When you arrive but your luggage doesn't

I know it happens all the time. I'm not the first person to experience it and will not be the last. It's probably happened to someone you know, or maybe even you. It's something travellers prepare for when they decide what to carry on and what to pack. But when you arrive at an overseas airport and your luggage doesn't ... well, it's a different kind of travel experience.

Three weeks ago, I flew out of Wellington bound for Sydney, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with the same airline (including one partner flight). I had been advised that the SYD-SIN sector would be delayed but my luggage would follow me to Kuala Lumpur, even when my SIN-KUL flight was rebooked to a later time. "Don't worry," I was told repeatedly. "We do this all the time. We'll put a priority tag on it." I tried not to worry.

Apparently the final flight on any given day is most likely to have lost luggage, especially when there are connecting flights. It's even more challenging if different airlines are involved. It makes sense, really. Given the choice of having a passenger arrive without luggage or having them both stranded in an unintended port, the priority is usually to board the passenger and hope for the best. I'm told that most bags and owners are reunited within 24 hours. However, the feeling of watching the last bag make its way around a large airport conveyor belt and realising that it's not yours is quite surreal.

And then the real process starts. Where is my bag? Who can help me find it this late at night? Which of the lost property offices do I go to? Not this one ... where is the right one? How come my bag can't be traced if it was scanned at every port? (Apparently a sticker fell off on the way to Singapore, so it was not scanned there.) Shall we cross our fingers and assume it just missed the final flight, rather than the first or second? How will I know when it's found? (Giving your email address and a contact number is no guarantee they'll get it right when they email you.)

To cut a long story short, returning to the airport 24 hours later and navigating airport security meant I was on the scene when it was discovered that my bag was in fact on its way to me and perhaps was even on the runway as we speak ... by now, I was getting to know the lone lost luggage attendant quite well and wasn't ready to let him out of my sight until my bag and I were happily reunited.

I have never been to pleased to see an inanimate object. Count all those priorities tags!

Three priorities tags!

Here is my plan for future travel.

Lessons learnt

• Pack one or even two changes of underwear. You'll be glad you did once you make it to your accommodation, shower and have to put your travel clothes on again.
• Carry two (2) USB power packs and several cables in your carry on luggage. Don't assume you'll be able to charge it when you arrive, unless you also want to carry a wall plug and adaptor.
• I travel with few toiletries but am glad I had a comb, deodorant, and anti-bacterial gel on me. A small toothbrush and soap could be handy if your hotel doesn't supply them.
• Take a photo of your bag before you travel so you know which details to record on the lost property form (colour, dimensions, brand etc). 

Oh, and the number of bags that arrived at the same time as me on my return journey from Dhaka - Kuala Lumpur - Singapore - Sydney - Wellington? One. Whew!

Travelling to Bangladesh: memories and reminders

Just a few days after returning to Wellington, life has quickly resumed its patterns and routines. Although there's a sense of comfort in familiarity, it's hard to comprehend just how different things were for me one week ago as I experienced a sensory overload on the other side of the world.

My short time in Bangladesh has taught me more than I could have imagined. I was excited but more than a little anxious before leaving New Zealand. Government travel advisories saying "don't go there" didn't help ease my anxiety and I learned that there is a big difference between helpful caution and destructive anxiety. Dhaka took the honour of being the second least liveable city in 2018, second only to war-town Damascus in Syria. Looking around the streets, it's easy to see why and it would be even easier to fall into a state of despair. But through it all, I was struck by the sense of hope that was visible every day among the people living in adverse conditions and poverty.

I experienced moments of satisfaction, pure joy, novelty and delight that far outweigh the one or two moments when I felt unsafe. This sunset is one of those special moments, as dawn and dusk last just a few minutes and the sun doesn't shine directly during the day in February. These are the memories that I want to capture and remember for next time, along with some helpful advice. Next time? Yes, I'd love for there to be a next time.

The sun setting over Dhaka

Bangladesh: memories and reminders

• Pack tropical strength (80%) insect repellent in your carry on luggage if you're flying in at night. You'll need to apply it liberally as soon as you enter the airport and the moment the sun goes down every day. 
• Check whether your antihistamine tablets are drowsy or non-drowsy before taking them in the morning. Falling asleep in the back of a car is ok. Falling asleep at a business meeting or workshop would not be good.
• Bathrooms and toilets are referred to as "using the wash room".
• Traffic.
• The food is really goooood and, being considered an honoured guest, you will be fed constantly. Try to combat this by only eating breakfast and dinner. Also, walk up the stairs to your hotel room, even if you get strange looks as you pass a staff member waiting to open the elevator for you.
• Stay away from raw salads, fruit you haven't peeled yourself and anything else that may have been washed in tap water unless you've built up an immunity that complements your Hepatitis A immunisation. (Although ... how do you build immunity to something you can't/don't eat? Hmm.)
• Sunrise and sunset happen really fast (within minutes). If you do capture one, it's a magical experience.
• Don't wear jeans with a belt next time you travel internationally. Just buy smaller jeans or pants without any potential for setting off metal detectors. It's one less thing to handle as you empty the contents of your backpack for inspection several times at every airport.
• Although a large screen laptop is wonderful to work on, it's too darn heavy to lug around the world.