Gabriel, the hostel angel — Budapest, Hungary
I do not speak Magyar, and Budapest is a badly translated city on three hours of sleep. I arrive at my hostel on the river between Buda and Pest and crash immediately after paying my bill. I am so tired I forget to lock up my money and passport.
When I awake, my backpack is gone.
Fending off a panic attack, I ask the two other women staying in the room if they’ve seen anything. Having just returned, they hadn’t seen nothing.