Statistics say that most of the mountain accidents happen on the way back from the top - not while climbing up - when the attention and the awareness of the climbers is lowered by the succesfull reach of their own goal. Maybe is exactly what's happened to me, just couple of days after declaring that the journey was over. A Canadian girl in Ushuaia told me about Buenos Aires saying "your journey's still not over, man...". She was right. I've just been assaulted and robbed by two guys with a knife in the shitty Naples-style area of La Boca. They stole me the full backpack with camera, 2 lenses, 3 memory cards (with the pics of Valdez peninsula, Mar del Plata and Buenos Aires forever lost), 1 portable hard disk with all the pictures of my journey, my glorious jacket, plus some money... Maybe was fault of mine, maybe just misfortune, but I better think it's just a sign of fate, it means that now that the "mission" is over and the journey done, there is no more reason to keep traveling: it's time to go home. Now. I've been robbed at 5 pm, under a strong sun, in an open-air square fulfilled by hundreds people, in the middle of the road... just think that 4 or 5 cars had to stop their way waiting for those guys to finish their job on me. Of course, nobody did anything, they didn't even watched disappointed or disgusted to all that scene, just ordinary life for them, just routine. Absurd. Exactly like humanity is: pure absurdity.
Let me tell you - at the end of my world journey - that there is no way out for many populations around the world, because it's not just matter of poverty, it's a cultural problem. They will never change until they change their behaviour, their lifestyle, their culture: poverty is just a consequence, just an easy excuse. Look at Germany, for instance, after 2 world wars they were completely down but few years later they're among the richest countries in the world. Nothing else but culture the reason why South America is third world while Europe is first.
By the way, the city of Buenos Aires sucks.
I think about the third world which I know.
ReplyDeleteThe shit that happened to you, the robbery, wouldn't happen in south east asia, 'cause that's not a matter of poverty but just a matter of culture, as you said.
Tonio
I'm very sorry to hear that :( It's just stuff you lost (luckily!) but very important stuff. At least I've become quite attached to my worn-out old stuff because my backpack has been sort of my only permanent home during the last 7 months. I guess you must be especially pissed off about losing some of the pictures. But it is true what somebody said above, you still got your memories. I hope something like this happening at the end won't darken all the great memories you've gained during your wonderful journey. Have a safe end to your trip!
ReplyDeleteWow, Matteo. I'm glad at least you're all right!
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