smooth talking

Hey,

Guatemala is an interesting and often beguiling country, but watch out for your bag. A smooth talking, English-speaking, guy chatted to me on a local bus from Guatemala City to Chichicastenango whilst an accomplice silently opened my day bag, removed my camera and then closed my bag again. They are very

Fortunately, I still use film and keep my films elsewhere. For digi users, it may be a good tip to keep your memory card and camera separate when travelling.

MM

Sorry to hear about that, but it certainly is in keeping with what i always tell friends about that part of the world: you're more likely to get physically hurt in our neck of the woods, but petty thievery is off the charts down that way; what's not nailed down, walks.... It's even become second nature to do things like put my legs through my daypack while on the phone, stuff like that that newbies probably wouldn't think of. It's just automatic now but it became so out of necessity. Good idea about keeping things, not just memory cards, in different locations on your person. I've always "marvelled" at the "ingenuity" I've seen poverty and opportunity combine to create. I've met a good number of guys, and gals, like you describe; some, very, very good at their craft. The strangest, to me, is when it is a foreigner abroad who is on some perverse "walkabout" scamming fellow tourists.... leaves me shaking my head. It has, admittedly, been difficult to not become too jaded at times about certain aspects of CA, but I keep going back....

pedro.... thats a good idea about putting your legs through your pack. i'll have to remember that. whenever i go to a cafe or restraunt, i always put the chair leg that i'm sitting on through the loop in my bag, and i usually have my foot on top of my bag as well. it becomes second nature.

Sorry Matt. But that probably the MOST CLASSIC way that thieves operate. We had the same thing happen to us in Costa Rica - and we were in a group of 4! Luckily, we chased the thieves to get our bag back and nothing was taken.

Always keep your eyes on your bag - no matter what country you are in - Guatemala, Costa Rica, the United States, England, China... thieves are everywhere. More prevalant in some countries than others - but everywhere nonetheless.

Cheers,
Kay

Kay and Franks Trip to Central America

Thanks for the info and I too am sorry for the loss of your camera. It is good to be reminded of these things. Last time in Guate, I spoke with a young lady, whose day pack that she placed under her bus seat got sliced open either to or from Panajachel and her passport and other important items disappeared.

As for me, I use a largish fanny pack to the side, where my dominant left hand rests when I am otherwise occupied. I know that it looks a bit touristy, but no one has ever stolen from any I that have used.

i'm getting a little paranoid about getting stuff stolen in guat... i've never traveled alone before, so it never concerned me nearly as much because if i lost or got something stolen the other person would still have money/credit cards/whatever...

i know i'll be ok, and i'll keep a credit card somewhere other than where the rest of my money is but it wouldn't be fun to be robbed and be all alone and then have to deal with it

Don't worry. You'll be fine! Just stay alert, don't walk alone on dark streets at night, and keep your bag close to you. On the buses, there will be guys offering to take your bag to help you - some act like they work for the bus. Don't believe them, even if they really do work for the bus. Don't let anyone touch your bag other than you. And avoid Guatemala City.

Other than that, you will be just fine. We didn't have any problems at all in Guatemala until the very end. The day we went to leave for Belize, we were not paying attention while our bus waited inside a busy market. Someone slipped their hand in the window and took our Guatemala Guidebook by Moon. Several locals saw it, and told us and even escorted us to where the thieves were hiding in another bus. Not everyone is a thief... most of the people are genuinely nice, honest, and friendly. Especially the Mayans up in the north (above Antigua up towards Xela) - everyone that walks by you will say Buenos Dias, etc. Very very friendly.

if you're super aware you're fine.

i always have radar up if anyone is within 3' of me - also if anyone has been following me for more than a minute, or children in a market. i often stop change direction, so into a store, pretend i'm window shopping & let the suspects pass. [occasionally i see them leave me then go case someone else out.] never sit at a bench, or wear deep pockets with zipper closures, i always sit in a single seat if at all possible, & completely avoid all pickpocket friendly behavior.

wear 0 jewelry, your poorest looking clothes [nothing complicated, fancy or sparkly or attention grabing], 0 makeup, nothing provocative & you'll be fine. no elaborate hairdos, or fancy cameras - the throw away one use cameras are best [there's alot of photogs on here that are moaning they do it all the time]. the more attention [beyond being a tourist] you don't want.

honestly don't worry, have a wallet for the banditos with a few Q's. & enjoy & don't let a few bad apples spoil the whole bunch.

