While I was in Peru I stuck mostly to public transportation as the buses through Miraflores, Barranco, and Chorillos are well organized and come often. For just S/1.50, you can travel a few blocks or get to the other side of the neighborhood. Sometimes talented buskers hop on for the ride playing guitar, rapping, you name it.
Flash back nearly a year, after wandering the Surquillo N°1 Market in Lima the route home was a bit different. With my arms filled with groceries and my fingers slowly draining of blood, I decided to hop in an Uber for a quick ride home.
Mercado de Surquillo N°1
I opened up the app and waited. The car came and I hopped in. It was a short 10-minute ride back and after a long day of Spanish classes and walking around- I wanted a nap. The driver dropped me in front of my Airbnb and I hopped out with the groceries and headed inside.
Side note: You know the little thing you do when you leave a place or vehicle, the little pocket tap. Just to make sure you did indeed put your phone in your pocket 10 seconds ago. Well, I didn't do that and that was my downfall. ALWAYS DO THE POCKET TAP.
With my hands filled with groceries, I didn't think to tap when I stepped out of the car. Nor when I was in the elevator. It wasn't until I sat down on the couch and pulled out my phone that I checked. No wallet.
I quickly thought oh "Wrong pocket let me just". Ok, it wasn't in either pocket so it must be on the table where I put the keys. No. Ok, it's in my book bag, I put it in there to free up my hands. No. Ok, I tossed it on the bed when I came in. No. It quickly became me gaslighting myself into nonexistent scenarios. Then, selective amnesia set in. When I tried thinking back to the last 10 minutes it was all a blank: "I came in the house...with the keys...and keys were in the door...shoes, wallet, phone? What am I looking for again?"
My mind slowly slipped away as I sat on the couch with my hands anxiously clasped together. Where is my wallet? I started running through the day. Did I leave it after my Spanish classes or maybe in the market? All avoiding the worst case, but very real scenario- it was in the Uber.
Despite driving away 10 minutes ago, I raced downstairs and out to the street searching wildly for the car. I went to the front desk clerk and asked in broken Spanish if anyone had turned a wallet in.
I called Uber(Spanish version) and waited for what felt like an eternity for the line to connect. The driver answered(thank god) and said, "Hello this is...how can I help you". I quickly rambled off the situation, switching to advanced Spanish mode: "I left my pocket, just got out, a tall man with curly hair". He simply said "Sorry I don't know what you're talking about"
No way. I explained to him that he could keep the cash, I just needed my ID cards and
could come to get them if he left them somewhere. I was desperate for any solution and just couldn't accept such an obvious feint. He continued, "Sorry man no idea, I didn't see that anywhere bro, not my problem".
Frustrated. I hung up.
My back hit the wall and I slowly slid down to the ground. Certainly, I could just get a new one. It totally didn't have all my cards or hundreds of dollars of cash in it.
I collected myself and called again-this time speaking calm, clear, and in what I'd say was well-articulated Spanish. "Hello Sir, I'm calling again because I know I left my pocket in your car, if you could pleas—". It goes quiet.
Seconds later, I got a call from Uber saying they had connected me to the wrong driver. They wired me to the right guy and I told him what happened:
"Sorry no idea, I don't understand, you lost a pocket?"
"The thing you put money and cards in, pocket? po-ck-et, please. One second"
Frustrated. I pulled out SpanishDict and looked up how to say wallet. W-A-L-L-E-T I typed quickly while the dude was on hold. "Billetera". Wait what. B-O-L-S-I-L-L-O. "Pocket".
Dude. I had been saying pocket this whole time. Really?! I called the guy back.
"Hey man, I'm so incredibly sorry, I left my wallet, a black wallet"
"Oh yes, I found one, I can bring it to you in a couple of hours"
I let out a sigh of relief. We coordinated the meet-up at his convenience and surprisingly all the money was still there. I gave him a big tip for all the trouble and begrudgingly walked back upstairs cursing about pockets in Spanish.
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