down to find an Irish and Aussie fella downing shots at 8 am for fun was brilliant. Turns out today is Super Bowl day, so I can’t see this stopping anything soon.

Insider Tips: How to Stay Safe While Traveling in Peru

• Keep valuables in a small bag close to you, not in overhead storage.
• Use anti-theft backpacks and hidden money belts for extra security.
• Stay alert during border crossings, as theft risk is higher.
• Avoid trusting anyone blindly, even in uniform, and stay cautious.
• Split your cash and cards into different places to minimize loss.
• Choose trusted transport and secure your belongings, even in places like Wild Rover, Cusco, Peru.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I’m always cautious when it comes to traveling; some might say too much so. But I suppose I relaxed and dropped the ball here, and the lesson will do me well. If you take anything from this, learn from my mistake and don’t give them a chance. However, if something does happen, have a tequila and toast them for me!

NEXT UP

What better way to get over something like this than to visit Machu Picchu! Click to read.

SAFE TRAVELS, DS x
80/229

This post is part of the Southern American Series. Click to explore, or for episode 1, click here.