Latest news with #soloTraveler
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
The kindness of strangers: when I left my card in an ATM in Argentina, a Dutch guy found it and saved my trip
I was towards the end of a nine-week trip, travelling solo around the world. After that long abroad, I was just exhausted. So when I went to the ATM to get money out, I made a critical mistake. 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. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. Your contact details are helpful so we can contact you for more information. They will only be seen by the Guardian. If you're having trouble using the form click here. Read terms of service here and privacy policy here
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Feral moment fired up Aussie family EXPLODE at solo female traveller on Bali ferry - and then tell her she 'assaulted HERSELF' in shameful video that has to be seen to be believed
A solo female traveller has shared the terrifying moment an Australian woman allegedly punched her in the face after an argument escalated on a ferry in Bali. The woman had been travelling on the Maruti ferry from Penida to Sanur when the confrontation erupted over a disagreement about seating arrangements. In a post to Reddit this week, the woman explained the Australian family had asked her to move seats so they could sit together for the journey. But she declined, explaining there was no other seats available on the lower deck. The woman got into an argument with the Australian family after they said 'bad things' about her and she retaliated, telling them she could sit where she liked. '[The] daughter told me to shut up or she will punch me in the face and it escalated - she punched me in the face and broke my sunglasses and said I need to shut up or else she will punch me again... got it on video cause I wasn't sure what's going to happen being alone vs a group,' the woman said. In video of the clash, the Australian daughter was heard telling the woman to 'shut up' as she approached her seat and pushed her phone away. 'She assaulted me,' the woman said. 'You initiated it you little b****,' the girl's mother yelled back. 'Do not blame my f***ing kid because you initiated it. 'You assaulted yourself you stupid idiot.' Another female passenger was seen alerting staff to the dispute and pointing to the Australian family, saying 'they started it'. 'I was sitting here the whole time,' the woman filming continued. 'She came over to this aisle and slapped me.' 'Shut up! I'm going to f***ing punch you again,' the girl hit back. 'I actually didn't touch your face, I grabbed your phone. Look at the video and you can see that.' 'Yeah? You can talk to the police about that,' the woman replied. '[My] glasses are on the floor.' In her Reddit post, the woman said the family was asked to move to the upper deck. 'The kind Indian lady came over to sit with me and the boat company made them sit upstairs. I told the male member (seemingly the dad) of the family that this needs to be addressed with the police and he said ok,' she wrote. 'But then when alighting the boat they left quickly.' The clash comes following a spate of incidents involving Australian tourists in Bali. Lamar Ahchee, 43, the son of former Queensland Senior Constable Les Ahchee, was arrested in Bali last Thursday after he was allegedly caught with 1.8kg of cocaine. The narcotics were allegedly hidden inside two Gold Lindt chocolate boxes, each containing 54 individual packets of the drug, with 8.3g wrapped inside each one. The former tech manager originally from Cairns in Far North Queensland could face the death penalty for allegedly trying to smuggle the drugs.
