Drugged, abducted, robbed in Russia
Everyone was friendly. I remember having 3 shots – but that’s it.
I remember stumbling and falling from weakness on gravel, somewhere in the countryside, amid early morning sunlight.
Don't Drink In Public – sign, Russia
Didn’t know where I was – but it certainly wasn’t the city.
It dawned on me that I had been robbed, abducted and then ditched, somewhere in the countryside.
Yeah, yesterday was surreal …
And today, I’m still here in Irkutsk, Siberia, near lake Baikal, still analyzing what little I remember.
I had gone to a kiosk-cum-beer garden a block from where I was staying to get a shish kebab – grilled meat – and had a beer, while I waited; intending to return with my meal to the hostel to watch a DVD; have a quiet night.
It was around 10pm and still light. Busy streets. A group of student-looking guys (4) and three girlfriends got talking to me and offered some vodka.
That morning – as I stumbled to my feet, I wondered in total surprise: “Where the fuck am I … ???%!!!”
Trees. Fields. Country road.
Thankfully, it wasn’t cold or raining. I had all my clothes on from the night before – gore-tex jacket, fleece. And my soaked boots – but how had these gotten wet? And how far had I walked? I have no memory; no idea; not even of awaking into this scene.
I thought I was in a dream for several minutes.
But my hands were cut and bruised from falling – my first memories of the countryside, so weak was I. And my head, above my eye, was a little banged up, too.
My first instinct was to check my internal money-belt – yeah, money missing. My cash dollars and rubles, all gone.
And I had no idea where I was …
And I felt really wasted. But not an alcoholic hangover joy – euphoric yes, but a swirling, freeing, dizziness. A dull blanket headache – not searing pain. No vomit; so I guessed, that I hadn’t drunk much but that I’d had my drink spiked.
A doctor later confirmed this … Back at the hostel some hours later he checked me over and stated that there’s this drug for lowering blood pressure that when mixed with vodka it knocks you out within 20 minutes and wipes memories. I was showing these signs, as he checked my pulse, suggested that I drink alot of coffee – to get back on the planet.
… I tried hitching. But no one stopped. There were few cars.
I stumbled, and I fell. And walked, and walked; in an instinctive survival mode of keep-going. Until somehow, somehow, I’d walked in the right direction – towards an asphalt road and then the odd house. Then over a hill, into concrete block suburbs, and what must have been the outer limits of the city.
I must have looked like a madmen; I was shockingly lost, like never before in my life.
Dizzy, strangely-elated, heavily sedated (I believe that I was strong enough to break through this disorientation – maybe because of many altered reality experiments from my years past). The few people in the streets were frightened by my approach. Some shouted at me, and hurried in the other direction, when I tried to ask which way to the city.
I kept walking. Then a young Russian guy asked me what had happened as I was trying to communicate to another frightened local at a bus stop. He spoke English. He paid 100 rubles ($3) to a taxi driver to take me into the city center. But when I went to the ATM for more cash, the driver left me there.
Having walked around Irkutsk the day earlier, I eventually found my way back to the hostel (actually an apartment with a few beds). The manager was blown-away by my story. I crashed out.
The owner was called along with a doctor, who said this is the kind of thing police know, and do. Two police cadets had been caught robbing a taxi driver the other day. I’d had a flashback of a big building, wide corridors and uniforms (but here even firemen have camouflage uniforms) and I can’t be sure if this was just a dream when I slept, before the doctor arrived to check me over. Maybe I was lifted from the streets, searched in a station, money found, and to cover their tracks – dumped way out of town as nothing was gone – aside from the money – except receipts for cash dollar withdraws.
I lost $372 US dollars and about $300 in rubles. (My most expensive travel loss, ever.) But nothing else. No organs extracted; no indictions of rape.
Thankfully, they didn’t find my hidden supply of an extra $600. True thieves surely, would have taken everything including passport (normally, if I plan to go drinking only $20 or so is on me, to counter this exact possibility).
