The not-so-feliz cumpleaños

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OK, we all have the occasional bad birthday. However, as if turning 33 wasn't bad enough, I reckon the events of this year´s birthday have made it my worst one yet.

It all started in Quito at lunchtime on 18 March when a friend Riikka and I boarded a bus bound for Puyo (on the edge of the jungle). The bus operator manhandled our bags as he threw them into the luggage compartment (and I probably annoyed him by complaining as he tried to sit them right next to a leaking oil can). We endured a long and tiring 6 hour journey through the countryside and by the time we got to Puyo we were looking forward to some sleep ready for a cycle ride the next day, followed by a few celebratory cocktails and maybe some karaoke. However, we left the bus to find nothing but the leaking oil can in the luggage compartment. On asking where the bags were we were told that they had given them to our "friends", some "other gringos" who had got off earlier, had absolutely nothing to do with us, and who no way took the bags. The bus workers then jumped on the bus and tried to make a getaway, and the only way to stop them was to jump back on and yell for the police, who promptly appeared and stopped the bus.

Thereafter followed a lot of hanging around and arguing over what had happened and what was going to be done. We were taken to the police station (with the bus man we think took the bags) for more debating, and then it was decided that we´d all be setting off on a top secret mission to "look for the gringos".

What followed was a very long night, first of all waiting in a taxi to identify our bags if the police found them, and then sleeping in a clapped out banger with 2 policemen and another man from the bus company (who was later put in prison for the possible involvement with the theft of our bags). Well when I say sleeping, I think I might have managed 30 mins at most as the bus guy was making such a racket with his snoring.

Once it was light we had to hang around the bus station watching to if anyone tried to escape with the bags. How conspicuous must we have looked! Funnily enough it all turned out to be a waste of time and by 9.30am (having already "treated" the 2 policemen to breakfast) we were back at the police station answering questions. Pretty much the whole day was spent with the police, or making lists for the police (a nightmare - most of you will know I´m useless at packing light and I had 2 large bags worth of stuff to account for) and then presenting our case to the fiscal. The only slight diversion was going shopping as we had been left with just the clothes we had travelled in. But even that was a let-down as we had to choose from a rather dodgy selection of ill-fitting underwear and t-shirts.

It would have been rude not to do something to mark the occasion so at around 10pm we headed out for a bite to eat and a cocktail (just the one - my eyes were struggling to stay open even before I took a swig). And no karaoke either! Got back to the hotel at midnight, so pretty much awake the whole birthday.

A week and a half on, as I am drafting this, still no sign of the bags, but the police and the fiscal are on the case (oops - no pun intended). Am now travelling lighter than ever, but forever scouring the shops in a quest for underwear that actually fits - where is Marks and Spencer when you need it?

The moral of the story is - be very careful with the whereabout of your bags, ESPECIALLY IF TRAVELLING WITH "CENTINELA DEL ORIENTE", the bus company in question here - we did not receive a single cent in compensation from them (not even the $20 that is supposed to be insured by your ticket), even though it was clear they were negligent.

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