Deidra and I visited Cambodia and Vietnam a few years ago. Unfortunately, my luggage had another plan. After a long layover in Chicago, we experienced flight cancellations, delays, bad decisions based on bad information, and a host of other issues. This resulted in us staying overnight in Chicago with a very strong suspicion that we would not have luggage when we arrived at our destination. I had never really experienced this before, but when it did I learned quickly how to survive nearly a week of lost luggage in Southeast Asia!
Last-Ditch Effort in Chicago
We were fortunate (I guess) in that we were still state-side when we learned that our luggage was MIA. As I mentioned, this had never really happened to us before, and we had not packed an appropriate carry-on bag to tide us over. It was near midnight when we rushed to the local Walmart to enjoy 15 minutes of panic shopping before they closed, while a taxi waited outside with the meter ticking!
Just picture us wildly throwing things into a basket from the various racks and shelves. We needed everything – and I literally mean EVERYTHING. There was no time to try anything on or to try coordinate bottoms to tops. We just ran around guessing what size we may need (erring on the side of too large rather than too small) and hoping it would work! What size Hanes undies do I need? Who knows, just grab the big ones and hope they don’t fall down. Bra? Forget it! There is no way I can buy a real bra without trying on at least 100, so I throw in a 3-pack of not terribly supportive sports bras and pray. It wasn’t great, but at least I would have a few basics to help me survive if my luggage was truly lost.
The Moment of Truth
The next morning all went well. We were placed on the first flight of the day to Ho Chi Minh City and arrived without delay. We approached the baggage claim with bated breath, only to find……nothing! After speaking with the airport baggage people, they located Deidra’s bag and promised arrival in a day or two, but the location of my bag was a mystery.
The next morning we caught a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia, to enjoy a shorter than planned sojourn at Angkor Wat. The ruins of Angkor Wat were magnificent, but my photos from the experience were horrendous! My clothes neither fit nor matched. Also, I did not have time to get shoes at Walmart, so I am had to wear my fairly comfortable, yet inappropriate, Mary Jane slip-ons.
We returned to Vietnam to find Deidra’s suitcase, but still no sign of mine. Could I really survive this lost luggage experience? It was definitely time to go shopping – AGAIN!
Searching for Clothes and Shoes in Southeast Asia
Those of you who know me, know that I tend to go up and down on the bathroom scale. Basically, I am the queen of yo-yo dieting! Unfortunately, this was one of my higher periods in history. Those of you who know Deidra, know that she is annoyingly fit and trim. That said, even Deidra would be challenged to find clothes that fit in Vietnam. The Vietnamese are TINY!!!!!!
I didn’t find clothing to fit and finally resigned myself to my Wal-mart apparel, but I had to have different shoes. While traipsing around the rocky terrain of Angkor Wat in my semi-dress shoes, I managed to do a little damage to myself. Basically, I had formed a pronounced limp. I needed sneakers and I needed them fast.
My “Vietnam Nikes”
I spent my first day back in Ho Chi Minh City searching for sneakers in a US woman’s size 8.5. A quick search of the internet told me I would need a size 39 or 40 in Vietnam shoe sizes. Simple, right? Absolutely not! I pounded the pavement while shop owners and street vendors nodded their heads and pitied the untidy American woman with big feet. Even when I would find shoes in the requisite size, they didn’t fit. At this point all the street vendors in the “shoe area” have gathered to follow my search. You should have heard the snickering! I may not have spoken the language, but their comments were easy enough to interpret.
After much searching I finally found my “Vietnam Nikes” in a male size 43. These shoes had absolutely no arch support or any of the other features one would expect of Nike shoes (except the requisite swish), but they cost about $9, laced-up, and (kind-of) fit. I was sold! I still had to wear the horrible clothes, but at least I had better shoes (relatively speaking).
Better Late Than Never!
My luggage did finally make an appearance, but by then I had survived a week. Despite uncomfortable and ugly clothing, I had a terrific time on my vacation and I learned many valuable lessons. In fact, check out How to Pack the Best Toiletry Kit, How to Pack Your Travel Medicine Kit, and The Ultimate Carry-on Luggage Combo to see how to avoid this happening to you!
Tell us about your lost luggage experience!
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