The good news and the bad news...

[justginger]

Good news first -- my ring from OWD arrived at my parents' house in time (before they left for London) and Mom says it is absolutely stunning.

And the bad news -- this has been the most difficult trip I've ever made. I have flown around the world more times than I care to count now, am sure I've been on nearly 200 flights, and I've never had it this rough. We had a 90 minute delay leaving Perth, so we were late arriving in Singapore. We had to RUN through Changi airport (anyone who has transited in Singapore understands how huge it is), and barely made our next flight to Kuala Lumpur. And you know what DIDN'T make the flight?? OUR LUGGAGE. First time in 200 flights that my luggage has been "lost" - it's not really lost, we know right where it is! It just isn't where it's supposed to be!

Then due to the time necessary to try to find our luggage and file a report, we nearly missed our next flight from KL to Doha. Once again, we RAN. Nothing makes a 30 hour trip even that bit more enjoyable than racing like your tail is on fire through multiple airports.

So, here we are in Doha. Bagless, waiting for our next flight to London. We are only in London for 2 days -- if our luggage doesn't show up then, we're out of luck. We'll be driving around rural Ireland for the next 9 days.

BUT...at least I'll have my new ring!! No clothes to wear with it, but that's just a minor detail...

 

[Enerchi]

A new diamond beats a luggage full of clothes--- ANY DAY!!!

So sorry to hear that JG - that seems like an insane amount of running/transferring... just says 'EXHAUSTION' to me

Hope you get the luggage and all works out, but your ring is safe and waiting for you! So what if you're wearing the same thing in every photo!!

 

[vc10um]

JG, I am glad to hear your ring will make it to you safely...I hope the same goes for your luggage! So sorry about all your running to and fro...I hope once you get to London, things start looking up...with that RING. (Which we expect pictures of ASAP, missy!)

 

[susimoo]

I am so sorry to hear you are going through all this!! I hate travelling. I like the destination but never the getting there.

But hey, naked and sparkly in Ireland, of all places, is going to get you a whole load of attention!!!

Seriously, I know missing luggage sucks but you have a sparkly waiting for you that can out do even the best of outfits!!!!

Have a ball!!!



Ps a couple of shots of the new sparkly would be much appreciated. Hand shots only as Dancing Fire is getting too old for all the excitement!!!

 

[Maisie]

I'm so sorry you have had such a time of it! Once you get your beautiful ring and you see Ireland you will be in a much better mood! I don't envy you having to go into London though. Its the Queens Jubilee celebrations over the next few days and its probably going to be very busy!

Have a wonderful holiday and make sure you post lots of photos!

 

[AprilBaby]

I always tell my daughter you can go naked as long as you have beautiful bling! Have fun in Ireland!

 

[Mayk]

Travel is so glamorous!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Well, my mom used to always say that when travelling, all you really need is a credit card and a passport!

Let's add a 4ct diamond to the list!

A whole new wardrobe sounds nice for your trip anyways Let the evil travel sprites keep the old stuff.

 

[onedrop]

I hate when luggage gets lost in transit, so I feel your pain!! But at least you will have a new sparkly waiting for you in Ireland!! And if you are like me, lost luggage is a good excuse to shop! Have a good trip despite the rough start.

 

[ame]

Gaaah! THIS is why I never check!

 

[minousbijoux]

I always say there is nothing better, when having a really, really long day or two of flying, involving multiple connections, than to have to run at every connection; its so nice to be not only dirty from airport air, diesel fumes and what not, but to add dripping sweat from top to bottom. It makes it so nice when you get on the airplane with its recirculated air that you must breathe for hours and hours.

I'm sorry to hear about the luggage. From the rate of your travels, I hope it catches up to you before your back home!

 

[QueenB29]

Oh no....my bags didn't show up until a couple days after I got to Mexico one time....and when they finally did, everything was soaking wet. It Fortunately the shopping in London is good, right?

Did you have anything in your carryon? After the incident in Mexico, I always bring a carryon with a couple days' worth of clothes for both my husband and I.

 

[justginger]

We made it! Finally touched down in London an hour or two ago, already checked in and showered. DH just added up the total travel time and it was about 33 hours. Nearly the same as when we go to the States, but honestly, I prefer multiple, shorter legs. Our longest flight was Doha to London at 8 hours, while when you go to the States you've either got Sydney to LA at 12.5 hours, or sometimes Tokyo to the West Coast at about 10-11 hours. I think when you hit hour 10, you start to lose the plot a little.

Yes, the Jubilee is on this weekend. I can only imagine the crowds we'll be facing - but hey, it's my DH and mother's first time in London, so we're doing it, come hell or high water. Going to check out the kiosk for last minute West End tickets tomorrow - hoping to get 4 good seats to Mamma Mia, but we'll see. There are so many excellent shows to pick from, I don't think we'll miss out.

I will DEFINITELY post photos of the ring when I get it. It's around 11:30 pm here (I think) and my parents are arriving in 12 hours. Let the London photo shoot begin!

