Four suitcases, two carry-on bags and my umbrella.

It is 3:30 a.m. when the alarm clock sounds. I am still reading my book and Dave is dozing. It is time to head for the airport to begin our big adventure. Dave gets a trolley to carry our four suitcases, two carry on bags and my umbrella. We are on our way. By early evening, we will be in Cameroon!

We arrive at the airport before the check in counter opens – and run into a colleague, Hazel, who is also on her way to Cameroon. Just as the counter is about to open, an agent announces that the flight has been cancelled (apparently there is a ½ day strike at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris). We all trail in a long line to another counter to have our tickets changed. So off we go with three trolleys, six suitcases, three carry on bags and my umbrella.

Though fairly close to the front of the line, it was about 45 minutes before 5 of us, all going to Cameroon get to the desk. By this time, we have imagined being delayed to Wednesday when the next flight to Yaounde leaves Paris and we are joking about sleeping for two nights at the airport. As it turns out, we are lucky – there is another way to get to Cameroon – through Casablanca. Now that sounds romantic! But as always, there is a catch – this flight leaves at 12:30 from Gatwick airport. We are at Heathrow.
So off we go. One of us is being driven but four of us have to catch the National Express bus to Gatwick. Four of us, 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella head to the Arrivals level where we are to catch the bus. Luck is with us…. The next bus is in 5 minutes. Wait. The vouchers the airline gave us need to be turned for tickets and the ticket office at Terminal 4 is not open. What to do, the next bus is in two hours? The driver informs us that buses go every hour from Terminal 5 – and there is a ticket office there that is open.
So our little group of 4 with 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella hike off to the train. Plenty of time still. By now we realize that this is going to be a very long day. We load 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella on to the train for the one stop to Central Station where we unload the 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella and walk across to the other platform, load the 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella for the one stop to Terminal 5. Luck is changing again, we find the ticket booth, exchange our vouchers for tickets and guess what – the next bus is in 5 minutes – so off we go.
Oops – this bus is also full. Wait for another bus and, yippee, it has room for us. We load the 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella in its underbelly and off we go to Gatwick. We will get there you know…
Once at Gatwick, we load up trolleys with 8 suitcases, 4 carry on bags and my umbrella and make it to the check in. Hallelujah! The 8 suitcases, but not 4 carry on bags nor my umbrella are in the care of Royal Air Maroc, almost all making the weight limit. Heather did have to dish out some pounds for extra weight. Off we go to security. “No ma’am, you cannot take your umbrella on the plane, it has to be checked.” While everyone patiently waits for me, off I go back to the check in counter. Sure they can check my umbrella – as oversized baggage!
So we take 4 carry on bags through security, no problem right? Guess who is asked to completely empty her carry on for a full check. Of course, in the madness of packing, a few small bottles of shampoo and stuff got thrown in. Out comes underwear, shirts, computer mouse, hairbrush… All pass muster in the end and off we go.

We did get on the flight, joining up with many other VSO volunteers going to Cameroon. I did not count the number of carry on bags and I am sure you are not interested. After a brief stop in Casablanca we boarded a plane for Yaounde where with any luck at around midnight tonight, Hazel, Dave and I will collect our 6 suitcases, load up our 3 carry on bags and I will retrieve my umbrella. The big adventure has begun!