Big Trouble in Little China

Wow, I just left out here on my trip a day ago, and already I’ve had some big trouble happen.

Left My Camera Behind

My first flight out of San Francisco was a 12 hour trip to Beijing.  I quickly got off the flight and exited the airplane where I met a guy who had a sign saying Chongqing.  Me, another American, and a few others who spoke Chinese went with him through customs to another security point where we went to wait for a shuttle to take us to our next airplane.

Well, it wasn’t until that next security point where I was taking my computer out of my bag that I realized that I left my camera under my seat…fantastic!  I did my best to talk to security and see if they could help, but they said that the Air China crew didn’t find a camera.  Well that sucks.

Where Is My Luggage!!?!??!

Well, I continued on and flew from Beijing to Chongqing.  The flight was long but not too bad, I got out and met the same 4 or 5 people with another person who had a sign saying, San Francisco.  I went with them to the international terminal where we were to get our bags.  Well, the bags came out and mine wasn’t there.  Uhhhmmm….

I talked to the baggage claim lady and she made some calls.  One thing led to another and I was told it would be on my flight from Chongqing to Kunming.  So I then did my best to sleep on a bench in the airport terminal for the next six hours.  I got up and went to check-in for my flight to Kunming.

They asked if I had a bag, and I said that I was told it would already be on the plane.  She then gave me my boarding pass and I went on my way.  The flight was short and simple, but as I waited for my bag to come through the train of bags, I was soon realizing that my stuff wasn’t among them.

I went to baggage claim in Kunming and was given the runaround and left with them telling me to call them with a phone number they could call me at.

Uhhhhhgggggggg…..what a pain in the ass.

Thankfully I packed a lot of stuff in my travel pack to get by for a few days, but still very annoying.

Finding WiFi in China Sucks

I left the baggage area and tried to see if Matt, my friend hosting me, was at the airport.  I realized that we never discussed him meeting me there, but he did have my itinerary.

I walked out and didn’t see him so I went around for a while to see about getting a connection to the internet to try to check my email to get in touch with him.

The “FREE-WIFI-AIRPORT” internet was only for those with a domestic number, so then I went to get a SIM card, well I needed to get local currency, but my debit card wasn’t working in the ATMs so I then found a currency exchange place and got $70 worth of Chinese dollars.  Then back to the place for a SIM card, well he said I should just go to KFC for free WiFi, so I left there and tried to find a KFC…no luck.  I just so happened to walk by a tea shop that had a router and they let me use it.  Finally, some luck.

Matt had written me telling me his phone number so I tried to use my phone, but wasn’t working.  Thankfully one of the tellers was nice enough to let me use her personal cell and I finally reached Matt.  I went to where he said he was, and finally met up with him.

I told Matt about my luggage and he took my passport and went back to the baggage counter saying he was me and spoke to them in Chinese…cause he knows Chinese.  Well no luck with knowing exactly where my bag is, BUT he was able to leave them a local Chinese number allowing them to call us once they know more.

What a chaotic bit of traveling.

Now I’m in China where both Facebook and Google are blocked.  Oh well.  I’ll get by.  Hopefully, my bag will turn up and I will eventually get to Vietnam where hopefully communication is easier there.

I’m alive, I’m at Matt’s place, and I’m hanging out with his friend Dan (awesome guy), and Matt’s kids while Matt and his wife are taking care of some errands.  Things are feeling good once again.

I’ll do my best to post pictures, but may have to wait until I leave China.

This is all part of the joys of traveling.  Just smile and walk away.

Jason

Travel So Far:

• PDX-SFO: 2 hours
• Hung out with Paige: 2 days
• SFO-PEK-CKG: 17.5 hours
• Wait/slept in Airport: 8 hours
• CKG-KMG: 1.5 hours