Solo tours could be adventurous, exciting and also anxiety-ridden — as I found out during a short trip to Mexico. I had arrived at the ancient city of Guadalajara by overnight bus from Mexico City. I wandered around, briefcase in hand, admiring the city’s many ancient monuments, churches, parks and gardens. It was midday and I was tired from so much walking. I entered a small café where I enjoyed a tall glass of chilled Mexican beer. I got up reluctantly and took a minivan to reach the bus station.
On the spur of the moment I decided to get off en route for sight-seeing. The moment I got down, I realised with horror that I had left my briefcase behind. I saw the minivan vanishing in the distance. The briefcase contained my passport, air ticket and travellers’ cheques. All I had were a few dollar notes. After a moment of panic I decided to handle the situation boldly.
My own efforts to locate the minivan were but efforts to find a needle in a haystack. All minivans looked alike; moreover, the destination boards were in Spanish. After an hour-long futile search, I decided to register a complaint about the loss at a police station. It took nearly an hour to register the complaint as the person in charge laboriously typed out my complaint with occasional jokes at my expense. “Here, take this FIR copy. Now you are not an illegal immigrant in Mexico. This will serve you as your identity now.”
I poured out my anxiety and worry over the phone to my son in the United States, who promised to get back soon. I had a long chat with an official at Thomas Cook, who asked many questions till she was satisfied. “Mr. Murthy, today is Sunday and so you will have to approach the bank on Monday for the replacement of the lost travellers’ cheques.”
It was easy to get replacement travellers’ cheques for those I had lost, thanks to a fax message the bank had received from the person at Thomas Cook. But I had a big hurdle to cross when it came to getting a new passport: not an easy matter even during normal times. I travelled overnight to Mexico City by bus and checked into a modest hotel.
Thanks to my son who had sent the copies of my passport by fax, it became easier to convince the embassy official that I was a genuine seeker of a new passport. When I showed all the papers to the embassy official concerned, he told me rather brusquely, “Please come after one week, the passport would be ready then.” I began to plead with him, but to no avail.
Just then the embassy official in charge of the visa section came in. I explained to him my predicament. He looked at the papers, smiled and remarked jokingly, “It looks as though you came to Mexico to lose your passport!” He instructed the concerned official to issue me a temporary passport.
The American Embassy in Mexico City looked like a well-fortified citadel. I explained to the visa officer that I had lost my original passport and now had a new passport, which needed the American visa stamp. He listened to me carefully and verified something from his records. “Mr. Murthy, your passport has been found. Please contact the Indian Embassy.” I was stunned momentarily but my joy knew no bounds on hearing that sweet news. I rushed back to the Indian Embassy where I got the information that a person in Guadalajara had found my briefcase and had informed my son in the U.S., who in turn had informed the Indian Embassy. I returned the few hours old passport to the Indian Embassy. That must have been a record of sorts.
It was a happy journey to Guadalajara where I met the person who had called my son. He in turn took me to the person who had found the briefcase, the driver of the minivan. It seems he took charge of the briefcase when he had finished his trips. Thanks to the address and contact telephone number pasted on it he could contact my son. I checked the briefcase with the key I had and found to my relief that all the papers, including the passport, travellers’ cheques and air tickets were intact. The bank was surprised when I went there to return the travellers’ cheques.
I learnt a few lessons from the “Miracle in Mexico”. Never leave the passport, money and air tickets in a bag or briefcase but carry them on your person all the time, preferably in a secret purse close to the body.
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