One of Those Days, Pt. II

If you didn't read 'One of Those Days' yet, read it first. It is just below this post. Here is the continuation of a few of the adventures I had in El Salvador, I wrote this the night of October 16, 2006:

After dinner last night (Sunday October 15), I came into my room and was trying to de-mosquito it. I went into the bathroom for the first time and saw an open window (with a completely ripped screen). I thought nothing of it, as this place is pretty rustic. I just closed the window to keep the bugs out. I blankly noticed a bit of dirt on the shower floor. Again, you have to see this place.

During this two hour meeting on Monday morning I realized what had happened. During our 45-60 minute dinner up at the main building of the hotel (30 metres away), someone had slashed the screen, jumped into the bathroom, quickly grabbed my wallet and ran out the same way. I remarked at the fact that everything was in that room at that very time: my laptop, both my cameras, all my equipment and my ipod. This of course, was my latest theory, as we talked earlier about where the last time I remember having it was. The last time I actually used it was at the cafe, so I was wondering if I had been a dumbass and left it somewhere.

After the meeting I told my new theory to Robert and the others. They were naturally sceptical as I wasn't entirely sure if I even had my wallet at the hotel after our day away.

So we went off to our first story, a family who was a 1 hour (or so) trek away. We drove about 20-25 minutes through the mountain roads (no pavement, 4 wheel drive and holding on to something secure a must), then hiked 25 minutes through coffee plantations and over rivers [picture on the left was that very hike] on an equally treacherous mountainous landscape. We reached the family and did the story. This was a special family as they were affected by HIV. The woman had delivered a baby via c-section just two weeks before. We marvelled as we walked back to the trucks how she hiked these paths pregnant, and then newly cut after her delivery [Photo on the right].

Anyway, as I was packing up my gear to walk back, I started feeling pain; little sharp pains in different parts of my body. Then I saw them, little angry looking ants all over my shirt, arm, camera bag. I freaked out a wee bit. Balta and Robert helped brush me and my gear off, then we got on our way. I was still a little sore from all the bites.

The afternoon was really rushed. However, the lighting was beautiful and the setting was perfect. We got the story done in about an hour.

Anyway, we did our two stories for the day, and we came back to the hotel. I was getting my equipment ready to backup all the photos I had taken that day on the DVD's I had brought. I quickly looked around for the CD case in which I kept all 8 blank DVD's (one for each day of shooting) and the DVD's I brought for entertainment (Battlestar Galactica, Season 1). Everything was comfirmed. It was gone.

TO BE CONCLUDED