Travel Misadventures

Everyone knows that mishaps are inevitable when you travel. Anyone could tell their story of at least one trip that didn’t really go the way they planned it. From choosing your plane seats to planning your itinerary, you always make it a point for things to go smoothly as you think. You pick the best hotel deals, highest rated tours, and google to-do’s and spots to check out on your destination. Everything’s all set in your head, but sometimes, some things just don’t agree with you.

Recently, my husband and I went for a two-week trip back home. It was such a short time to try and squeeze everything we want and need to do, but, I think we managed to do so. Overall, our trip was super in spite of some travel hiccups we’ve encountered. I’ve always believed that careless is my middle name, so I admit that most of our mini troubles are courtesy of me.

1. Excess Baggage  
   
   We knew we had to weigh our baggage but got way ahead of ourselves and shoved in too much stuff. I guess we were anticipating that we had to unload some things, hence, we brought extra bags. It was not only a hassle for us, but for our folks as well. They had to carry the excess back to our house. We also had to open our bags in the airport, which was sort of similar to stripping your clothes off in public. There you go.
   TIP:  Weigh your luggage at home pre-flight. There are several portable weight scales for sale everywhere. Leave room for adjustments and bring an extra bag in case you need to even stuff out between luggages.
   
   
2. Airline Hassle: Delayed Flight Schedule  & Extra Fees
   
   Our flight from Vancouver to China went smoothly. There was minimal turbulence and the pilot landed our plane very carefully we didn’t even realize we were on ground already. However, when we reached the Philippines, Cebu Pacific gave us a bit of hassle on our flight to Iloilo City.Before checking in, we were taking our time as our friend was still on the phone. The staff from Cebu Pacific were very helpful and were telling us to check in because we might not be able to catch our flight. We spent a long time trying to discuss some extra fee charged to us. Less than 5 minutes to go before boarding time.
   
   We scrambled after paying our baggage fees and were practically running towards our gates only to find out that they’ve changed gates for our flight without announcing it. A few minutes past our boarding time. We were redirected to another gate, unfortunately, a Philippine Airlines flight had been assigned there.We were informed by staff that our flight is delayed and the announcement came late. Other passengers had also moved to the right gate but they didn’t look as pissed as we were.
   
   
3. Forgot Our Cameras
   
   TWICE. This one is on me. We went to several beaches during our vacation, and I have absentmindedly forgotten to bring our cameras on some of those trips. I’m not even going to explain myself here. In this social media-based world, it is a mortal sin to forget your gadgets, but come to think of it though, it didn’t really matter because we enjoyed the place so much. My sister brought hers anyway, and we had phones, that’s way too much technology.
   
    TIP:  Always run through your basic checklist a couple of times before leaving home. Run through it again before heading back just in case you might leave anything, especially if you’re in an island or somewhere with limited access to transportation.
   
   
4. Misplaced Documents
   
   Again, this one is on me. We were checking in for our flight back to Vancouver when I’ve realized too late that I’ve left my PR Card inside one of our checked-in baggages. The airport staff had to locate the right luggage (in a heap of hundreds of bags) and bring it up to the counter for me. Needle in a haystack. Not only did I piss off the airport staff, I also double pissed my husband for this hassle.
   
    TIP: Always keep your essentials and your important documents close to you. Check it two or three times prior to checking in.
   
   
5. Upset Stomach
   Fortunately, our stomachs were quite okay during our 2-week vacation, contrary to what they kept telling us before we left. Things went smoothly, digestion-wise, until our flight from Shanghai to Vancouver. We knew not to eat too much before our flight, so we only had dimsum and a noodle soup. We were doing really great up until we finished our airline meal, Fish and Rice.
   Both me and my husband had to go to the washroom maybe 4 or 5 times and had stomach cramps in between. I believed I’ve circled through the plane and used all of the 4 washrooms. I also had to puke at least 3 or 4 times before landing. I believe it was the longest 8 hours of my life.
    TIP: Although it’s unavoidable, try to minimize your intake as much as you can, unless you’re not supposed to. Bring extra meds as well such as travel tabs, loperamide, and advil in case you will be needing it.