Hello from Costa Rica! I hope writing about this will get it out my system. It’s traumatized me more than I thought it would. I also hope it will reach a lot of eyes and serve as a warning to other travelers and such out there in the world.
This is probably going to be long winded because it’s been brewing. Prepping for this trip, I came across a lot of warnings about crime in Guatemala which was going to be my first leg. I found myself feeling super anxious. A lot of the experiences of Crimes from my life in South Africa, where I’m from, came to the forefront. I didn’t like that as this is supposed to be a happy time where. Thinking happy thoughts and jumping up and down for joy. Maybe I’ll tell you about Guatemala on a different blog. Last night, I flew from there to Costa Rica and landed at 11pm. There’s a story about being at the airport, Taxi drivers & Uber for another time.
I was up for another hour or so in bed going through posts about other travelers about their experience at Terminal 7-10, downtown San Jose, Costa Rica. They’re not good. Stories about how men dressed formally with name tags will approach you as you enter the bus terminus, ask where you’re going, then tell you you just missed the bus. They’ll offer you a ride to catch up with the bus, pretending to call the driver. Once you get into their car, they lock the doors and drive wherever the fuck they want, drop you in the middle of nowhere and charge you for that long drive to hell. Now, you’re stranded and have just been robbed. Etc. I had my guard up and didn’t even believe the bus guy when he told me what the fare from San Jose to La Fortuna was, due to these stories. He made it worse by telling someone else a different rate. And staring at me wherever I stood, while we waited for the bus. Even when I got on and was paying (at this point I had confirmed with someone who purchased a ticket online that the fare the guy told me was correct. I think he was fucking with my head when he told people I was talking two different prices), he came to the window and talked to the driver. Of course, this was in Spanish. I just felt his attention on me in an aggressive way.
I found a seat by the back and happened to seat opposite a nice, modelesque guy. He’s friendly, so we chatted some. Bus vies. We’re going 4ish hours away. I got comfortable after telling a lady i was behind in line, hell no, I’m not putting my bag under the bus. It’s only a backpack but it’s stuffed as it’s my only luggage. 2 or so hours down the windy line, a group of people come aboard. I’m assessing everyone around me, my ears are perked up! I’m trying to figure out, are they a family? Are they together? Do they have ill intent? They seat in the same spot. I must’ve been one of the last folks with an empty seat next to me as my backpack was sat next to me all along. I look at this guy who is forward as if he works here, telling people where to seat etc. dude! Like! We’ve been at this for hours already. You’re new here! But ok. He points at my backpack. I’m thinking, he must be telling someone there’s an empty seat there, so I move it to my lap. Nothing happens. I set it back down. Bus is moving. He points at it again. I asked if he wants to sit, he nods yes. I place my bag on my lap again. I didn’t get a feeling duded was trying to sit but he was giving off hair at the back of your neck type vibes. I push my handbag as close to the window that I was sitting by as possible and slide the zipper from his side to the window side. I could feel the corner his eyes on me the entire time.can you say Cold War?
There was a younger guy in the group that come on with this man but I still couldn’t figure if everyone was connected. Man signals to younger guy to pass him a backpack that was on the top rack. That unnerves me because I don’t remember them having bags when they came on. I’m half paying attention to this. Not long after, he nudged the younger guy again and signals for ANOTHER backpack like whoa! This definitely doesn’t make any sense now! How could he be sitting with two smaller backpacks that look like they could fit into each other? This is not the same person’s luggage! I see him with Conner of my eye feeling up the bag at this point, I’m in and out of sleep! I’d gone to sleep after 2am and woke up around 5-6am. I’m sleeping but my backpack handles are wrapped around my arms.
The man even slept at some point. If you wanna call it that! I think he wanted people to let their guard down. Maybe an hour after they got on, bus stops for the only restroom break. I had read about this but wanted to make sure that was the correct location. I was nervous about taking out phone near these folks (or anyone for that matter). I sneak it out a bit but feel his eyes on what I’m doing. He doesn’t move as people are getting off. Nor did I! He then randomly gets up and he and his friend walk out. I feel like I don’t remember him struggling with two bags as he was walking out. You see, the thing is! I’m registering what is happening but am not necessarily watching this guy. I’m just keeping an eye on me vs him. They leave. I ask my hot friend if this is the break, I’d checked and saw it was the location on my phone but just wanted to make sure. He didn’t know, we asked others and they said yeah driver said we have 5 minutes (I had read about 15-20 but ok) I run to a paid restroom that had no toilet paper! Pro tip! Always have your own even if it’s a bunch of napkins! Back from the bathroom and from buying some friend chicken (not part of my elimination / carnivore {story for another day} but a man’s gotta eat). OMG! To think I actually left my backpack in there when I went to the restroom. Thank goodness it was still there when I got back! I shudder…
There’s a Caucasian dude who’s anxiously pacing up and down with a backpack identical to the second one that was passed on to the guy who sat next to me by his younger friend. My heart immediately knows what’s up! I ask hot guy what happened? He says the guy is missing his cellphone that was in that backpack. I’m thinking, sht! They took it! I tell hot guy what I think happened. Hot G interrupts me by filling in the gaps. He says he didn’t trust those guys the moment they got on. The way their eyes were moving was suspicious. That’s when I realized I wasn’t going crazy. We share what we saw happen and Hot G calls white guy and tells him who took his phone. White G is so devastated, just pacing non stop looking everywhere for his phone. It was hard to witness. He immediately went out the bus to look for these guys. I’m like, dude! They’re gone! I was just worried he doesn’t miss the bus and end up stranded there with a backpack that is missing a phone and end up being even more vulnerable. He was so focused on getting his phone back in that moment. I wish I didn’t know exactly how he felt, having been a victim of multiple crimes of all sorts myself. It was rough!
White G tells the driver who apparently couldn’t give two flying rats asses. Hot Guy (I promise I’m not a perve but let’s just continue calling him this for convenience) talked to the driver about is right after and driver tells him there is a camera on the bus, tapes of which will be released to police after a report has been filed. Hot G explains to White G white G looked for that phone until we got to our destination in La Fortuna, and looked like he was still in shock even when we arrived. I know exactly the feeling! It’s his work phone. A lot of people do the digital nomad thing nowadays. Work digitally, while traveling. He was probably going to enjoy his life while part working here. He said everything is on that phone. I was just so happy that’s all they took. It could’ve been the whole bag!
Poor guy things that when he put his bag down after the bus stopped for restroom break, the guys must’ve taken the phone then because they were on either side of him and were like, go go! Telling him to get off. Maybe that is when it happened but I asked him if his bag was on the rack at any point. He said yes. I said ok because they grabbed your bag then and had it with them for quite a while was the bus was moving. For him to have been so oblivious for all that is sad and I don’t blame or judge him. They are the ones who stole from him. So what if the guy wasn’t super alert? It happens to the best of us.
Upon disembarking, I told a German lady I had talked to at the 7-10 terminal while we were waiting for the bus what happened. White G was only seating a few seats behind her. She had no idea! I think there’s going to be someone else who will get home and realize something was taken from their backpack! Unless the thieves put their own backpack there so that it is not suspicious when they grab one … or two down. I doubt it though.
Please! Keep your stuff to yourself and be as alert as you can! Like I said, I wasn’t perfect in this scenario because I did worse and left my whole bag behind when either. Pray for us out here in these streets!
I’m on insta and X as @BabalwaBrook
My YouTube is Babalwa Brook as well.
Write me back and share your stories or more importantly your safety tips! Sorry for any typos
Pura Vida!
