Well, it looks like I'll be replacing everything...

[dbradford]

Thanks for the words guys...

Maverick, looks like you'll have to wait on the Mt. Mayon and TB pics, sorry. You know guys, I'm so frustrated. My first reaction, as an American, and one with a temper problem, is to wish I could beat the living @#* out of whoever it was. I've been told though by my Pinoy friends, that Filipino thieves will kill you with no problem, they usually are packing or carrying knives. If I did hurt/kill someone, then I would probably be in a hot spot, here in the Philippines. The police and the court system is so corrupt, plus then you have the NPA (New Peoples Army) to think about. Usually, there beef is with the government, not putis (whites). However, if you as a foreign national hurt Filipinos, they WILL get involved (read bullet).

A friend told me the bag is LONG gone, the thieves will get it out of the area. And the police here are worthless and corrupt. Here, it's the security guards that are armed. Most of the junior cops have empty holsters, plus you're always hearing about the NPA raiding police stations and killing the cops and taking whatever weapons they can. You gotta love the the Philippines!

I'm planning on replacing everything, but not here, only to have it stolen again, or ruined. I'll wait till I move back to Hong Kong, where it's cilvilized
Plus, that was the LAST Black/Grape/Wasabi I don't know if the powers that be will do another run..I know a 'one off' is out of the question.

I hate this guys...

[maverick]

hi dbradford,

i'm sorry about your loss.

i'm glad, however, that you weren't there and no harm came to you! your stuff can be replaced, even though it is difficult to replace some things. but you can never be replaced.

[Bag Lady]

I'm so sorry to hear of your troubles, dbradford! Any chances of the police finding your items? It sounds like the theft was perpetrated by some young punks who might just toss your bag and hopefully the important papers aside once they realize that they can't use them. Thank God they didn't get your wallet and passport!

I'll be sending you lots of positive energy.

[ex machina]

Sorry to read of your troubles, dbradford. Just awful. Good fortune developing the safer environ you seek.

If you can't lock the screen door, and the door opens inwards, one trick is to put a rubber door stopper (wedge) there to at least make it hard to push the door open. It's a good safety measure when travelling as well.

Very clever, notmensa. I would also point out that there are door alarms in many configurations, available. I used to use one on hotel room doors. A metal wedge slipped in between the door and frame. When the door opened, the wedge dropped and sprang open to create contact, which sounded an alarm. Shocked a maid once, but other than that I had no issues with it (thankfully.) There are many types available, and they are mostly under $20 USD. I saw a motion based model on Amazon, which coupled with notmensa's trick might prove a useful technique.

[notmensa]

This type theft is not uncommon here in Australia either. Thieves either come in through an unlocked front door or reach in through open windows while the occupants are out of the room / at the back of the property. It's not about race or nationality, it's about an opportunistic thief seeing an easy mark.

If you can't lock the screen door, and the door opens inwards, one trick is to put a rubber door stopper (wedge) there to at least make it hard to push the door open. It's a good safety measure when travelling as well.

[dbradford]

Nope, I rent a room here in Daraga. My door was open, just the screen was closed. I do that when I come home, to get some airflow going, and to cool the place off. And they came in, and got my things. I've lived here 1 1/2 years, and this is the second time I've been ripped off. I don't want to move back to the US (sure, to visit is okay), but right now I definitely don't want to live here anymore. As I figure it, I lost about $500 worth of my things last night. It's going to take a long time, and a lot of money to replace the things that I lost.

Before anybody accuses me of being racist, I'm married to a good girl (Filipina) from a good family. One of my best friends is Pinoy. But everywhere you look, there's danger to Americans, people constantly trying to rip you off, steal from you. There's corruption like you'd never believe here, massive pollution, poverty.

When I lived in Hong Kong, I never had any problems with safety or theft. I used to walk alone at night, 3 Am in the morning for exercise (I'm a night owl). I felt safer than I did in the town I came from in Northern California. The Hong Kong Chinese tend to ignore gweiloh (whites), unless you're doing some business with them, or you're neighbors. Here you're constantly being scrutinized, sized up. Everybody knows in the US money grows on trees, and all the streets are paved with gold, right?

[backpack]

So sorry, are you ok?

[notmensa]

Really sorry to hear your story. Were your things taken from a hotel room?

[dbradford]

I got ripped off last night (second time here). They got my ID (the last black/grape/wasabi, which Darcy held specifically for me), in it were all my important papers, plus my TB spare straps, etc. Along with a Pentax digital camera, and a Eagle Creek toiletry bag. They fortunately didn't get my Large Cafe Bag, which is where my wallet and passport were. Also missed my Mac, thankfully.

If you ever get a chance to spend time in a Third World country, pass on it. I hate the Philippines.