Small Airplane - Big Boardbag

, originally uploaded by m_hagen.

Traveling with surfboards is always such a joy. The strange looks from local people, the other travelers who can't understand how you can get anywhere with such an outrageous bag, and the laughs from taxi drivers as you heave the boards onto the roof and start strapping them down.
From people in the Philippines asking if I was transporting weapons, (I suppose I did have a min-gun in the bag) to an airline receptionist who wanted to charge me more than $400 for a single board bag flying from Rome to Delhi, I've had plenty of good times with that 40lb. friend I never leave home without.
Recently I was in Flores flying to Kupang on Timor, and the guy at the airline just about choked on his nasi goreng when Hedda and I walked in rolling my boardbag behind us. First, he called Hedda in to his office where she thought she was going to have to drop a $20 bill into an envelope for the guy to check the bag through. Then he had me in there all flustered saying it would be up to the crew, not him as to whether the boards would make it or not. I don't think they'd seen such luggage before, and he was concerned that it wouldn't fit onto the plane.
I held my ground and said we'd cancel the flight and take the ferry if the boards didn't go with us. He was stressing. Trying to be nice to us about it, but stressing.
I had visions of a 12 seater or a single prop plane landing to take us to Timor. I assured him I had done this many times before and even offered to help load the baggage myself. (I did this in Costa Rica a couple years back flying to Mal Pais on a very small plane. Actually took the 3 boards out of the boardbag and found a way to slide each individual board into a little nook somewhere in the storage area.)
Well, our plane landed and it was huge. I could not believe for a second how he thought there wouldn't be room. They loaded the boards vertically into the storage compartment there was so much room. I guess the good news is that the next time he sees a surfer come through, he'll feel a lot more confident about checking their bags through.