One Sleeping Bag Short of a Stuff Sac
The view from where I am staying in Caracas for a couple of days.Arriving at the airport in plenty of time for my 19.10 flight from New York to Los Angeles, I proceed to the check-in where I am promptly informed that I will not be able to board the aircraft because Qantas is not licenced to carry domestic passengers, great!!! I'll be having a word with my travel agent. As the sweat starts to build on my forehead, I'm told that it's my lucky day and I can travel with American Airlines at no extra cost! After a short jog, a train ride and a long jog, I check in on the legitimate flight, my bag is checked all the way through to Caracas, seems a bit risky since I have to change airline in LA, but I'm assured all will be ok!
On my last flight from Panama City to Caracas I notice that the flying time from New York to Caracas via Panama City would have taken the same time as the flight from LA to Caracas, an extra 5 hours of flying for fun? I really need to have a word with my travel agent...
Arriving safely in Venezuela, I am whisked through immigration and stand, as usual, directly in front of the conveyor that delivers the bags onto the carousel. The crowd appears and disappears, but I am still waiting...nothing...
I fill out the forms and go through customs with only my carry-on, my friend Angel has been waiting there now for many hours. We arrive at his place and make endless calls to the airport, finally it is confirmed that my bag spent the night in LA and will arrive the next day, and it does! I go down to the street to collect the bag and feel that it is considerably lighter than it was when I last saw it in NY....hmmmm...what's gone? Well, lots...I guess that's part of traveling!
One can only wonder what they were thinking as they unpacked my sleeping bag and took only the stuff sac, the GPS was out of it's bag, but still there, my boxer shorts reduced to 2 pairs, down jacket, leatherman knife, pants, shoes, rain pants and shaver - gone! But my tent, rain jacket, sleeping bag, stove, GPS, first aid kit etc - still there!
After a trip to the airline office and to the shopping mall (my worst nightmare, especially when traveling!) I am ready for action again...Next stop, Angel's wedding on Sat about 400 km from here. I will certainly have some nice photos by then!
On my last flight from Panama City to Caracas I notice that the flying time from New York to Caracas via Panama City would have taken the same time as the flight from LA to Caracas, an extra 5 hours of flying for fun? I really need to have a word with my travel agent...
Arriving safely in Venezuela, I am whisked through immigration and stand, as usual, directly in front of the conveyor that delivers the bags onto the carousel. The crowd appears and disappears, but I am still waiting...nothing...
I fill out the forms and go through customs with only my carry-on, my friend Angel has been waiting there now for many hours. We arrive at his place and make endless calls to the airport, finally it is confirmed that my bag spent the night in LA and will arrive the next day, and it does! I go down to the street to collect the bag and feel that it is considerably lighter than it was when I last saw it in NY....hmmmm...what's gone? Well, lots...I guess that's part of traveling!
One can only wonder what they were thinking as they unpacked my sleeping bag and took only the stuff sac, the GPS was out of it's bag, but still there, my boxer shorts reduced to 2 pairs, down jacket, leatherman knife, pants, shoes, rain pants and shaver - gone! But my tent, rain jacket, sleeping bag, stove, GPS, first aid kit etc - still there!
After a trip to the airline office and to the shopping mall (my worst nightmare, especially when traveling!) I am ready for action again...Next stop, Angel's wedding on Sat about 400 km from here. I will certainly have some nice photos by then!
posted by Ben King @ 11:04 pm
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