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Glad you made it! (even if sans luggage)

 

[Dreamer_D]

I always say there is nothing better, when having a really, really long day or two of flying, involving multiple connections, than to have to run at every connection; its so nice to be not only dirty from airport air, diesel fumes and what not, but to add dripping sweat from top to bottom. It makes it so nice when you get on the airplane with its recirculated air that you must breathe for hours and hours.

I agree completely! The only thing I have found to make that sort of trip EVEN BETTER is to have a three year old and an 11 month old with you, both of whom vehemently protest being slung accross your shoulder like a sack of potatos while you RUUUUUUUNNNNN!!!!

 

[minousbijoux]

I always say there is nothing better, when having a really, really long day or two of flying, involving multiple connections, than to have to run at every connection; its so nice to be not only dirty from airport air, diesel fumes and what not, but to add dripping sweat from top to bottom. It makes it so nice when you get on the airplane with its recirculated air that you must breathe for hours and hours.

I agree completely! The only thing I have found to make that sort of trip EVEN BETTER is to have a three year old and an 11 month old with you, both of whom vehemently protest being slung accross your shoulder like a sack of potatos while you RUUUUUUUNNNNN!!!!

Yup, DD, I'm feeling your pain - or when you have two kids maybe slightly older but the little one develops a fever the morning of your return (and you don't figure out he's really sick until you're on the first leg of your journey) and he can't keep anything down - of course prevailing logic is "I'm already filthy, sweaty and drenched, what's a little vomit down the back going to do?...At least I can't see it...now where is that plane?!"

 

[movie zombie]

ah, the irony: almost every time i've flown to Perth my luggage does not arrive at the same time as i do.......

this is what credit cards were meant for but being a short round woman makes whipping out the plastic and getting an outfit rather difficult.

enjoy your trip anyway!

 

[Enerchi]

Glad you made it safely , justginger, and you've settled in to the hotel and had a chance to freshen up! Can't wait for the ring shots - if you can upload while on vacay - and hope the rest of your trip is smooth sailing!

Exciting times in London now - stay cautious and careful, where ever you go! Mamma Mia would be awesome - hope you get tickets!!!

then off to Ireland - I picture a pub crawl to beat all pub crawls!! You're new bling will really make you fit right in with the locals

 

[minousbijoux]

then off to Ireland - I picture a pub crawl to beat all pub crawls!! You're new bling will really make you fit right in with the locals

Especially when bare naked!

 

[Enerchi]

Right!! I forgot the no clothes/lost luggage when I wrote that!!

I can just picture this lovely lady walking into an Irish pub, stark naked except for her 4.65 ct cushion solitaire... yeah... the pub regulars will probably only look at her ring... I'm pretty sure....!!!

 

[justginger]

Oh my goodness, Enerchi, you have me in stitches! Alas, the naked pub crawl (with my PARENTS!) will never eventuate as I *did* finally get my luggage. Listen to this ridiculousness though.

I emailed the email address on my claim slip before falling asleep Friday night (the evening we arrived). I had a message waiting for me in the morning stating that the luggage had been flown Singapore to London, arriving at 5:30 am. It listed two numbers to contact at lost baggage for Malaysia Airlines.

I called.

And called.

And called.

For 5 hours, I called.

I left message after message. The first butter-wouldn't-melt-in-my-mouth, sweet message.

The second I'd-like-to-take-a-shower-with-something-other-than-pet-grade-hotel-shampoo message.

The I'm-starting-to-get-annoyed-why-aren't-you-returning-my-calls message.

And finally the I'M-A-FURIOUS-AMERICAN-PAY-ATTENTION-TO-ME message.

Nothing. So I started calling numbers at Heathrow.

Or at least I thought I was calling Heathrow.

Turns out Heathrow's help line goes to a call centre in Northern Ireland. EXASPERATION! The guy rattled off a bunch of numbers I had already tried, including the Malaysia Airlines lost luggage number. All of them were closed for the weekend...and Monday as well, because of the Diamond Jubilee long weekend. The guy there told me that I would have to wait until TUESDAY to call Malaysia.

Perfect. Because we're flying to Shannon on Monday.

I ask him for a phone number of ANYONE actually PHYSICALLY located in the airport, so I could try to get transferred to the ticketing counter of Malaysian.

He gives me a number. I start writing it down, and stop when I realize he is giving me the number I called HIM on.

By this point, I would have thrown the phone out the window if it wasn't triple glazed (we're close to the airport).

DH and I finally get back on the bus and go to the airport. We ask at the information desk, they point us to a phone and a listing of numbers. I call the corresponding number for Malaysian and get a lovely man on the phone. "Oh, MYLASTNAME and DH'sLASTNAME, your bags are here. But I have no claim info for them, did you file a claim report?" I told him we had, in Kuala Lumpur. We're taken in the back (exciting stuff, like on the tv!) and are handed our bags.

Just like that. Our bags were with us. We walked out, through the "nothing to declare" door, and were on our merry way.

I kept hugging my bag, just to let her know that I hadn't abandoned her on purpose.

 

[minousbijoux]

Yay!!!!

Great description, Ginger!