The big
BAD BAG BLUNDER
There are few things worse than losing your bag. Except losing your bag in a foreign country that doesn’t speak English, you don’t speak their language and you’re about to set off on an 18-hour coach journey from Cusco in Peru to Nazca to see the Nazca lines.
And so the snap decision had to be made; take the trip or stay for the weekend and sort out the missing bag and contents. We took the trip. Luckily her passport was stowed away at the hostel and she carried a photocopy. One big headache - and expense - avoided. After bank cards - which all needed to “About 40 minutes before leaving, be cancelled via phone calls home we grabbed some food to tide us to parents, to find out the card over for the journey. We sat near numbers, and then to the banks the door and the five of us took - the biggest loss was personal: turns to sit with the bags at the her camera with a memory card of table while the others ordered food. photos; the last of her contact lens Right as we were about to leave my solution and her travel diary. friend asked, “Where’s my bag?” A question you never want to hear. We immediately reported it to She’d had it slung over the back the local police. Luckily we had a of her chair as we ate. There was Spanish-speaking friend who made always someone manning the table the process considerably easier. but it was nowhere to be seen as Even though nothing was ever we asked people at the restaurant returned, filing and getting a copy of if they had seen anything; even the police report meant that when scoured the square outside, we she returned home she was able to knew we weren’t going to find claim on her travel insurance.” the bag. With hindsight of course, BUNAC participant in Peru; we should always have had our organisers of overseas work belongings within our sight & volunteer placements at all times.
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