Can Ya Airways...?

First post from Maputo. Everything is just fine. My first weekend day, but let me start at the beginning. My flight over here... For logistical (and luggage allowance) reasons I decided to fly Kenya Airways. Yes, yes, I know that just last month 115 people died in a Kenya Airways crash, but then again, what are the chances of that happening to the same company twice in one month...?

And the flight(s) were fine. On time, good seats, nice service (only male stewards, by the way. Why is that?), great movies (mostly 'African' classics like Blood Diamond and Last King of Scotland) and good food. Also the connection in Nairobi to get on my Maputo flight was fast and efficient. Too fast and efficient! At least for my suitcase.

As I exited the terminal of Nairobi to walk to my 737 plane, we actually walked past some 500+ suitcases all lined up on the tarmac. Around this line-up where some 30 guys - some of them with clipboards - checking tags, writing, shouting, pointing and repositioning suitcases. That's when I knew! There's no way that this manual baggage handling system will get my suitcase from one plane to the other in 45 minutes!

Of course it didn't so I and 3 other people I recognised from the first flight were left alone at the baggage belt in Maputo without luggage. That of course meant another hour at the Lost & Found. Well between Lost and Found there was exactly one day as the next day my suitcase arrived on a Jo'burg flight. Yep, my suitcase already saw more of Africa than I did!