Travel Glitches

I had done everything perfectly. Met my friend Larry for dinner for my last Australian meal of Emu, Kangaroo, and Croc, packed my bags expertly, used up my last Aussie dollar on cab fare, and arrived at the Perth airport with my visa laden passport exactly 2 hours before my departure to Vietnam. I would have patted myself on the back for how travel savvy I was if it weren't for the huge (travel savvy) pack on my shoulders.

And then, right in the peak of my smug travel savvy euphoria, is when the glitches started.

To get to Hanoi I had to connect in Singapore. Apparently the airlines had changed my flight to have my Singapore-Hanoi leg depart (10am) BEFORE I arrived in Singapore from Perth (noon). Obviously this was one connection I was not going to make. Yes, even I, (travel extraordinaire), wasn't that good. Singapore airlines pondered their mistake and asked me "Didn't the airlines send you a notice with the flight change?"

Hmmm...come to think of it I did vaguely remember being sent some email from the airlines a few weeks ago. Hmmm...was I supposed to pay attention to that? Crap, I thought I had glanced approvingly over all the line item details. I looked at her sheepishly and tried to defend myself-After all, who could possibly catch the mistake in three pages of round the world flights and connections and times?? I felt like and idiot for not noticing the error sooner.

Sigh. But the problems didn’t end there. "Umm...Miss, we can change your flight to the night one but your Vietnamese visa isn't valid until May 18th."

What?! I stared at the smiling pink slip in horror. Today, the day I needed to be in Vietnam, is April 18th...but the stark black ink in my Visa clearly said May 18th. Oh God, the Vietnamese consulate had got the month wrong, or I had written it wrong or someone was playing an evil joke. I know I had 4 visas for 4 different countries to monitor but why oh why didn't I double check every date on every one?

I don't deserve to live. I don’t deserve to be on this trip. I will never ever claim the travel savvies EVER again.

"They are very strict--they won't let you in to the country with this."

Singapore airlines could change my flight to a 1am departure, but I had to change my Visa in order to board the plane. I had exactly 16 hours until the next flight. I did ponder just going home, throwing up my arms and vowing to never travel again, but I had one last minute chance. Apparently my tear laden eyes encouraged the lovely Australians to help me. That or my American Express card. Someone from Asia World Travel could obtain a Visa for me from Canberra (middle of Oz where the Vietnamese consulate is), fly it over, and hand it to me in the international terminal at 11pm--2 hours before my scheduled flight. Risky--but my only hope. I ran out of the airport.....

• Luggage storage: $12
• Return taxis to/from airport: $64
• Passport Photo: $8
• Expedited Visa fee: $200
• Flight from Canberra: $250
• Vietnamese meal in Australia while I wait:$15 (equivalent cost in Vietnam-50 cents)
• Feeling of elation when this whole thing is over and done with and I rest with my 50 cent meal in a Hanoi Cafe while nursing my wounds from banging my head into the wall: Priceless.

Let's just hope there are no delays and Clinton (the courier bringing me my new visa) will find me in the international terminal. He does have a passport photo of me to reference...but c'mon we all know those things do not resemble us in the slightest. Per usual I am the cross eyed deer stuck in headlights.....I'll try to mimic that look in the airport tonight to aid him.

And as for my own traveller IQ--obviously I learnt a costly lesson. And as Larry pointed out to me last night, women may not be any more travel savvy then men anyway. (There goes my feminist theory and dissertation material). He is travelling for FIVE months and it's HIS girlfriend that will come to meet HIM for a segment. Plus, I am 110% positive he checked all his Visa dates.

Sigh.