Today we drove to Hluhluwe Game Reserve and saw a few animals. On the way back to camp stopped for lunch and while inside someone stole my computer out of the back of Joan’s locked truck. They also took my bathroom bag. Guess they needed some shampoo and a hairbrush. Must have had a bunch of keys to do it. Then locked it back up. Thank goodness her computer wasn’t stolen also. The worse part is the loss of all the photos I’ve taken so far. I have travel insurance and am trying to get in touch with them. Have already started to change some passwords. This really puts a crimp in things. So if I don’t post for a while you’ll know why. In the meantime, I can use Joan’s computer when she’s not.
Any travelers ever had this happen before?
I feel sick to my stomach.
I’m so sorry to hear this happened to you Gaelyn!!! Greg had his stolen in Nicaragua a couple years back and it was never recovered of course. Soooooo many important things lost and an unpleasant lesson in backing things up and letting go of things at the same time. Glad you have travelers insurance at least. Sending healing and loving thoughts to you for the aftermath!
What a bummer! I know the loss of pics is the worst. Hope you get back up and running again soon. Been really enjoying your Africa posts.
Nina
Oh Gaelyn – – I’m SO sorry .. Can’t imagine how you could have avoided it – you took ALL the precautions I’ve ever heard of toward avoiding this happening. I won’t burden you with my silver lining stuff, not many apply here., but there are a few. Know that I hurt with you. Love you both
Berta
Gaelyn,
What a terrible experience. Trying to change passwords, is only the tip of the iceberg, I am sure.
You did not lose your camera did you? Hope you can find a replacement for the computer soon,
but this probably means a trip to the big city first.
How frustrating. Best to you and to Joan.
Thank goodness I’d emailed myself a long list of passwords but it will still take some time. Didn’t loose any cameras. Will replace the computer with something in a few days when we get near a city. The worse was loosing all the photos from almost a month. Glad the best ones were posted on facebook and the blog.
I hope the person who stole your computer does not have access to your email account if you emailed yourself the passwords. I am so sorry to hear about losing the computer. I know how I would feel if mine was stolen! I LOST my camera once on the way back from Flagstaff a few years ago. I really did not expect to see it again.
I put a startup password to slow anyone down. Removed all personal info before leaving the States. Changed passwords within an hour. So it’s really the photo loss that hurts the worse. Will buy a small laptop tomorrow on our way back to Kruger from the coast. It will cost about twice as much here but I’m still here for almost two months and don’t want to have to rely on Joan’s computer. I’ll never see that laptop again.
Hey Geogypsy-
You Might also invest in a portable HD to back up your pictures. It probably would be well worth it,
and the peace of mind. This can be stored separate from your computer (In with your dirty laundry?:-))
Glad you had all the passwords somewhere. That is what is really a headache.
Toodles,
Raven Maven
Stupid me left the external drive in the computer bag. I’ll now invest in many SD cards and keep storing backup photos on those.
I feel so violated when this happens. Once in Greece we parked in a seedy neighborhood; were very tired, went to a restaurant, and came back to find our back window smashed. They took my photo bag, which like an idiot, I’d left visible (blame it on fatigue). It contained two lenses and miscellaneous stuff, not my camera. I replaced them….came out pretty well, considering no photos were taken.
Thank goodness the cameras and lenses weren’t stolen.
OH Gaelyn I felt sick when I read you subject line. And the first thing I thought was “her photos”. But then I thought about everything I would lose including a LOT of personal information if someone stole my laptop. Why in the world would they take one if there were two and not clean out the entire truck. I am so so sorry. How to put a damper on your trip. I can’t imagine trying to replace a laptop in Africa. I am really really sad for you.
I had deleted all personal info from the drive before I left the States. Emailed some of those to myself. Changed the email password within less than an hour so should be safe. Hard to say why more wasn’t missing. Laptop will be available here but cost about twice as much so I’ll only buy something small.
I feel sick too Gaelyn. I really, REALLY hate things like this to happen!!
So sorry about this. I hate thieves.
So sorry to read this. Glad you were able to secure your privacy, but the loss of the photos is heart breaking.
The loss of photos is so bad I’m going back to Kruger NP to take some more. And will buy another laptop on the way.
