Travelling light…
Wherefore art thou?
It’s always exciting to arrive in a new country. Most of the time, your luggage arrives too, but when we got to Japan it didn’t come around the belt to greet us. The very friendly staff were apologetic and sweet and immediately gave us 10,000 yen (about £60) per suitcase. She said it would surely be at our hotel by the next morning, so we didn’t worry at all. These things happen. All the time in fact. I have had my luggage not turn up so many times. Usually it’s actually very convenient.
Once in France, a friend and I had a horrendous journey from the airport to another friend’s house. By train, bus and car. It was hot and uncomfortable. I walked with comfort, while my friend lugged her heavy suitcase up and down stairs and cobbled streets all over the place. Another time, we landed in Sydney in shorts and a T-shirt and our luggage was nowhere to be seen. It was snowing… I was not impressed.
The worst experience I have had, was when I arrived in Ghana for a 3-month stay and my suitcase was stolen at the airport. I literally didn’t even have a change of clothes, but this has made me such a light packer for holidays and whenever possible I take only hand-luggage.
And yet…
This time we had such a long layover in Holland, that we planned to take only a tiny rucksack and check everything else in, so we could roam the streets of Amsterdam in comfort. Little did we know it would be over a week before we would be reunited with our clothes and all the presents we had brought for our friends. Ah well, worse things happen at sea they say… Eeeep!
Have you ever had your luggage lost?
8 Comments
Steven
The first time I went to Las Vegas, my suitcase didn’t arrive until the following day. I was not as experienced a traveler then as I am now. Having only one outfit for the first 24 hours was trying, but it’s not as if you can’t buy a t-shirt and some toothpaste in a city like Vegas. Still, lessons were learned, and I am much more careful about checked vs carry-on now. Also, if my trip is less than three or four days, I’m not very likely to check a bag any more.
Vanessa Abel
Yup, I think it’s a travelling process people go through – you lose your stuff for a day and realise how much rubbish you bring along that is completely unnessary 🙂 glad your case turned up in the end 🙂
sofie
Luv the Swedish flag 🙂
Vanessa Abel
That’s Jason’s… I would have put the Britih flag on there, but he is obsessed with those IKEA meatballs 😉
Andruida
I actually have never have had my suitcase lost (fingers crossed), despite having travelled a lot. I have to say that I tend to take direct flights so chances of that happening are fewer. However I still struggle to define the right amount of clothes to take. I always pack too much or not enough. I still haven’t been able to find the right balance. Hopefully, it will happen someday :P.
I really enjoy reading your blog! It’s always entertaining and interesting!
Vanessa Abel
Thanks so much for the comment – made me very happy 🙂 I hope you never lose your luggage either, it’s such a hassle and it always makes you spend so much money on new stuff – but new clothes isn’t always a bad thing 😉
Charlotte
I have, on the way from Singapore to Osaka. I spent 4 days on the phono to Kansai Kuukou and they were being very vague about the location of my suitcase until I started saying that I would like compensation. SUDDENLY they found it and wanted to deliver it to me at 3am and I told them to piss off I’m not answering the door at 3am they can deliver it to me in normal daylight hours lol.
Vanessa Abel
OMG – such a nightmare! We were never even told where our bags were, just that it was on the way… then it was missing. Then on the way again. Then it would be delivered the next day. Then the day after that. Then after that. Then it was finally delivered. SO ANNOYING – how they can lose our bags when they are so colourful is beyond me… hard to miss, no? haha x