Bus Station Survival Guide

Dear Mom and Dad,

We have safely arrived to Lima. Within 10 minutes of us being here, my entire bag was ALMOST stollen. I mean the bag with my passport, credit cards, debit card, clothes, etc. I can't tell you how lucky I am to have caught the jerk. We usually always use the large locks to lock our bags to our chairs even when we are sitting next to them because things get taken within a blink of an eye. I had just sat down and put my bag next to me. Charlie grabbed my attention to look at the map to get a sense of where we were located. All of a sudden I felt my foot jerk (I had my foot on top of my bag), which I thought was my bag falling off of the chair. I look up and see my blue sleeping bag walking away from me. Then I realized, THAT was MY bag. I started screaming and ran up to the guy. He was plus size in his mid-forties, so walking briskly but not running at a fast pace. I made such a commotion that he dropped my bag within 10 to 15 feet of where I was originally seated. He had a car and driver waiting outside the bus terminal and quickly made his escape before the police could get to him. Luckly my phone was stollen previously, so I have been extra cautious, but all it takes is half a second on have your attention diverted, and BAM things go missing. I think he must have spotted us from the moment we got off the bus and waited to make his move. Charlie stayed seated with his bag because for all we knew someone else would have grabbed his bag in the commotion of my bag getting stollen. This guy definitely was not working alone. Another lesson learned. Ball and chain your things to your leg, arm, waist, and any other place possible.

More survival tips for Bus Stations:

1. Clearly watch, lock, and super glue your things together.

2. Always have a deck of cards. Charlie and I love playing card games with each other. Unless he beats me really bad in Gin. Then my competative nature comes out, and I accuse him of cheating by shuffling the deck in his favor or something along those lines. I can't stand to lose even in a stupid card game.

3. Snacks. Let's face it, boredom leads to snacking. The solution is to bring your own snacks bought from a grocery store. They are cheaper in cost, and tend to be healthier then the wide chip selection the bus stations offers. My favorite so far are the Peruvian version of fruit loops. At least it's cereal?

4. Headbands. I'm currently sporting my hawkeye headband that Marilyn (MZ as I like to call her) made. She made it for a teppanyaki tailgate in Iowa City two or three years ago. Covers up the unwashed greasy hair perfectly with an added plus of looking extra fly in black and gold.

5. Hygiene products. Keep them packed near the top of your bag. Even if you won't be showering for a day or two, it's a necessity to brush my teeth and wash my face everyday. A little deoderant sure goes a long ways.

We will be boarding our bus at 2:30pm to Cusco today. We payed extra money for the "lazyboy" chairs that are supposed to recline back for comfort. Let's hope so. I could be getting cranky if things continue along this path. Sleep is a necessity, showering is not.

Love always,

Matti Jo and Charles Dale