Very Expensive Mistake!

Well, I guess Ive had that coming for a while...

I just got my two little cameras and my GPS stolen from the hostel where I was staying... And I have to say that it was my own fault! (Though my little computer was safely locked away, so I still have that)

Thats not to say that I approve of my stuff being stolen or people who steal!, but I was careless and in that sense, it serves me right.

It was a bit of a combination of things that did it though.
First off, Ive stayed at this hostel about five times now and I really like it because its cheap, clean, friendly, and I get on well with the people who run it... And of course, Ive never had any sort of problems here before either.
Secondly, there were very few (only two) other people here at the time so the risks seemed lower to me than in a crowded place.
Third, the hostel virtually never lets locals from Peru, Ecuador, or Colombia in for exactly these security reasons (yes westerners steal too but it is at a far lower rate... so the hostel people say anyway), and they have had no theft problems for a long time. But this time they did and Im sure that it was this young guy who stole my stuff.
And, finally (though perhaps I should put this as the first and most important point), I didnt lock up all my valuables... Yes, I put them away and out of sight, but not Locked away!... And I made the mistake of letting this young guy see me using my computer with the GPS and the camera... so he knew I had them... And, I have to admit that over the last several months I have been getting rather "Cavalier" about security and not taking nearly as much care as I should (which by the way, is I think still only about half the level that most paranoid tourists seem to practice!- I really dont think the world is as dangerous as most of them seem to think :)) )

So,while I was out running around today packaging and posting a few items to send back to Canada, the Culprit simply waited till the only other person in the dormitory was out and then he went through my sleeping area and found my gadgets in the draw under my bed, and he left... Checked out and we assume left town!
It wasnt till about 6pm that I noticed the theft though and there was not much to be done about it then. The hostel people did do a run around for me and checked all the other nearby hostels, but as expected, there was no sign.

What good has come of this... Not a lot I guess, but the two cameras (the one I have been using and my old one that I had as a backup) were really both quite old and worn, and not worth much money. So they are more of an inconvenience than a big loss.
The GPS unit was also not critical, and in fact, I had decided that it wasnt the one I would likely be keeping (too big and bulky and newer ones seem better now that I know what to look for). But, it was quite expensive, and I would estimate that I could have sold it for $500 or more!
... And without a charger (with special plug)its gonna be useless to the thief too as is one of the cameras that has a recharger rather than disposable batteries)...
Oh well... Not much I can do about it now other than to be more careful in future :)

The only other interesting, and I think good, thing about it all is that I have stayed remarkably calm and non-stressed by it all... Now I admit that I had just downloaded all the pictures so I didnt loose those like I did the last time a camera of mine got lost/stolen (during my last motorbike ride)... But then again, that time it only cost me about $300 or so. This time I think Im out by about $1000 or so...(replacement cost with second hand items)
So, the fact that Im cool and accepting about it all and that Im not even really angry at myself for my own "complacence/stupidity" is I think, a very good sign of my own "personal development".
... As Buddha apparently once said :
" Holding onto anger is like grasping onto a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else: You are the one who gets burned"

... And another thing he apparently said was:
"Your work is to discover your work and then with all your heart to give yourself to it."

... So, Not that Im a Buddhist at all, but I guess Ill get on with working on that one too! ... Though for the time being, Ill be doing it with paper maps rather than a GPS and there will be precious few pictures for you readers to look at in my blog posts! :)))