Advice/vibes need for some Jackson, WY locals who are in trouble.

spook · 01-04-2013, 05:27 PM

sha-ZAM!!!!

Hugh Conway · 01-04-2013, 05:58 PM

Originally Posted by Conundrum

Tough crowd around here.

eesh - I'm happy they are alive. Guess I approach it that they went looking for adventure and found it not to their liking. It's annoying and all but no reason to mobilize the State Dept

**powder11** · 01-04-2013, 06:06 PM

rule #1 in nature: Don't run. If the prey runs, the predator will chase it down and try to kill it.

**UPGRAYEDD_2505** · 01-04-2013, 06:10 PM

You need bear spray in Peru?

spook · 01-04-2013, 06:16 PM

Originally Posted by UPGRAYEDD_2505

You need bear spray in Peru?

yes. it's a little known fact that some grizzlies also migrated south to avoid the slaughter.

**old goat** · 01-04-2013, 06:21 PM

If anyone feels the need to send money to Peru you might consider the Villa La Paz Foundation, which supports the Hogar de San Francisco de Asis in a suburb of Lima. It's a group home for poor sick children from the rest of the country who are receiving outpatient medical care in Lima. Very barebones, very reputable. My son volunteered there, my wife is going in May.

**satori** · 01-04-2013, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by VTsession

Link:

http://adventureamericas.wordpress.c...tmare-in-peru/

I couldn't even read the whole thing. I was almost sick reading it.

Yes this is the real deal.

I am speechless to read this, and my thoughts and prayers are with your friends. I hope all of this gets straightened out quickly, and that they will be able to deal with this tragic event. Some counseling when they get back might be a good idea. Damn.

**lowsparkco** · 01-04-2013, 09:02 PM

I guess it's too little too late at this point, but you can't underestimate the class warfare that still goes on in Peru. I spent a little time down there and although it's empowering to speak Spanish it is still the language of the conquerors to many indigenous. I guess it's fair to assume they had gotten a bit brazen after successfully navigating CA. I heard first hand of a similar story in Nicaragua where a british kid was held against his will and taken daily to the ATM to take out his daily limit of cash before being released naked in the countryside, although I don't think they roughed him up as badly. I also have a friend who had an eerily similar experience in Whitehorse, Yukon although they were able to escape before being hurt. The Sacred Valley is pretty gentrified but I recall the train wasn't running to Puno while we were there do to rural violence. I wish them well and hope they recover quickly and easily from this near escape. I think they really have a lot to feel lucky about as their deaths wouldn't have warranted much more attention. Hopefully this serves as a bit of warning, not to avoid a great adventure such as theirs, but rather to exercise caution on the road.

spook · 01-04-2013, 09:09 PM

eventually it will be a warning not to do adventures like that.

**Two06** · 01-04-2013, 10:03 PM

I was just in Peru for 6 weeks. I spent the last week surfing in Huanchaco, a small town outside Trujillo.

My very last night in Peru I took a taxi with a local guy that worked at the hostel to a Reggae show in Trujilo. The taxi driver swerved over to the shoulder halfway to the city and 3 angry guys piled in on top of us before we could react.

The proceeded to drive us out into the desolate fields nearby. I just got super calm and hoped that I would survive in one piece. They then dragged us out and beat us up a bit, threw us on the ground face down, frisked us and took all of our stuff. I had my wallet with some ATM cards and after deciphering their spanish I realized they were asking me for the pin number. I gave them a fake one. I noticed the guy wasn't holding me very strongly so I made a break for it since I wasnt sure what else they had planned. The guy grabbed my shirt just enough for his friend to tackle me and then they beat my ass a little more. Now I was a little more scared and when they asked for the pin number again I gave them the correct one. After a few more kicks to the head they got in the taxi and drove off.

I laughed out loud because I was happy that I didn't get stabbed. We had to run away from 3 different hooligans trying to come after us on the walk home.

I had to get my parents to western union me cash to pay for transportation home, luckily I didn't have my passport on me at the time of the jack move.

They ended up getting 700 dollar US out of my account before I could cancel it, but I'm getting it all back through wells fargo.

Other than that Peru was sick!

**lowsparkco** · 01-04-2013, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by spook

eventually it will be a warning not to do adventures like that.

