Only the Bags Know

Day 317
Krakow, Poland

Location: N 50˚ 03' 58.4'', E˚ 19 55' 46.3"

It’s happened to most travelers at one time – lost luggage. I’m not sure you ever really think it’s going to happen to you. When you arrive at the airport and watch your bags float off down the belt into the underworld, you just turn around and head to your gate. As you sit in your seat during the flight you’re thinking more about what drink to order than how your luggage is getting along in the cargo hold below. It isn’t until you’re the last person standing at baggage claim that you realize something went wrong.

Day 2 started without out our bags as they did not arrive last evening. We called first thing and got one of several different stories. I’m sure it must be frustrating to work in the lost luggage department at the airport. It wasn’t until later in the day that we remembered that Lufthansa employees are on strike. Maybe it’s just the baggage handlers.
We decided to stick around for awhile this morning just in case our luggage arrived. We read our books and took a few catnaps. We are still trying to catch up from lack of sleep during our flights. In between the shut-eye, I managed to start and finish The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. I would definitely recommend it to everyone – it’s about following your dreams.
After lunch and a few more phone calls we were no closer to seeing our bags so we ventured out. Krakow has been pretty close to my mental map – interesting history, beautiful architecture, and vibrant people. Our goal for the afternoon was Wawel (pronounced vavel) Hill. Set on the banks of the Vistula (pronounced wisla) River, the hill is essentially a fortress with several structures inside. The most commanding building was the cathedral. Built in the 14th century, the copper and gold domed building was the coronation and burial place for Polish royalty for 400 years.
Upon our return we found no bags. Many things started to run through my mind, but before I got too far there was a knock on the door. Three bags had arrived and maybe the fourth bag would come today or tomorrow. Unfortunately, it was my gear bag that was still missing. Chris made a trip to the kitchen to get a beer and when he came back he had the last bag in hand. Apparently, it came with a different driver. At least we had something to drink to.
And so we ended the day on a very positive note and wondered where in the world those bags had been. I guess only the bags know…

LK

Nothing to Declare

Day: 316
Denver, Colorado USA to Krakow, Poland
Time: Too long
Distance: Too far

We left Denver yesterday at 10:30 am. Leslie’s family put together the going away caravan and shuttled us out to the airport. DIA was a breeze except for the liquids I forgot I had in my bag. The TSA people were nice and just took a look at them and let me on through security. You would think I had never done that before. We got to the ticket counter early and the United clerk was kind enough to bump us up to economy plus for free all the way to Munich. I always can use an extra couple of inches for my legs. We switched planes in Washington DC and flew through the night to Munich. I couldn’t sleep so I caught up on my movies. We landed in Munich 7:30 am local time and tracked down a little breakfast and coffee. Those thoughtful Germans had free coffee stations all over the place to help us get a little more caffeinated. After a three hour layover we boarded our last leg to Krakow. The flight was a little rough and the landing was a two hopper. It didn’t seem that windy, but if I were flying it I would have crashed and burned so I can’t complain. After landing and waiting for our luggage I learned my first Polish phrase: Moj bagaz zostal zagubiony. It translates to ‘my luggage has been lost’. Yes, for the first time on our trip we became detached from our luggage. The office for lost baggage had a very helpful lady working who took our information and promptly figured out where our luggage was. Our bags zigged when we zagged in Washington DC. They are supposed to be on a flight to Frankfurt and then on to Krakow tonight. We are keeping our fingers crossed. We did luck out and arrived in Krakow with a change of clothes, a desire for a little adventure and just in time to catch a professional bicycle race in the town square. We hung out there most of the evening watching a crit around the cobbles. We caught three wrecks in the corner we were in. One guy took a little while to get up and get moving. The others bounced up and headed back to the vans. I can’t imagine sliding across cobbles at 30 kph feels too good. I think I would have bailed as well.
We are looking forward to seeing our bikes and bags soon. Hopefully the airlines share our feelings.
CK