for f@ck’s sake…

So those three things that I thought made up my bad luck for a while, obviously were not the right three things. And there’s really no way to sugar coat it so…

The night between Saturday and Sunday, I woke up suddenly around 4:30am to find two guys in my room with a flashlight, I screamed louder than I ever have before and they ran out of my room and out of the house with me chasing after them in nothing but my underwear. Needless to say, I was not able to catch them and they got away with my iPad, both my phones, my handbag which had credit cards, my passport and some cash in it and a bag of toiletries (including all my contact lenses again!).

During the following 2-3 minutes all I was thinking was ‘when will I wake up?’… but it was not a dream/nightmare. Sadly, it had happened again! And then, all I could think was ‘why me?’, ‘what have I done to deserve this shit?’.

So the guys broke into my friend Daudi’s place, where I was staying for just two nights, and it’s a place I have always felt safe… all doors were locked, but somehow they managed to get in by forcing open the door from the living room into the garden. How we didn’t hear it, I am not sure! Daudi woke by my screams, but it was also too late for him to catch them.

The police was the opposite of helpful and by the time they seemed to be vaguely interested, the thieves had switched all the devices off, so I couldn’t use FindMyiPhone…
I was so effing angry, and it only worsened when they told me to calm down – ARGH!!

Since that incident, I have just really been on autopilot. Cancelling credit cards, changing Apple devices to lost mode, contacting the Danish consulate, talking to immigration re. my business visa, buying a phone and checking insurance terms & conditions – my insurance company will probably think I’m stupid or a fraud. My friends here in Moshi have been very super supportive during this time, but I have still felt quite alone.

I have however decided, after a lot of soul-searching, to honour my contract and go to Grumeti to do the training programme. I have looked forward to it so much and they have been great about the delay and we have just had to change the schedule a little, so it should still work really well.

But at the same time, I wonder if that might be the end of following my dream – for a while anyway… but that is a decision for another time! Right now I am overwhelmed by frustration and sadness, it is difficult to explain.

Anyway, my iCloud recovery will take quite a few days, so have not got people’s contact numbers, but if you have my Tanzanian number, you can use that to get in touch with me for the next week or email me! Please get in touch – it will help me through this shitty time.

Latest update is that I now have a temporary passport – the Danish Consulate guy was super kind and amazingly quick and I am flying to Grumeti on Wednesday morning.  More news from there in a few days.

Sending hugs!