Arrived safely after a series of misadventures. Upon arriving in Manila at 5 am Sunday, waited for 2 pm scheduled flight. Flight delayed two times before finally being cancelled. Boarded 8:30 am next day after a night spent in hotel courtesy of airline. Plane took off 9 am because, according to the stewardess (who only explained the situation after about 20 minutes), somebody’s luggage boarded plane without the somebody. Somebody probably dozed off in pre-departure and was too exhausted to wake up a day and a half after checking in. So ground crew had to scramble in plane’s cargo for luggage, hence the delay, again, of the flight already delayed. Luggage, after all, cannot be leaving without Somebody who may be a little upset with luggage for leaving without him. Meanwhile, passengers looking out the window thinking airline may be taking them, again, to a hotel by plane to avoid traffic. And to extend more courtesy.
Landed in CDO 10:20 am Monday. Deplaned from plane and walked to collect luggages. Kids, as expected, were like energizer bunnies (they slept in the terminal in Manila and in the plane) but mama and, especially papa, dead tired after having to haul around five luggages, two boxes, and assorted hand-carries without U-Haul.
Went to collect checked-in luggages. Retrieved all save one which, apparently, never left airport in Manila. So stood there with bunch of other passengers wondering why carousel empty until, after 15 minutes, somebody (not the Somebody who dozed off in NAIA pre-departure but just a namesake who works for airline but who apparently had also been sleeping) came to say, “So sorry, so sorry.Airline forgot that all checked-in baggages are supposed to be loaded in plane…”
After being told of luggage’s plight, Mama, along with about 20 others, troops to airline’s little corner office in CDO airport to ask, “Luggage…where?” The somebody from courteous airline promises (because they are nice and efficient and believe thoroughly in the motto The passenger is always right–especially when it concerns his/her luggages) to deliver luggage door-to-door, free of charge, not to worry.
It is now Tuesday but errant luggage seemingly still in transit. Or in limbo. Or (as we all are perennial optimists) perhaps delayed, cancelled flight that luggage is supposed to be in delayed yet again. So luggage is still, if not in plane, in NAIA, somewhere. Perhaps tucked in a nice little corner gathering cobwebs, missing in action. Or luggage may have opted to be on extended vacation.
Aside from these shall we say, minor inconveniences caused by an otherwise very courteous airline, flight was pleasant with not too much turbulence nor any loud, boisterous laughter coming from other passengers. Everybody sound asleep. Except of course for the flight crew who all probably were wondering what happened to Somebody whose luggage was loaded into plane but apparently managed to get left behind after more than a day of anxious waiting at the pre-departure area.
So here we all are, safe and sound (albeit still waiting for missing luggage) and back in our old routines. Many, many, many thanks for the splendid holidays. Kids still can’t stop talking about how wonderful Bangkok was with the elephants and the swimming pool in Tito’s and Tita’s house. How nice it is, they say, to have a swimming pool practically right at the doorstep and could we have a swimming pool too Papa?
And when you ask them, “What about the wats?” They reply, “What’s a wat papa?” “You know,” you say,”all the wats that we went to.” “The what papa?” “The wats…Wat Po, Wat Arun, watchamacallit…” “What?” Oh nevermind.”
What wat indeed.