NYC_Girl_115, what experiences led you to advise people to just avoid Guate? #7, I think that digital cameras are so common these days that having one does not set you apart and they are so great to have along. Otherwise, both have a lot of good advice.

On a bus, it's okay to put your bag on the overhead rack as long as you either leave a strap hanging so you can see it or if you place it across the aisle where you can clearly see the whole thing. If you look around on that sort of bus, you will see that this is a common practice. If you leave your pack somewhere, whether in your room or anywhere like, for example, the left luggage room at the Tikal Visitor's Center, lock any part that you don't want anyone looking into. When in doubt, such as when I left mine at Don Mucho's at El Panchan, cable lock the pack to something solid. Most thefts are surreptitious and opportunistic.

Especially traveling alone or even with others, before leaving a restaurant, getting off a bus or before checkout from a room, I find it helpful to do a "paranoia drill" to make doubly sure I have left nothing behind. You might be more likely to inadvertently leave something than to be robbed of it.

I would never, ever put my bag in the rack above. Don't know how many times I've heard the tale. Last time I heard it it was a laptop, an external drive and a nice digital camera that was lost in the bag up there. Unbelievable to me that someone would put stuff like that up there!! When I travel with laptop or nice camera gear I treat the bag that contains them like a baby and cuddle up with it right on my lap. I would never put my baby up on the rack. I do this on shuttles, busses in taxis, whatever. It is possible to fall asleep from time to time and it is possible to be scammed while you're wide awake. It's not so much paranoia for me as it is wanting to at least have a fighting chance to defend my crap. Cut the expensive brand name labels off of your bags, too or use an ugly ass bag to carry your nice crap!! LowePro=Camera Gear for example. Another friend had his wallet pick-pocketed in a scheme arranged with the bus driver. (At least that was his theory!) Crowded in and standing up in the aisle the bus driver kept jerking on the brakes to enable the dude behind my friend to pull the stunt. Lost a passport and a lot of cash on that incident. I generally hug one bag and stick the other one at my feet with the strap-wrap scheme. If I'm using my iPod I try to keep it in the bag while making adjustments or changing songs. I also use a non-Apple set of head phones unless I'm being stupid and want to use my big ass DJ headphones for total external noise reduction. In the hectic streets of Antigua I pulled the same goofy faced guy's hand out of my pocket TWICE during Semana Santa. I couldn't believe he went in for a second time especially while Jesus and the Roman battalion was going by in the same moment.

stick something icky in your pants - no not that!
i mean some gummy worms or a taser or something, then ms./mr. (goofy face) pickpocket will get a nice surprize.

Someone tried to steal one of my framed photos out of the restaurant here. (I was at least flattered a little bit that someone found it stealable. Maybe just for the frame?) He/She left it in the bushes out front to snag it later. Some kind lady and her son found it later and gave it to me. Initially I thought that maybe the lady was teaching her son a lesson for being the one that did it but, alas, they had simply found it there. I left the would be thief a nasty surprise note in the same bushes. He He He!! I offered to let the good samaritans keep the photo, but they didn't want it. Humph? I like the sticky stuff in the pocket idea.

Some good advice here to help avoid theft. The best precaution is definitely to keep cash in different places. Money belts are much better than keeping your wallet in your pocket, but even they are not totally safe. I stick some cash in my sock (elastic band keeping it place) and noone is likely to go near that!

mojoguate, I would never put a digital anywhere but my fanny pack, and carrying a laptop would be advertising being more well to do than I am. Yes, if there is any chance of falling asleep, I use a cable lock to secure the pack to something.

How would someone know I have a laptop when it's in an ugly, crappy bag stuffed with all those sticky gummy worms. He He. It's not like I ever whip out the laptop out on the bus and start crunching spreadsheets. It stays in my ugly, crappy bag which I hug to my chest, though not too hard so as to release any worms!!!!