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It was early in the morning and my wife and I were walking around the centre of Nazca. Two men who looked to be in their early twenties approached us; they were trying to tell us something but we couldn’t understand them. Suddenly one of the men snatched at my backpack, which I was carrying on my left shoulder. I held on to my bag while he kept pulling: it was a tug-o-war I was determined to win. But then the other man pulled out a knife and grabbed my wife, threatening to stab her if I didn’t release my bag. Of course, I let go immediately — and they ran away with my bag. Everything happened so quickly and, thinking philosophically, the outcome could have been far worse, but we were still really distressed to lose our expensive photographic equipment, including a digital camera and two lenses.

Peru

It was a terrifying encounter: I lost all of my personal belongings, but at least I escaped unharmed. I was walking through Hyde Park in Central London one night when I was confronted by three males. One of them was carrying an army knife: he told me to shut up and not to scream. The men took by backpack with all my belongings before leaving me alone. I went to the metropolitan police station in Belgravia where I filed a report. Thankfully, I still had my passport, credit card and yellow card certificate, but among my possessions in the stolen backpack was: a tent, a sleeping mat and sleeping bag, video camcorder, an Olympus film camera, clothes, diary, clothes, guidebook, a small stove and cooking utensils.

London, England