So, I was unlucky and lucky
The damage could have been way worse. In fact it was a bit of a laugh because it’s so bizarre. And, an interesting experience and a silly traveler’s tale, but I’m not sure if it was value for money?
Anyway, need I say more: Watch who you drink vodka with !
A friend of mine got strychnine in her beer in Maribor, Slovenia. Hasn’t she been attacked and beaten up the same day later by some assholes what made her vomit a blood, I wonder would she survive poisoning at all. No more safe place to have a beer or what?
Something similar happened to someone I know in Istanbul. You are lucky to be alive!
Through it all the most important thing is that you made it out alive and safe. Money can be replaced.
Thanks for your comments, all above. Yeah, looking back now it was a very crazy experience; even a bit of a laugh … But after this post was written (day after) and having reflected on what happened it left me a little unnerved over the following few days as I continued traveling across Russia.
Won’t fall for this scam again (I hope).
Any idea how they spiked you so we know what to look out for? Drop something in the cup? Bring you a drink from the bar you didnt see them prepare?
Greetings from China. My assumption is this: When I went for a pee – one of the guys showed me where and came with me as we pissed behind the food cart, into the bushes (no toilet available) and when we returned say, 10 meters away but out of sight, a new round of vodka was lined up and ready.
Stupidly, I overrode my intuition at this next moment … I saw a tiny, bubble or three – very, very-slight fizz evolve briefly from the bottom of my glass for a split-second but dismissed as nothing as I tossed it back.
Dumb. In hindsight: I figure that must have been the final remnants of a dissolving pill. (It was ever so slight but I do recall this moment).
Lesson: I was unaware of this scam at that time otherwise there would be no story; but since then when traveling in West Africa, Mexico, etc, when drinking with strangers – which, I do often – I will finish my drink before I go to the WC and will not accept a new unopened bottle or drink without seeing the entire process.
But, if there is a drink in front you … and people insist to begin the next round – THEN switch the glass or bottle with the guy next to you – watch their reactions; dismiss your actions with a crazy laugh – and then begin drinking. Works for me.
Thanks for the insightful question – Regards – MRP
Haha, good story, but probably not worth the money you lost in the end.
A very similar thing happened to me in Richmond, Virginia of all places. I went out for dinner and a drink and woke up the next morning in my hotel room (luckily) but without any money, ATM cards, credit cards, car\house keys, rental car keys, identification, a phone or my coat. Pretty sure I was slipped something in my drink since I had no memories and felt similar to what you described.
I had a flight to catch in 6 hours back home but had no way to get to the airport or anything else. I called up the rental car agency from the hotel phone and they sent a tow truck for their car. I hitched a ride to the airport with the tow truck driver and made my flight with no identification.
One of those days I care not to repeat but makes for an interesting story. In the end I think was out just about as much money as you were in order to replace everything and for the tow truck.
Sam, thanks for the story. Damn … another person given this shit. There really are some maggots in this world and I wonder about the people who pull such stunts …
Whoa! this is one of the craziest travel stories I’ve ever read. Sorry that happened to you. I probably would have also been trusting because it was a fairly large group (7) of college-age guys and girls. And the truth is having females around would have made me far less suspicious. So I guess I’ve learned a really valuable lesson from your frightful travel experience in Russia.
Thanks for sharing. Safe Travels!
cheers,
~Kelly
Hi Kelly. Greetings from Kashgar, China.
For sure, it seemed an okay, innocent situation – yet a potentially worse one for a solo female … I enjoyed Russia however, I actually had 3 crazy/dodgy moments. This was only #1, and the worse.
learn the hard way. some real bastards out there but i do actually find that the more i travel the more i am likely to get into this situation. some would say the opposite but for me when i first set out i was ridiculously cautious. then you realise that most people are decent. it just sucks when things like this happen. i still think you just have to go with it. worrying about shit happening just leads to a bad time.
Greetings from IRAN … Yeah, I throw caution to the wind mostly, and have lots of crazy times with strangers but sometimes it gets me into trouble … not lately (this incident was back in 2005). Hopefully, I can find some madness/entertainment here in Iran …