Your misfortune has given everyone some good conversation about just how careful we must be when traveling. I'm sure the Embassy will be a big help.

@ uhoh_busted: did you scan just the number part of your passport into Dropbox or the picture and number? Is their security that good?

Maybe the #1 thing to do is "don't beat yourself up" over this thing. Everyone on this board has had bad luck like you and everyone on this board has done things that in retrospect we damn sure wish we hadn't done. Hey, you are in touch with family, friends, and this board. You are traveling solo, but you're not alone. There are some real pros that check this board so lay your questions on them.

Just look forward to this: when you do get your replacement passport it will say "issued in Barcelona, Spain". That's a conversation starter!

It just dawned on me: They got your computer but we're still connected. Internet cafes? Do they still exist?

sorry to hear about the theft. not saying this as a consolation- my purse was snatched in madrid a few years ago, in the business district of orense. i was 3 steps away from the rental car we were picking up.

like the other posters say, don't beat yourself up. these thieves are damn good at what they do. ( lots of practice ? ) they're quick and can execute in a matter of seconds. in other instances, once they've picked on someone, could be due to anything i.e. you look like a wealthy tourist, you look careless and unguarded therefore an easy prey, you're carrying a bag/package that looked like it's containing something of great value, etc- the odds are they will successfully execute the thievery. i think they call that "casing" in crime-speak.

i hope you're able to get a new passport quickly so you can get back to the business of having a great time in barcelona.

chereamycat: sorry this happened to you. It can be very devastating. Please take the good advice offered above and move on as quickly as possible.

I just posted this a few days ago about the safety tips that the Barcelona Yellow Pages has on its website:

http://www.barcelonayellow.com/bcn-t...elona-top-tips

Hope it will help other travelers. The same kind of precautions go for almost all travel.

c-cat- I can't say I have any advice or tips for you beyond what has been shared above. I just wanted to let you know that I really feel for you. Feel a little sick, really, just thinking about it. Anyway, your hard lesson has been a lesson for us all. I will be taking steps prior to my next trip keeping this in mind. Best of luck.

again, thanks everyone. Hostel computers and internet have helped me reach out.

Oh my gosh that Barcelona Pickpocket article was so good! too late for me but maybe not for others.

I wonder if people ever return computers or journals..

I am not a Mac guy, but they do have a tracking feature that, when turned on, can tell you exactly where your lost or stolen Mac happens to be.

There was a rather thrilling account a year or more ago on another (non-Fodor's) forum in which a guy blogged in real time as he tracked down his Mac and went to a bar to retrieve it from the person who was sitting at the bar happily using it.

Not perhaps the best way to live to a ripe old age, but the whole thing took place in a "good" neighborhood in NYC, and he wisely said something to the perp like "I guess you found my Mac!" giving the perp the opportunity to say something like, "Oh, yeah, I was just trying to find your email so I could return it."

Of course, this guy was not a professional computer thief, just an opporunist.

chereamycat,

When this has all come to a happy ending, I hope will tell us all what worked and what didn't, tips we can all use in the future, and your new web site address "what to do when....."

Seriously, you have insights that the whole board would like to have.