Smarter Travel Reader Stories; Part 1

We recently ran a 'tell us the worst thing you ever lost when traveling' competition in cooperation with Travel Smarter. Here are some of the contributions.

-  While on safari in Kenya, we took a fabulous hot air balloon ride that finished with a champagne brunch out in the middle of the Serengeti.  It was an awe-inspiring experience till I realized, upon return, that the nifty “around my neck” carrier holding my passport, credit cards, and cash had vanished during the trek.  (We’d been instructed not to leave those behind in our tents).  We contacted the balloon company, searched the van, backpacks, every place, every where, and everyone we could think of…but no luck.  And returning to search the brunch/picnic site was not an option, because no one knew exactly where it was.  The picnic took place where ever the balloon happened to land.  Truly in the middle of nowhere…so no going back.  Wondering how the heck I was going to get out of the country, and back in the USA sans passport, I was overjoyed when I learned that one of the cooks had noticed it lying on the ground and brought it back with him.  Being reunited with my passport was a VERY happy moment!

 

P.S.  I did have copies of my passport, and extra cash/credit card stashed in my suitcase – but help from the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi was not an option, because it had been bombed by terrorists just the week before.  We’d all considered cancelling the trip, but intrepid travelers that we were (and still are), we decided to carry on as planned.  We drove by the embassy wreckage on the first night of our arrival…and worried a bit about potential U.S. retaliation during our entire trip.  Happily, we all made it home safely with wonderful memories of a life changing experience.  

 

- You wont believe this but I lost my dress!  The day I was leaving the Florida beach I decided to take one more stroll before the time

 

for my plane home.  It was a beautiful day with lots of waves and sun and clouds.  My mind must have wandered into those beautiful blue skies because I lost my dress.  After my walk I took a quick shower and checked out of my hotel. 

 

Arriving home without my dress has bugged me for a while now.  I have no idea where it went.  Did it get pick pocketed?  Did I just sit it down somewhere and not remember? Maybe it had grown legs and just walked off into that wide blue yonder.  Guess I will never know. (I miss my favorite dress for cover-up on the beach.)  Betty Housefield, The travel lady