It was supposed to be a seamless journey\u2014Mendoza to Buenos Aires, then onward to Puerto Iguaz\u00fa, all in one day. I\u2019d packed my trusty trekking backpack with everything I needed for the trip, including my prized Canon RF 100-400mm lens, snug in its protective case with a \u20ac300 filter shielding the glass. I didn\u2019t think twice about checking it in. After all, I\u2019d done this before. But this time, luck wasn\u2019t on my side.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
When I unzipped my backpack in Puerto Iguaz\u00fa, the pockets were gaping open. My stomach dropped. The lens was gone. Just like that. No forced entry, no obvious signs of tampering\u2014just an empty space where my gear should\u2019ve been. The estimated loss? Around $1,600. Not exactly pocket change.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Panic set in. Did I have the original invoice? Of course not\u2014because why would I? After scrambling through old emails, I managed to dig up a duplicate PDF. Not ideal, but better than nothing. Then came the sinking realization: my N26 Business Standard card had no purchase protection, and I hadn\u2019t bothered with travel insurance. The airline\u2019s liability? A joke. Flybondi\u2019s response was a polite shrug\u2014they wanted a police report I hadn\u2019t filed and cited their “fragile\/badly packed” disclaimer, which, conveniently, didn\u2019t cover theft. I knew chasing them for compensation would be a waste of time.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
So, I switched gears. I called lost-and-found desks at every airport\u2014MDZ, AEP, IGR\u2014reciting my bag tags like a mantra. I set up alerts on Mercado Libre, hoping the thief would be dumb enough to list it. I registered the serial number on Lenstag and StolenCameraFinder, then reached out to Canon service centers in Chile and Argentina to flag it as stolen. A long shot, but worth trying.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Next time? No expensive gear in checked luggage. Ever. I\u2019ll zip-tie my bag shut, drop an AirTag inside, and maybe even spring for proper insurance. Or at least use a credit card that actually covers theft. Hindsight\u2019s a bitter teacher, but at least I won\u2019t make the same mistake twice.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
For now, though, all I can do is wait\u2014and hope someone, somewhere, slips up.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Disappearing Lens It was supposed to be a seamless journey\u2014Mendoza to Buenos Aires, then onward to Puerto Iguaz\u00fa, all in one day. I\u2019d packed my trusty trekking backpack with everything I needed for the trip, including my prized Canon RF 100-400mm lens, snug in its protective case with a \u20ac300 filter shielding the glass. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":""},"country":[57],"class_list":["post-176853","trip-journal","type-trip-journal","status-publish","hentry","country-argentina"],"acf":{"story_date":"2025-06-01","story_draft":"
Trip & Flights<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n 1 Jun 2025: Mendoza (MDZ) \u2192 Buenos Aires (AEP) Flybondi FO 5051<\/i> \u2192 Puerto Iguaz\u00fa (IGR) Flybondi FO 5100<\/i>.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Trekking backpack checked in the hold, not shrink-wrapped or zip-tied.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t What went missing<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n Canon RF 100-400 mm f\/5.6-8 IS USM<\/i> (SN 4202000927) + \u20ac300 protective filter.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Estimated value \u2248 US $1 600.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Backpack pockets found open after leaving IGR; theft discovered later that day.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Documentation & money matters<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n Original invoice was missing at first; duplicate PDF now obtained.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Paid with N26 Business Standard<\/b><\/span> (no travel or purchase protection).<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t No separate travel-insurance policy; airline\u2019s statutory liability unlikely to cover the loss.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Airline interaction<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n Flybondi replied asking for a PIR<\/b><\/span>; none was filed at the airport.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Their e-mail cites \u201cfragile\/badly packed\u201d disclaimer, but this covers damage<\/i>, not theft<\/i>.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Decided it\u2019s probably not worth the time to pursue compensation beyond a token amount.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Current recovery actions<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n Plan to phone lost-and-found \/ PSA desks at MDZ, AEP, IGR<\/b><\/span> with bag-tag FO 028 671<\/b><\/span> (plus earlier tag FO 028 303<\/b><\/span>).<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Saved searches & alerts on Mercado Libre<\/b><\/span> for lens model and serial.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Serial registered (or to be registered) on Lenstag<\/b><\/span> and StolenCameraFinder<\/b><\/span>.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Request to Canon service (Chile & Argentina) to flag the SN as stolen.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Key take-aways for next trips<\/b><\/b><\/p>\r\n\r\n Keep optics and electronics in carry-on.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Seal or zip-tie checked bags; drop an AirTag inside.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n \t Carry gear insurance or a premium card with purchase protection.<\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","story_type":"text","story_gallery":"","story_video":"","story_location":null,"story_link":"","story_year":2025},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trip-journal\/176853","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/trip-journal"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/trip-journal"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176853"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"country","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/remote-expeditions.com\/fr\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/country?post=176853"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\r\n \t
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