No Baggage

A new meaning to no baggage is evolving. Travelling light is the name of the game but the technique is rather distressing. It started with the theft of Mrs Poodle's camera at Singapore airport, which is possibly the materialistic capital of the Far East. Then we have the leaving behind of Mr Poodle's watch on Phi Phi island .It was left by the shore while it's owner was inhaling water through a snorkelling device in the bay. Soon after the sunglasses went. Then, most probably at The Crystal castle near Bangalow, Mr P's camera was left on the cafe table after a particularily sweet Strawberry Milkshake. Somewhere on the way to Sydney the reading glasses were taken by gremlins and not long afterwards the sunglasses. Today as we left Alice Springs Mr P's somewhat battered rancher's hat was left on the counter of the Mbantu Art Gallery.

As we landed at Sydney Airport for the third time in eight weeks Mr Poodle casually remarked to Mrs P that we were beginning to travel without baggage; the goal of every true traveller. We made it to the carousel to find that her checked-in bag had gone missing. Be warned and remember the old Chinese saying "Speak of Lao-Tsu and Lao-Tsu appears".

Happy epilogue: the airline tracked the bag and returned it to our hotel tonight. We are staying at 'The Dive' on Coogee Beach for the nights of 9 and 10 Feb. They sell a T-shirt that reads "My favourite hotel is a dive".