I spent about 5 years living in Central America and the one thing most people never reconcile is that without a legitimate police force and enforcement of laws there is very little security. Without a system of security everything involves more risk or expense. Although we were robbed a couple of times luckily our personal security was never really threatened. Once again, best wishes to the victims.

spook · 01-04-2013, 10:15 PM

Originally Posted by flowing alpy

i still got some wedges you can look over
bF

haha. that's sweet, bobby, thanks. if you head out this way in the spring maybe we can hit a few balls. and no, i'm not hitting on you.

spook · 01-04-2013, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by lowsparkco

I spent about 5 years living in Central America and the one thing most people never reconcile is that without a legitimate police force and enforcement of laws there is very little security. Without a system of security everything involves more risk or expense. Although we were robbed a couple of times luckily our personal security was never really threatened. Once again, best wishes to the victims.

that and the police force is not your friend.

**mnskier** · 01-04-2013, 10:35 PM

Originally Posted by Hugh Conway

You mean all of the people who fuck up and don't ask for money?

I'm glad they are ok. People arent assholes for not seeing replacing someone else's iphone

Hugh as well as spook sum this thread up very nicely. I am in college and even I am questioning how unprepared they were. These 3 went into a very uneasy, unhealthy, and overall not safe situation and expected everything to be okay. I have been on TGR a few years and I would have most assuredly posted a question or 2 on this journey here before I embarked on it. It is amazing the wealth of knowledge here (it is great). Think if these 3 had done any research (even posted on our forum) they would have been able to avoid this situation altogether. I think we can all learn valuable lessons here. You should and will research any trip your doing into a 3rd world and potentially dangerous country beforehand.
And, once again, TGR proves itself as an invaluable resource for all trips and future endeavors.

My two cents.

spook · 01-04-2013, 10:50 PM

i wasn't emphasizing anything about a dangerous country. the u.s. is no paradise. there are a lot of reasons things happen and much of the time i can't blame anybody except the "victim," including myself. i knowingly put myself in a particular position every time i go anywhere. people do ugly things everywhere.

**klauss** · 01-04-2013, 10:53 PM

Originally Posted by mnskier

Hugh as well as spook sum this thread up very nicely. I am in college

Only go where the cruise ship tells you guy.

**mnskier** · 01-04-2013, 10:56 PM

Originally Posted by klauss

Only go where the cruise ship tells you guy.

Klauss you clearly have worldly experience that should be imparted do share...

**powder11** · 01-04-2013, 11:28 PM

I don't think location or lack of security have anything to do with it. Tourists are targeted, shot up and killed during robberies right here in the states. Seems more like bad fucking luck than anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/09/us...ecautions.html

**Tye 1on** · 01-04-2013, 11:36 PM

Originally Posted by powder11

I don't think location or lack of security have anything to do with it. Tourists are targeted, shot up and killed during robberies right here in the states. Seems more like bad fucking luck than anything.

http://www.nytimes.com/1993/09/09/us...ecautions.html

You don't know shit about SA.

spook · 01-04-2013, 11:38 PM

Originally Posted by mnskier

Klauss you clearly have worldly experience that should be imparted do share...

seriously. i've never been on a cruise before. other than basically being a floating petri dish of stds, food-borne illnesses and viral and bacterial goo that leaves a trail of shit, what's it like?

**mnskier** · 01-04-2013, 11:51 PM

Originally Posted by spook

seriously. i've never been on a cruise before. other than basically being a floating petri dish of stds, food-borne illnesses and viral and bacterial goo that leaves a trail of shit, what's it like?

I haven't either Spook or Klauss I am still waiting for one of you intellectually and cultured individuals to impart what is like for me on one. A cruise is one of those big ships right?

Edit: Klauss it is no about always going into tourist traps, but being realistic about what areas an average individual can and can't safely explore (especially without the necessary research, hiring of locals, etc.).

**klauss** · 01-05-2013, 12:10 AM

Originally Posted by mnskier

Edit: Klauss it is no about always going into tourist traps, but being realistic about what areas an average individual can and can't safely explore (especially without the necessary research, hiring of locals, etc.).

As long as that bright red line is there. That said, this stuff rarely happens.

**concretejungle** · 01-05-2013, 01:06 AM

Originally Posted by spook

that and the police force is not your friend.

True in the states as well.

Hugh Conway · 01-05-2013, 01:07 AM

Originally Posted by klauss

That said, this stuff rarely happens.

Eh? People get beaten and robbed regularly inside the US, outside the US. It rarely makes the news. Not fearmongering, but it's interesting if you sum tourist deaths from various causes and compare it to, say, avys, the different perceptions of risk.