Letting go of some baggage

'This has been quite possibly been the most pleasant overnight journey I have ever made'

That's what I thought before I found out about what had happened earlier that day.

I had arrived in Hanoi after a 13 hour train ride from Hue. 

It was a sleeper train, equipped with a toilet and sinks with a mirror. There was a 4 hour delay from Hue station but that didn't matter as I had just brushed my teeth and soon I'd be feeling fresh and awake in the old quarter, eating breakfast. Unlike the sleeper busses, I had actually managed to doze off during the night which was great as it meant I wasn't going to waste daylight hours catching up on sleep. 

I began to pack up my gear. 

'Hang on.. my passport wallet isn't here'

I was rummaging through my day pack (where I keep everything important) completely puzzled as to where it could be hiding within my bag. I pulled everything out and then put it back in again.

I checked on the floor, the sides of the mattress, under my pillow. It was unlikely I'd find it in any of those places but hey, sometimes you need to expect the unexpected. 

Nothing.

'oh shit that's no good... wheres my wallet though?'

That too, was nowhere to be found.

That was the moment when I knew I had fucked up.

Ever since losing my wallet at the bus station in Kuala Lumpur back in October, I had been extremely cautious about making sure my valuables were in the right places, to the point where it had become a ritual.

Wallet and Passport - In my day pack. 

Cellphone - In my pocket.

Scan the area after sitting somewhere to ensure I have left nothing behind.

At this stage it had become second nature.

Arriving at the train station, I took a seat and spent a few minutes trying to get my head over what had just happened and what this meant for me.  

I had no Vietnamese currency, no debit card, and no passport. My accommodation was to be paid for in cash, and my travel Visa was going to expire in 8 days time.  Every solution that popped into my mind was reliant on one of items I was currently in need of. 

How do I get a new passport if I have no way to pay for it?

How do I pay for food and accommodation if I have no debit card to withdraw cash?

How to I apply for a new Visa if I don't have a passport or a means to pay for it?

I took a quick inventory of my food and drink. 600ml of water, half a pack of digestive biscuits, 150 grams of coated peanuts left over from my recent train journey. Unfortunately without something to stem my need for food, water, and shelter I was running running out of time.  

Luckily for me, I was in the capital city of Vietnam, and the New Zealand embassy was located in French quarter 2km away from the railway station. 

Like a man on a mission, I walked to the New Zealand embassy at a rapid pace completely ignoring the urban scenery around me; in fact I couldn't care less about any of that...