I originally posted about our lost backpack on May 25, 2014. Many readers responded with empathy and sympathy along with many helpful suggestions. We did managed to get our backpack with all our belongings back 6 weeks after we lost it (4 weeks after we arrived home). Some honest person turned it into the Berlin train station's Lost and Found. While there have been many posts about kindness from strangers, there have also been many on scammers and pickpockets, too. If you have a similar story that restored your faith in humanity while traveling, please share it!
Follow Up Post on June 19, I posted:
"Backpack finally arrived from Berlin with everything including our iPad in it after nearly 5 weeks and paying US$65 for shipping. On another note, we had purchased travel insurance through Travel Guard and we have to give their customer service credit for helping us in the process of getting our bag back. Also need to give big thanks to our Airbnb hosts in assisting us as well. A happy ending!"
Original Post on May 25:
"We are usually very careful people, but in a moment of inattentiveness, we left our backpack with our iPad and GPS in it at the Berlin train station. The train from Berlin to Prague was late. Instead of having 10 minutes time to board the train and get settled in, as soon as the train arrived, everyone was rushing to get on the train. As soon as we got on, the train started to pull out. It was only then we realized we didn't have our backpack. Without our iPad, we did not have access to a phone, email, or internet for the rest of our trip to Prague, Vienna, and Budapest. We had downloaded all our travel information on it - maps, schedules, etc. For the next 12 days, we managed to do everything we had planned to do. It was perhaps not as efficient, but we managed. Berlin Train station claims that they did find our backpack, so we will wait and see if we will get everything back."