Days 212-213 - Robbery Number 1!
Trip Start
Feb 04, 2010
1
38
50
Trip End
Oct 05, 2010
Francistown, Botswana
Sunday, September 5, 2010
We had just finished an epic session updating this blog and getting a bit of shopping done when we returned to the car, parked in a security guarded, busy shopping centre in the middle of the day, and Jenny noticed her car door was unlocked and our paper work, cunningly hidden under the seat, was slightly open. Nothing was missing so we thought we had just not put it away and locked the doors properly, until we tried to open the boot and failed miserably because some scallies had broken it open using a screwdriver or similar and had stolen two of our little backpacks. This was most upsetting, especially for Jen as she now had no make-up, no jewellery and no hair-straighteners (we can hear you girls recoiling in horror at this thought when reading this!) But much worse was when we realised that they had also stolen Rob’s pack containing his hearing aid charger, spare batteries and all spare parts. Meaning the battery he was using at the time was all the power he had left (maybe 3 hours worth if we were lucky!). As he doesn’t use batteries you can buy in a shop for this, this was suddenly a bit of a worry. Police were eventually called (after no help from the useless security guards who we even suspect were part of this) and Jenny went to the station to fill in a report while Rob stayed with the car (which, after the criminals handiwork, would no longer lock!)
Whilst filling in the report at the station, the police officers were called out to arrest someone caught trying to steal a blanket out of a car in a neighbouring car park, Jenny had to go with them and she watched while first the officers hit him for daring to commit a crime and then when they frog-marched him to the station, everyone else walking by had a go at kicking seven shades of hell out of him, crazy place, crazy people.
After much stress we moved on, pleased to be leaving the useless police and security who couldn't do anything anyway and stayed the night in a hotel thoroughly downbeat and wondering if Rob would hear anything for the rest of the trip.
