Airport blunders and mishaps: Jenny’s visit to Indonesia

Have you been travelling and found yourself amazed with airport systems, or perhaps the lack thereof? Jenny shares instalment one of her journey to Indonesia.

I love to travel and to my great joy, my oldest son took up a position in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Before too long I was winging my way over to visit my son and his family. When the plane landed I followed the throng along hallways, up and down escalators and along some more hallways. Hopefully these people knew where they were going.

There was much noise and the heat was stifling. My son had told me I would have to pay $USD 25 for my visa. It sounded like a simple thing to do, but where did one pay this Visa I thought. Oh, over there,in small printed English, was a sign that said pay visa here… Good oh.

I paid and was directed to wait for an immigration officer to stamp my passport. Wait I did, a long queue formed behind me, people with little patience I might add. Hurry up, someone said. I turned around and explained that I couldn’t hurry as there was no one in the booth.

I spied a security guard and asked where the operator of the booth may be. He promptly went behind the booth and kicked out with one foot.. Up rose the booth operator, who had been fast asleep behind the booth! Great…passport stamped and I was now on my way to collect my luggage.

I rounded the corner into the luggage hall and almost had a heart attack… How on earth would I find the right carousel amongst all these people.

Over the loudspeaker came a notice that luggage from flight 607 (my flight) could be collected at carousel 12. Good. The numbers were in English. I duly went to carousel 12 only to be told that it wasn’t the right one, and that flight 562 was being unloaded on number 12.

Well back to square one. After asking several porters, I finally found my luggage at carousel 3. Quite some way from number 12. Luckily I always pack a shocking pink suitcase. There is no other like it and that suitcase has saved me hours searching for luggage, provided of course that I find the right carousel!

Now that my luggage was collected I made my way out of the airport….. Oh God, how would I ever find my son? There were literally millions of bodies seething back and forth. Almost another heart attack!

I was working up the sweat of fear when out of nowhere, “Hi Mum, what took you so long in there?”

What a relief. The 20 mile trip from airport to son’s home, is however, another story….

Share your airport blunders and mishaps with us!