The loss of visual memories makes the loss of the computer so much worse … in this day and age, traveling with e-devices can be a boon and a headache.
Ain’t that the truth.
Oh, I’m so sorry Gaelyn. That has to be everyone’s worst nightmare to lose their digital “treasure trunk” and especially in a foreign country. Glad you were as prepared as you were and had taken good precautions with backups, etc before leaving the US. These stories are sober reminders to us nomadic travelers to stay ever-vigilant with keeping our digital assets backed up and passwords secured. After a hard-drive crash a few years ago nearly wiped out my entire 10-year photo vault, I finally got serious about solid, reliable backup and password solutions!
I’ve been very happy so far with these solutions and did some full reviews on them last year if you or your readers might find the info helpful–
For passwords, I’m using Dashlane (www.dashlane.com) that lets me ensure my passwords are unique for each site, and lets me store them encrypted and fully-secured on all my devices and/or their cloud server.
http://winnieviews.blogspot.mx/2013/03/protecting-your-identity-in-cyberwar-age.html
For backups, I’m using Crashplan (www.crashplan.com) that will auto-backup your laptop to any external storage or remote computer for free, or backup to Crashplan’s cloud servers for a modest annual fee. Here in Mexico, I keep an external backup drive stowed in my tow car and laptop stored in the RV just in case one or the other location should be compromised.
http://winnieviews.blogspot.mx/2013/02/every-rver-needs-crash-plan.html
Thus far, I had only been backing up my photos to the external drive about every 2 weeks, so your post today is a good motivator for me to do this more often.
Here’s hoping the rest of your trip is enjoyable and trouble-free!
Thanks for this info. Will be checking them out. Heading back to Kruger tomorrow with a laptop purchase along the way. Will be vigilant on backups. A tough lesson indeed.
So sorry to read this… I am sure you’ll catch up with pictures… and find a new affordable computer.
Headed back to Kruger tomorrow and buying a laptop on the way.
Oh no, I am so sad. I hope your friend took many of the same pictures as you did and so you can borrow hers for what was lost. Insurance doesn’t cover those. Nor the feeling of being violated. But that could and does happen here and anywhere.
She took only a few photos not nearly as many as I. Doubt insurance will cover this loss.
There isn’t much I can say that the others haven’t. As somebody who works in the tourism industry and who promotes this beautiful country something like this hits like a brick in the face. I know it won’t put you off from South Africa, but there are so many others that would just pack up and leave if something like this happened and it means all our hard work down the drain. I also agree, it’s the pictures that are the biggest loss.
This being my third visit with a first theft I’m certainly not turned off to SA. The photo loss really hurts. So tomorrow we’ll be back in Kruger. Bought a laptop today in Nelspruit.
This is such a shame. My camera and phone was stolen when I went to South Africa with my daughter last year. I was devestated as my daughter was only 4 at the time and I wanted the photos as memories for her. I spent the last 2 weeks of our trip looking for it and putting reward posters out over the village, it never turned up though. I even said to keep the camera I just wanted the memory card.
Im not put off going back though so hopefully we will make some new memories and photos, this time I will be backing them up everywhere!!
I’m certainly not put off to South Africa. Love this place. Have replaced the laptop and will continue the journey, with backup.
So sorry to hear about the stolen laptop, that is definitely one of our worst fears, that and losing our camera. The lose of all those pictures is so saddening, I wish there was something that could be done but unfortunately there probably isn’t and as you say it is doubtful that the laptop will be recovered.
Hoping the rest of your trip goes without any more incidents like this.
Ruth
After two safe visits here I really can’t complain. Returning to Kruger for another week helped with restocking some of the photos plus Joan’s photos are available to me also. The camera would have been a worse loss. And now we’re headed back to the coast and westward.
Are you home now?
Glad that everything is working out then. As you said it is a good thing your camera wasn’t gone too!
No we are not home yet, we are slowly making our way back to Cape Town. Looks like we are within a close proximity of each other at the moment. Have fun on the Wild Coast. Are you going to go to Bulungula while you are there?
Just saw your post about heading to Graff Rienet. We are camping just SW of Durban tonight in Scottburg along the coast and headed to Margate tomorrow. No plans for Bulungula.
Enjoy the rest of your trip.
Gaelyn