It's my departure day from Toray back to Cuzco. I plan to come back to Cuzco alone, early than everyone, because I have a Machu Picchu trip to go to tomorrow very early in the morning. So, after lunch and after saying goodbye to a few buddies, Aislinn, Maddie, Lena and I go straight to the Pisac market to do some shopping before I get on the bus. I am looking for a small shoulder bag for carrying water and snacks. I have not bought anything for the whole time I am in South America, well, except for a coin purse, so I thought I would buy something for myself for once. Anyway, after shopping and have a cafe with the girls. Around 3:45pm, I get on the bus to Cuzco.
I have been carrying a lot of stuffs today, my small backpack and another shoulder "bump" bag, containing my dirty clothes, flip-flop, some snacks...etc. Anyway, the bus is half way up the hill, I suddenly realize that my jacket pocket is empty, that's where I have my camera. Start to freak out on the bus, knee down on the floor (I am standing at the time), searching all over my bags, and cannot find my camera. I try to chill myself, and debate what I should do, get off the bus and go back to the cafe where I have taken off my jacket for a while to look for it, or just forget it and go back to Cuzco, maybe it's somewhere in my bag (which I am pretty sure it isn't). So, at the end, I decide to ask the ticket guy (in completely broken Spanish) that I want to get off, and go back to Pisac. The ticket guy does not understand me, but there is another passenger right behind me sense what is happening, and he explains to the ticket guy. They let me off at the nearest bus stop. Some other passengers are also getting off. They very kindly lead me to where I should stand for the return bus. One younger guy, named "Dee-do" or something like that, he even wait for the bus with me. We try to communicate, he asks me where I come from, what have I visited...etc, I try my best to understand what he asks, answer the best I can, and ask him the few questions I know. Apparently he works at a restaurant at Machu Picchu, it's his day off for this weekend. A taxi drives by, so I just hop on, hoping to get back to Pisac sooner. Say thanks and goodbye to "Dee-do".
I feel really anxious, I hope that my camera has only fallen out of my pocket while I am in the cafe. That cafe is pretty safe. Arrive at the cafe, search between the chairs, the floor, my camera is nowhere to be found. Go back to the shop where I have bought a shoulder bag, they are already closed. And check at the supermarket we have stopped by a little bit, the shopkeeper says he has not seen anything. Completely devastated, and don't know what to do. I am going to Machu Picchu tomorrow and I have lost my camera today. What a bad timing. I am pretty sure that I have my camera in my pocket, I didn't want to keep it in my backpack, because I want to feel it with me all the time. At least I thought I could feel it. But perhaps I am carrying so much stuffs today, and I lose tracks of it. It is either fallen out of my pocket or someone pick-pocketed. Either way, there is not much I can do, and I must leave Pisac and back to Cuzco before dark. I can't go to Machu Picchu without a camera, so I must buy a new camera, I know it is going to be fucking expensive in Cuzco, even a camera battery I checked, it was like US$60! Now it's a camera, I can't imagine how bad it can be. But again I have no choice really.
Anxious, pissed at myself, depressed, all bubbling in my head together. Get off the bus, crowds, groups of people are protesting again on the other side of the street. The bus stop is somewhat far from the main Plaza, I ask someone, he says it takes 10-15 mins to walk. I head my way to the Plaza, can't wait to pee. Just want to get away from all the people in front of me. I still stop by a telephone booth trying to call Amanda, I need to tell someone about it. The phone fails to connect though. I feel really terrible, get to Av. El Sol, where there are tons of camera shops. I check each one of them out in details, inquire models and prices. If I want to get another Canon, one similar to my old ones, it gonna cost around US$320, it's NOT even the latest model (maybe 2 generations older), it's 10.0 megapixel. It's better than my original camera though. Still, it's some US$300 fucking dollars. It is so expensive and unexpected. I give myself sometimes to sit and think. I go through my bags again to make sure it is really lost. It is! Go to a cafe and check online what the camera sells online in the US. It's like US$200. With tax, maybe US$220. I know it gonna be more expensive here, but it's a US$100! It is a lot of money, I just want to kill myself for losing the camera. But, I tell myself, oh well, shit happens, I can sit and moan, the fact that I lost a camera will not change, I just have to deal with it.
Alright...make a decision that I am getting the new camera. Go back to the same shop like 3 times, almost begging the guy to give me some discounts. My poor sad face is not made it up to pretend I am poor, but it is for real. At the end, the guy sells it for me at US$300 (in cash), which includes a SD card and a camera bag. The other shop does not include the latter two items even though they also let me have it for US$300. I will not mention this figure again, just try to forget it. Look at it in the other way, in a positive way. At least now the problem is solved. I will be able to take picture at Machu Picchu tomorrow, after spending so much money and time to get there. And it's a better camera, maybe it will have better picture. And I saved some money from successfully using the expired tourist ticket which saved me US$20, so it helps even though it is only a tiny little bit. Whatever tiny reasons I can convince myself that this expense is justified. Maybe...somehow... just let me delude myself for tonight.
Get home...nobody's here. Some 30 mins later, the house mom and Amanda come back, turn out Amanda broke her leg while I am gone. She has to walk with the helpers, and her leg is all wrapped up. I tell her what happens to my camera. This is probably not our week. We have a hug... I need it badly.
Anyway, I will try not to let this incident bother me any longer. Especially tomorrow I will have a long hike, gonna go to bed now and get up at 5:40am for Machu Picchu.
Photos here: LOST!
