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Kathmandu – Loss Report

Ruang kerja kantor polisi Hanuman Dhoka. (AGUSTINUS WIBOWO)

Ruang kerja kantor polisi Hanuman Dhoka. (AGUSTINUS WIBOWO)

September 23, 2005

Thamel Guesthouse 80 NRs

This story is still related with my pickpocketed wallet a week before. And after today, I completely give up the hope of getting back my wallet. Remember last week how I was ‘ping-pong’ed by the police officers when we tried to report the loss right after the accident. And I didn’t have any photos with me (required for report, and all of my passport photos were in the wallet). Not big deal, the second day I submitted a passport photo and passport photocopy. The officer of foreign section was not there, so I passed the stuff to another officer, who promised to make the report the second day.

After visiting Gorkha (September 20), I came again to the office, supposed to have the report prepared. But, oho, I was just too optimistic. Nothing was done, and even they lost my loss report :crazy: So I had to make another report, starting again everything from the beginning. The fat lady was busy of typing another stuff with the prehistoric typewriter, and asked me to wait for 5 minutes (and you know what 5 minutes mean in South Asia….). Due to the unimaginable speed, I decided to come again some days later just to pick up the report. And she promised me.

Today, I came to the office for the fourth time, and was still making loss report. The lady was not there, the other two officers in foreign section dont speak English. They told me to wait there for half an hour (5 minutes might be 5 hours in reality, and I dont know how many days half an our will be). So I told them I better had breakfast first and come back some hours later, but the man insisted me to wait there, he promised that the lady would come in 10 minutes (so he decides the time himself). But I just didnt want to wait any longer.

Three hours later I came again to the office, this is for the 5th time. And the lady has not come back yet. The man told me to come again two days later, as the day after, Saturday, is national holiday. Luckily, just the second I am leaving the office, the lady just came back. And with her typing speed (incredebly slow) she typed my loss report. And oho, the report was incorrect, so she has to re-type again. Then she brought me to a building, dark like a jail, to meet her boss to get a signature. After that, I had to pay 200 Rupees tax (I lost my wallet, and i still have to pay such steep tax to make a useless report :crazy:).

And everything is finished. I got the report already, of which I dunno of what use. The lady told me no need to come back to that office again, as “my problem is solved”. I just need to check my email when the wallet is found. But I really have no more hope at all, seeing how they work here.

“Your problem is finished, good luck!” she said. And I took my way out of that office.

About Agustinus Wibowo

Agustinus is an Indonesian travel writer and travel photographer. Agustinus started a “Grand Overland Journey” in 2005 from Beijing and dreamed to reach South Africa totally by land with an optimistic budget of US$2000. His journey has taken him across Himalaya, South Asia, Afghanistan, Iran, and ex-Soviet Central Asian republics. He was stranded and stayed three years in Afghanistan until 2009. He is now a full-time writer and based in Jakarta, Indonesia. agustinus@agustinuswibowo.com Contact: Website | More Posts

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