My flights were booked out of Dhaka (capital of Bangladesh) on June 28th early AM. Susan was travelling to Europe for a class around the same time, so perfect - let's travel to Dhaka together! She suggested leaving a day early, as with it being the rainy season sometimes travel plans can be messed up. Well she was absolutely right!!
Chapter One
It started raining on the 25th, like alot! On the 26th we drove to Cox's Bazaar to catch a flight to Dhaka...well the flight was cancelled because of the rains. Plan A - not working.
These were pics I took on our drive back to Malumghat.
Bazaar shops (market) flooded
Houses flooded
Why not try fishing?
Plan B: Let's catch the night bus out of Cox's Bazaar to Dhaka...then I can still be on time to catch my international flights. We leave Malumghat a second time, head to the bus station only to find out the bus couldn't come from Cox's because a bridge (that we crossed earlier that day) washed out.
Plan C: Catch a flight from Chittagong (3hrs away) to Dhaka in the morning. Left Malumghat a 3rd time early morning on the 27th to catch the flight. Well no, the runway was damaged from the storms and the airport was shut down. (At this point some bideshi's were saying I'm not meant to be leaving :)
Plan D: Let's take a bus from Chittagong to Dhaka - yep, we got the last 2 seats - God thing, definitely. Yay, we're headed to Dhaka!!
Chapter Two:
Bloober 1: Getting settled on the bus ride, let's check my flights. So I'm checking my flights/getting Tim (a bideshi administor for MCH) to confirm them only to find out my first international flight was cancelled,with no notification. I'm frantically emailing my travel agent in Canada (oh yeah, there's a 12 hour difference, it's the middle of the night at home). So Tim emailed the same travel company and called the on call person who started rebooking my flights. Thankfully Tim, the trooper, was able to get this in the works while I was sitting on a bus.
Bloober 2: So flights getting rebooked, I was instructed to go to the China Eastern Airlines office in Dhaka to get my tickets confirmed with them and be sure it was all sorted out. While no where online or in the phone book could we find an address for China Eastern office. Finally one of the locals after making multiple phone calls located the office. We took a rickshaw to the office.
We're getting somewhere - made it to Dhaka, flights rebooked, tickets in hand. It's not finished there.
Chapter Three
Airport challenge 1: Leave the guest house midnight with a driver who doesn't speak much English, we make it to the airport and he drops me off. Ok, we're here, I'm good to go. Bit difficult time finding the right check in because of the tiny little sign on the counter but made it. I stand in line to check in my luggage. Finally my turn, 'Madam your luggage is too heavy', I'm not surprised. He tells me the amount needed, I hand him my credit card. They don't take credit card. He tells me to go to an ATM to get cash for payment. Trekking around the airport, and asking people where an ATM is (of course with language barriers get directed in multiple directions). Finally, find an ATM, it doesn't take international cards - seriously, at an airport?? Yep. Searching the airport terminal for yet another ATM, find on one floor down - again doesn't accept internatinal credit cards. I'm lost. A really nice pilot (I actually think he was an angel)...told me I looked lost, I explained the situation. He said there's an ATM on the arrivals side, which security wouldn't let me through, but he spoke kindly to them and I was able to get passed security to an ATM that accepted international cards. Get the taka (money) and head back to the checkin counter, repeatedly thanking the kind pilot! Give him the taka, breath a sigh of relief. Should be good to go. (A few hours later I'm calculating the exchange realizing it's more then $300 Canadian dollars!!! - and I was so frazzeled by this point I didn't even get a receipt as proof. So basically I'm positive he took advantage of that). Grr! And after paying all that my luggage was only checked through till China, my next layover!!
Airport challenge 2: Flight Dhaka to Beijing...that's what my ticket and itinerary said. Well no we have a stop over in Kunming. They made us get off the plane, take a bus to the terminal, go through security - get a day visa...??? I'm suppose to be in Beijing why am I getting a visa for Kunming?? A flight attendant is scrambling as she's leading us all around the airport, then turning back as she's forgetting directions of where she's suppose to go. Find out this is the 2nd day this airport has been open. Yikes!! At this point my patience is wearing thin...and lack of sleep isn't helping. So we finally get back on our plane after 'touring' the new airport and our flight is delayed, surprise! Thankfully I had a 5 hour layover in Beijing till my next connecting flight.
Airport challenge 3: I get to Beijing and head to the airlines counter where I'm suppose to confirm my next flight out (as per China Eastern Airline). I get to the counter and they're all confused saying they don't have the confirmation and I may need to pay for my next flight. I'm disagreeing with them, saying everything has been confirmed by China Eastern and my travel agent back home. They call the manager and finally get things sorted out. By this time it's almost boarding time.
Beijing to Vancouver. By this time I'm so excited to be 'home', although it wasn't Saskatoon yet it was Canada and I was sooooo relieved!! I went to the Air Canada counter to be sure my flight to Saskatoon was confirmed and it was. This made me a happy woman!
So I arrived home one day later then planned. I think I encountered every travel challenge except lost luggage. So relieved to see familiar faces at the airport, thanks for those who came out basically in the middle of the night! God brought me home.
Today I was reading 'A Chance to Die - Life and Legacy of Amy Carmicheal' by Elizabeth Elliot. She was explaining her travel story back many years ago, how she sailed from England to China and the different travel encounters she had and how she laughed at them viewing it as an adventure. I think I need to learn from that.
God blessed me with the wonderful opportunity to experience and be a part of His work in Bangladesh. I'm reminded how most people in the world don't have the opportunity to fly or experience life in another country. I come home to food, clothes, and a roof over my head. The country I just left - many people lost that just a day before.
Here's a link of news regarding the flooding/deaths/homeless from the rains:
Paul's words in Phillippians are a good reminder. 'I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.' Phil.4:11
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