Catchup post: "Go Ahead Be Gone With It..."

I would like to say that Lisbon, Portugal was a great time where we saw all sorts of cool architecture, wandered quaint streets and heard Fado sung by street performers in the Alfama. Instead we had a tour of not one, but two police stations and then the US consulate as a result of me being pick pocketed on the Metro. We had gone to a place that was outside the city center called Nations Park, as there is a ton of really fantastic modern architecture there. On the way back, as we were transferring trains, we got caught in what turned out to be a very deliberate crush of people onto the train and the thieves managed to strip me of my camera, my wallet, my passport and license and some cash. They of course simply did not get on the train, thus my stuff was gone before I even realized it. I did an automatic check very shortly thereafter and nearly pummeled the guy behind me before he explained that the guy who robbed me had run. Most likely he was working with the thief, but he clearly did not have my stuff.

So there we were, me without any ID at all, poorer by our camera and way too much cash, and we don’t speak a word of Portuguese. Several folks on the train were quite helpful however, calling the metro cops (useless of course), and taking us to the right place to complain and get someone who spoke English. We were directed to the nearest police station, and after a bit they got someone who spoke a little bit of English, who made it clear that we had to go someplace where they spoke very good English, and (amazingly) that he was going to take us there. We then had a pretty surreal experience as we rode in the back of a Lisboa Police cruiser (Geo metro like and probably a hybrid), listening to Justin Timberlake (Bringing Sexy Back) on the radio while the cop tried to point out the sights. Too bad I no longer had my camera.

So we had our private, escorted and armed tour of Lisbon, all the way to the tourism police station, where they did in fact speak very good English. We were not the only ones however. It was a testament to the skill of the thieves that they had got my stuff out of my front pockets. One tourist at the station had lost his goods out of a zipped fanny pack that the thieves had bothered to re-zip. The criminal element in Portugal doesn’t mess around.

We filled out reports, and then were directed to the US consulate so that I could get a replacement passport. I confess I had absolutely no confidence that this would go smoothly, and I was not given any reason to change this attitude as we showed up only to be informed that the consulate was closed for lunch for another half hour. As we cooled our heels on the steps of the security shed, I had the chance to reflect and get really angry about what had happened, and then just be frustrated that there was not a thing I could have done about it, or could do about it now. Wrong place, wrong time, not paying enough attention and I got hit. It could have been worse, at least they didn’t get near Jene.

When the consulate finally opened, they subjected us to security that was tighter than many military bases I have been on, and brought us to the place where folks could help us. That is exactly what they did, as within an hour, I had filled out the correct forms, they had pulled my original passport ID pages off the computer, and we were being interviewed by the assistant consul as to what had happened. It took another half hour to print me a new passport (which is temporary. I have to apply for a new permanent one within 3 months of getting home) and call us a cab to take us back to the ship. During this time, being hungry, we availed ourselves of the candy machine. Most of the time when I am out of the county, I like to try the local cuisine, but I confess I was feeling a bit patriot at this point and went for the Kit Kat bars. Americans may be loud, generally rude, etc, but we do take care of our own when it counts. We hopped the taxi back to the ship, got me a new cruise ID as the thieves had nabbed that as well, cancelled my credit card (they had already tried to use it only 4 hours after it had been stolen) and then retired to the buffet for some much needed nutrition and a drink. So, I would like to tell you Lisbon was wonderful, but it was actually rather annoying. From now on I am only drinking Australian port. Screw Portugal.