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Part 46: Oh ffs!!!......
The first thing I did with some of the remaining £15 was buy plenty of food and water.
So whatever happened, I would not go without. The rest I saved for public transport, or if I needed anything for emergency.
I also rang HSBC again to check how long my card would be. They told me exactly the same thing.
'Two weeks sir, is there anything else we can help you with today?' -
They would be sending the card to the HSBC bank in Makati where I could collect it from, when it arrived.
Also as my account was an advanced one, I found out it could be possible to do an emergency encashment by showing my passport at the branch.
It was the only option I had for getting the money to pay for the extra days needed to stay until my card arrived, or I'd be homeless.
There was also a bit of a problem because I could not book any flights with out my card either. They would be double the cost at short notice now!
First things first, I needed to get to the HSBC branch in Makati to try and get the encashment.
Cy couldn't take me because she had family commitments, so I had to arrange a taxi, which would cost pretty much all I had left, meaning if I couldn't get the emergency money from the bank, then I would be stranded in Makati not being able to get back - this would be a big gamble.
But since I needed the cash to pay for my condo there wasn't much choice!
That very same morning, I got a taxi with my last remaining money, hoping the driver would not rip me off - thankfully he did not.
The branch was near Bonifacio high street in Makati business district - not to difficult to find either.
When I got there they told me the emergency encashment was possible, but firstly needed authorization from my Uk branch.
This was a problem because they were 8 hours behind and would not be there until 4pm (8am UK time).
I now had several hours to kill.
With no money to spend in Manila's rich district, all I could do was wander around.
Returning mid afternoon the bank assistant let me use the branch phone to call the Uk. It took me quite a while to get through, but when I did they told me I needed authorisation from the Makati branch!! Who in turn told me I needed authorisation from the UK.
Nobody was willing to make a decision, so I just handed the girl the phone and got them to speak to each other. My blood was boiling when she told me I had to ring another department in the UK. Especially when the branch here was about to shut. I insisted they sort it!
That, and it took ages to get through to the UK as well.
The security locked the bank around me as I was calling this UK department. Eventually getting through the lady on the phone talked sense, finally making a decision that would allow me to get the emergency encashment.
But not before having to ring them back 20 minutes later, whilst they where obtaining the authorisation clearance from my Swindon branch to verify my account. (Why the branch couldn't do that in the first place I do not know)
Anyway, with no one else in the bank but me, the security guards, and one cashier, they gave me enough to pay the rent, plus a little extra.
But this service would cost me money, something they conveniently forgot to mention before!!
Still I had the cash, and that was all that mattered right now.
Next thing was just waiting for my credit card to arrive. My accommodation and food were taken care of, but still, I was unable to book flights or hostels until it arrived and was activated, 10 to 12 days from now. All my travel plans went out of the window.
I don't know why, but first thing I did was buy a slap up meal, thinking I kind of deserved it, especially after the stress of today. Not the smartest thing to be honest. Then got the cab ride back to Paranaque city.
10 days later there was still no sign of my card and once more my money was running low.
It wasn't my favourite part of my travelling, just hanging around, mostly alone waiting for my card to arrive.
Obviously I couldn't really do much because of my financial situation.
So I decided to chase up HSBC Uk for an update on where it was, and to ask if they could track the delivery - I encountered another problem.
There were four different HSBC branches in Makati business district, and they could not identify which branch the card would be sent to!!
I hit the roof once more when they told me I had to contact each individual branch, and ask them myself. That was the best they could do.
Since my money was low again, I didn't have the cash to buy phone cards and had to borrow more money from Cy.
It took ages to get through several automated messages which were eating up my credit faster than ever.
And when I did they were not at all helpful, nor would they call the other branches for me.
Then barely half way through the next call, just as I got through to the assistant, my credit ran out!!!
I was fast losing my sanity - no one seemed to be able to give a straight answer, I didn't have the money to visit all four banks, my card was no where to be seen yet, once more I was broke, and I couldn't even get through to any more branches because my phone credit ran out.
To make matters worse, the calls earlier to the UK on my mobile phone to cancel the card cost me nearly £100!!!!!
For that moment I strolled to the pool
down stairs and just sat there trying to gather my thoughts.
Still determined to deal with this mess alone, even though it was far more stressful than the drama at Hong Kong airport 4 months earlier. Somehow I managed to compose myself...just!
But it seemed a long way from sorting its self out.
I went to bed that day none the wiser of when my card would arrive or where - this was tough, and a real low point.
The next day I decided to go on a run to see if the kids and villagers would still be there cheering me.
Would you believe it, they still did - I was so in need of a pick me up, and what better way than see these amazing people smiling, cheering and waving at me the same as they did last time - It did me the world of good too.
Later that afternoon I put all the money to my name that I managed to scrounge on the phone card, determined to sort this out.
The first bank I called said they knew nothing about my card or its whereabouts, swallowing up nearly half my credit in the process!!
The second one was much the same.
By the time I rang the third, I flipped and lost my temper, demanding they call me back immediately with less than 3 pesos on my phone, it was my last chance.
After an anxious 3 minute wait, my phone rang - it was the bank!
Finally someone who was actually helpful and sympathetic to my situation. Explaining to me that the card was at the depot in Manila, waiting to be dispatched apparently, although he did not know to which branch, he promised to call me back soon as he had more info.
I had no money left, but I did have food and somewhere to sleep which was obviously the main thing.
I heard nothing from the bank in 2 days but my friend Cy had returned from being with her family and would accompany me to Makati in her car on the off chance it had arrived at the main branch.
When we got there I spoke with the manager who was nice enough but still no card. It had been more than 2 weeks now.
He allowed me to use their phone to call HSBC Uk which I did but, typically I couldn't get through.
Then from the office, a young girl came running out with an envelope.
'Your card is here sir' she said.
It had been just sat there for 5 days and was lost amongst paper work - could you believe it!
I spared them a tirade of deserved abuse, instead just taking the card activating it, before turning my back and leaving!
My precious card was back, after all that grief I could finally relax.
More than 2 weeks were wasted doing not f**k all. With the stress of waiting, occasionally getting the better of me too. I passed my objective of dealing with this mess alone.
My backpacking skills were improving as was my resourcefulness.
But now was the time to snap into action, continue my journey, book my flights, put all the past behind me and move forward once more.
Lets get this show back on the road.....
- comments
GINO typical you you joey
Vman Wouldn't be me if stuff like this did not happen lol.