Mexico Easter 2003 - Part 14: End of the trek and the lost wallet

18 April - Towards the end of the Suntrek

We had the choice to go and visit another Mayan ruin site, but I passed because I wanted a day when I actually did nothing. We watched Ria with dolphins in the morning at a hotel. Tonight is the last dinner which Sybren has booked for sunset at Cafe del Mar a little way down the beach. It’s a little sad finishing this excellent trek, but it’s time to move and have two proper weeks on my own. The meal and sunset was spellbinding. Then I looked at the warm stars from my hammock as the moon pounded its light down relentlessly. Sand, being as easy going as it was, shimmered back to the insolent moon like the thatch on the palapas at Palenque.

19 April - The day I lost my ******* wallet

I will skip straight to a downtown bus R1 to the hotel zone. Helen, Tosh and I were going to Plaza Kukulcan for window shopping and it seems my packed wallet with:

Thousands of pesos
2 credit cards
one UK driving license (with my embarassing picture!)

was thiefed out of my bag quite cheekily before I left the bus (at least I think so, I dont know). These buses run every 5 minutes and we caught one all the way from the Antillano. I realised my loss inside the mall. I retraced my steps to the bus stop. The mall information point was useless because they couldn’t dial any outside lines and the moron there suggested that I call 6 or 7 radio stations. Bloody bloodshining idiots! How the heck is my thief going to listen to the radio and then return my wallet?

I got R1 back downtown to clear my head and take stock of the situation. I first called home and cancelled my credit cards, my brother was fortunately awake at this time of night in England. Noticing a Government office on Ave. Tulum (City Hall), I talked to a policeman who said that it was as good as gone forever - reminding me that this was Mexico. He said to take a taxi to the Ministerio Justicio of Quintana Roo where I met a lovely lady working for Coca Cola Mexico who spoke English - her name was China. She helped me through writing up the loss statement for my insurance claim and I am deeply in debt to her for her kindness.

She offered her residential phone number as well for when I had to come back to collect the statement, and needed any help. She even suggested a little known cheap hostel in Cancun. I was to come back here during the week to get more papers, something about British Consulate in Mexico. I don’t know. When I got back the Antillano, I relayed all this to the Suntrek group, where I was sharing a room with Tosh, unofficially. It was Helen’s 21st birthday tonight. I forgot to call Tejal. I showered, laughed at how ridiculous and shabby this day had been and we all went to have an excellent dinner at a place called El Taco something … past the Chedraui. At night in a conversation with Tosh, I decided I was going to stay at the hostel at Playa del Carmen instead of going to Xpu-Ha at Bonanza because it was $10 a night to live in the hostel at Playa del Carmen and I was now short of money. I had just enough to do diving (which by the way I decided to do) and survive. My stomach is not feeling tip-top either. Shit happens, I laugh at Mexico. Some Mexican is probably buying a new pair of CK boxer shorts right now with my money …!

Finally ended this shoddy day in the restaurant …