The kindness of strangers: when I left my card in an ATM in Argentina, a Dutch guy found it and saved my trip
At home in Australia, we take the card out and then we get our cash. In Argentina, where I was, it's the reverse – first your cash comes out, then your card. So I put my card in, got my money and just walked away, leaving my card behind.
I was already on the other side of the street when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned around and this hulking Dutch guy handed me my bank card, telling me I'd forgotten it. I immediately burst into tears, then thanked him profusely and tried to offer him a reward. He politely refused, and away he went.
I was in a town called El Calafate, and the next day I travelled to the Perito Moreno Glacier. There I saw him through the crowd – tall Dutchmen are easy to spot!
I ran after him to say: 'Hey, you're the guy who returned my bank card!' He didn't really remember me, because I was nobody important in his life, but he was certainly important in mine. I said to him, 'Look, I really want to give you something to say thanks – how about I shout you a beer?'
He was travelling with some friends, so the three of us perched in the little cafe and drank a beer. I was just so happy that I could thank this man – whose name, I learned, was Bart – and give him a little token of my appreciation.
Bart thought what he had done was no big deal, but to me it was. This was in 2009, a different time for technology. If he hadn't returned my card, I would have been in a big mess. I only carried the one card, which in hindsight was a bit careless, but that's what I had.
If you're traveling with somebody else you can use their card for a while and reimburse them later; when you're on your own, it's a whole different situation. And every traveller knows that any problem on holiday feels magnified to the extreme!
All these years later, I have not forgotten Bart's act of kindness. At the cafe, we took a photo together, which I've always kept.
From making your day to changing your life, we want to hear about chance encounters that have stuck with you.
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This article contains affiliate links that will earn us revenue Recommended time two to three weeks First-timers can experience southeast Asia's highlights — rich nature, buzzing cities, epic beaches — in a journey between its top travel hubs, Bangkok and Singapore. In Bangkok, visit the sprawling Chatuchak weekend market, sip cocktails at BKK Social Club — one of the city's best bars but with a price tag to match — and feast on Michelin-starred street food at Jay Fai. Then head to the island of Phuket, a 1.5-hour flight or 12-hour bus ride away. For extra room, book the 24-seat VIP sleeper buses that depart from Bangkok's Southern Bus Terminal in the Taling Chan district. Five days affords enough time to explore the city of Phuket, where colourful 19th-century buildings house boutique hotels, hostels, lively bars and cafés, and places to try dim sum. Although most come to idle on some of the province's thirty or so beaches, including seven-mile Mai Khao right next to the airport. Take a flight or overnight bus to Penang across the border in Malaysia and wander around the Unesco site of George Town. Gorgeous Sino-Portuguese architecture sits next to Buddhist shrines, Hindu temples and mosques, while hawker centres serve everything from Hokkien noodles to nasi lemak (Malay-style coconut rice with sides) and roti canai (flaky Indian flatbread served with curry). Head to your next stop, Kuala Lumpur, by train. Malaysia's efficient railway network is among the region's best, and you'll reach the capital in about four hours. Spend a few days here to eyeball the Petronas Twin Towers, visit the Islamic Arts Museum and explore the Batu Caves, a Hindu pilgrimage site known for its large statue of Murugan, god of war. Venturing two hours south to the city of Malacca allows you to explore another Unesco site, which showcases its British, Dutch and Portuguese influences in windmills, forts, shophouses and fusion dishes such as Portuguese-style devil's curry. 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