Day 11 - Give and Take

Fact:  I have never lost anything major nor have had anything robbed from me, not anything I can remember anyway.  I was quite proud of this fact especially considering sometimes I can be a bit clumsy and a wandering daydreamer.

Take

However it seemed sometime between Caye Caulker and Flores my debit card and I had decided to go our separate ways.  My first thought was that I had been robbed, “shit, someone has taken my card and stolen all my fucking money!” I thought to myself in my angry voice.  I hurriedly unpacked and loaded up Wavy (my laptop) to check my bank account.

Fact:  Computers, laptops or any form of technology always work slower when you are in a frantic hurry.  After what felt like a year my bank accounts finally appeared on my screen.  I was half expecting to see a big fat zero on my bank balance or at least some large unexplainable cash withdrawals, luckily my account was unchanged. 

“So what happened to my card?” I began to retrace my steps in my mind.  Last time I used my card was when I withdrew cash during that weird night out in Caye Caulker with Sean, Jimmy and Sven.  I got the cash but I don’t remember getting my card back...

I am usually good at remembering things I do*; however I just can’t remember what I did with my card after getting my cash.  Had I been daydreaming at the cash machine?  Most likely, I had probably been thinking about how I was going to make my escape from crazy Sean who was stood outside the bank waiting for me.  I must have left my card in the machine.

*I can remember events very vividly but I am terrible at remembering people’s names and relationship anniversaries.  So I guess it is give and take.

I had heard stories of people withdrawing cash and leaving their cards behind in the machine and when I heard these stories my first thought was always “How the hell could anyone be that stupid and forget their card?”  It seemed my foot had very much found its way into my mouth.

Having no access to money can be a very serious issue especially when you are over 2000 miles away from home in a foreign country with a language barrier.  Myles’s debit card had conveniently decided to stop working now as well.  The timing could not have been worse.

Give

Well actually it could have been worse.... at least we had made it to our hostel and not left stranded somewhere in transit or at a border unable to pay some stupid illegal entrance tax.

We had picked a pretty damn good hostel to be stranded in as well.  Los Amigos is the best hostel I have ever stayed in.  It had everything including a bar, restaurant, lounge area and even a steam room and sauna.  The atmosphere was excellent and the staff were friendly and fun to be around.

If travellers go somewhere when they die it would be here.  So I guess it is give and take.  The plan was to stay in the hostel and wait for my replacement debit card to arrive in the post.  However judging by what I had heard about Guatemalan post, we could be here a while...