Yesterday was quite the day - in the morning 6 of us went to the beach to relax and celebrate our friend Matt's 21st birthday. After a few hours in the sun, we decided to walk up to Larcomar, a really nice mall in Miraflores, a really nice district of Lima. We decided to eat a late lunch/early dinner at a Chili's - the most American place I've been on this trip so far. I set my backpack by my chair and all of a sudden it was gone! Somebody had just snatched it up and left without me noticing - I couldn't believe it. The manager at Chili's notified the mall security and everyone was on the look out for somebody with my blue backpack, but he was already gone. My backpack, which was expensive alone, had my camera (small one), keys, sunglasses, school ID and driver's license, money (not that much), credit and debit cards, planner, and other school supplies in it. We finished up our free meal at Chili's before returning home to Kusi Wasi. I couldn't get into my room and the locksmith wasn't answering his phone, so I had david break my doorknob with a huge rock from outside. By the time I called my banks to cancel my cards, there had already been 6 charges to my credit card and 2 to my debit card, totaling over $650. I couldn't believe it! Every time I have used my credit card here they ask for identification... and my debit card has a PIN which was not written anywhere in my wallet. I'll get a new debit in credit card in a few weeks along with dispute papers, which I need to fill out and send to the banks in order to get reimbursed. I'm guessing the whole process will take about a month. It was a really horrible feeling and I felt so vulnerable after it happened, but I'm glad I wasn't robbed at gunpoint and also very happy to be safe. It could have been a lot worse... at least those are all just material things that can be replaced. I still can't believe it happened! I'm just waiting for the locksmith to come with Carla, the owner of Kusi Wasi, to give me a new door handle so I can actually lock my room again.
I'm thinking I have completely run out of bad luck on this trip and that I only have good luck left - I'm keeping my hopes up!
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