Almost everyone has lost their wallet at least once or twice in their life.
But would you lose your wallet, Internet, and get scammed on the same day?
I must have gotten all the bad luck on this trip to get all three at once.
It sucks.
Loosing Cash
That day started like any other. I had just finished exchanging currency at a counter near the bus station in Kuala Lumpur.
I then hopped on a bus heading to Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital, excited to see its famous architecture and grand mosques.
I paid the 5 RM fare, put my wallet back in my sling bag, and took a seat. I was the only one on board at the time.
What my ignorant brain thought was peace later turned into the start of a doomsday.
We waited for roughly ten minutes and let two or three people come in before the bus departed.
It felt like a relaxing ride—quiet, uncrowded, and peaceful.
What my ignorant brain thought was peace later turned into the start of a doomsday.
Kuala Lumpur had already drained me over the past few days.
I was walking around with 7kg of gear in the scorching heat, visiting spots like the enormous Batu Caves, Petronas Twin Tower and many other places.
I really needed a good rest. And this ride seemed relaxing.
It didn’t take too long for me to doze off.
Eventually after sleeping for who knows how long, I woke up and found myself seeing a beautiful mosque outside the bus window.
Wait… did I over sleep?
I panicked, thinking I might’ve missed my stop. I quickly rang the bell and got off the bus.
I wandered around, took in the view of Putra Mosque, admired the big bridges—it was all impressive.
It was midday, and time for me to grab something to eat.
I reached my hand in my bag for my wallet, and… where’s my wallet?
I flipped the bag. Nothing. Checked every pocket. Still nothing.
Retraced my steps back to the bus stop—1.5 km away under the hot sun. No luck.
I really lost my wallet.
I was sure I last saw my wallet right after I paid for the ticket. I must’ve dropped it on the bus. Maybe it slid out, or maybe someone took it while I slept. I didn’t know.
I messaged my host Ajim in Kuala Lumpur and asked him to help call the bus company.
He seemed reluctant at first, because I know it’s very likely someone just took it.
I am once again slapped by my own stupidity.
Where I come from (Taiwan), you can usually find what you’ve lost in the “Lost and Found” section—whether it’s a phone, bag, or even a load of cash.
But I’m not in Taiwan now.
He still contacts the bus company, and I give him the route and the time of the bus.
And I waited…
I sat by the Tasik Putrajaya river, staring blankly. I felt miserable.
I’m glad I’ve developed the habit of spreading my cash in different places.
What I lost isn’t much for an average traveller, and I still have backup cash and some Malaysian ringgit that I split right after exchanging the currency.
But for a poor backpacker like me, that’s enough cash to cover more than three days of traveling.
I feel like crap.
Ajim later replies that the bus office said nothing was found.
I guess even if they did find it, they probably kept it for themselves.
I tried to comfort myself: at least all my IDs are safe and I can continue the trip.
So, after staring at the river for 20 minutes, I get up and try to find a hostel for the night.
Little did I know, that wasn’t the only misfortune I was going to face.
I had a flight tomorrow to Brunei and I had to find a hostel near the airport.
I found a small town with a train station called Salak Tinggi, near the airport.
I decided to go without booking in advance—because I’d learned that sometimes Booking.com is more expensive than walk-in rates, especially in Malaysia. Sometime the price raised by roughly 10% to 30% of the original price.
I had just gone through a huge loss of money, so I wanted to save.
Bad move.
When I got to the small town, every hostel on the street said they were full—no joke.
I was just hitting rock bottom.
I walked to the end of the street and saw my last option.
It was a hotel, not a hostel, which meant it would be more expensive.
But I really had no options left, and I was tired—both physically and mentally.
When I went to the counter to ask for the price, the clerk said it was 50 RM.
I said it was too expensive and turned around toward the entrance, and they said they could give it to me for 40.
They also added that it was their last room and they wanted to fill it, they look sincere.
I agreed and paid the bill.
After I got up there, my mood was completely spoiled.
Though I couldn’t see whether any rooms were occupied, it was clear that the hotel was very empty.
It was sunset time, but it was so quiet.
After I got back from dinner, my assumption was confirmed.
Instead of only one room left, it was one room occupied—mine.
What a scam! I should have walked away earlier!
Maybe some people will think it’s not a big deal, but for me I rather pay twice the price to an ethical and honest hotel than one who try to cheat me by exaggerating.
I lost my wallet and the cash inside, ended up paying more money to get into a hotel I didn’t like. I mean what could still go wrong?
Fate once again showed me my lack of imagination.
I later found out that my internet had lost connection.
I tried restarting my phone, switching to flight mode and turning it off, or just reinserting the SIM card.
None of it worked.
I could only connect to the hotel’s Wi-Fi.
Well… at least they have Wi-Fi.
I checked online for solutions, logged into the telecom company’s account—no help.
The next morning, still no internet.
I went to the train station to get wifi and realize my flight got delayed.
Bad things never ended, huh…
At the airport, I asked the telecom company to replace the SIM.
I was returning to Malaysia after Brunei, and my data plan was supposed to cover both.
After an hour of checking, clerks said they couldn’t help me replacing the faulty SIM card—because I’d bought it from a third-party seller online.
At that point, everything felt like a chain of failure—losing money, losing trust, losing connection. I honestly asked myself, why am I doing this? Why suffer through this mess while traveling?
I just felt so down…
But I guess that’s the thing about travel.
It made what came next so much better.
My next destination, Brunei, truly lifted me from the depths.
My hosts, Joseph and Brian, were so kind that I began to trust people again.
Brian even gave me a new wallet, which I still carry to this day.
Travel isn’t always smooth. Sometimes you get scammed, and sometimes everything seems to go wrong at once. But those low moments make the highs even more powerful.
That’s the real charm of travel—you go through tough times, and when good things happen, you truly cherish them. 😊
