The Battle of the Bags!

Now it just couldn't be a Goodnough trip without SOMETHING happening .... so here's a little story which we're sure will bring a smile to many faces (if not just outright guffawing!) We have travelled over the past few years with excellent luggage. We each had a medium size hard case on rollers with an attachable carry-on bag. They have served us well on many of our overseas trips. However, during our review of the documents for the bike and boat in Dalmatia it was suggested that soft-sided bags would be preferable because of space constrictions. We took this to heart and decided against taking our regular luggage .... we purchased canvas duffel bags on rollers for each of us. They packed well and we were pleased we would have no problems storing them onboard the Kapetan Jure. Well, when the crew of Islandhopping.com (the tour facilitators) took the bags on board they ripped Louisa's lovely red duffel bag down one side seam (the whole side seam). We discovered it the second day when things started poking out of the bag. As we had already set sail there was nothing we could do. Bruno (tour guide) tried to find us some heavy thread and needle to stitch it up temporarily - to no avail. All he could come up with was some double sided tape (not duct tape!). He thought we might be able to find another bag in one of our stops - Korcula town, Hvar. When we stopped in Korcula town we had a few hours in the late afternoon to try to find needle and thread, a shoe repair or a new bag. We found needle and thread (not strong but thought it might work doubled over). We found a shoe repair shop -- closed! We found a hardware store that might have duct tape - closed! The lady from the shop where we bought the thread took us across to her neighbour who did sewing at home. She said the bag was too big to fit in her machine but offered to stitch it up by hand with some heavier thread - for 30 kunas ($6). We took her up on that offer and were told to come back in about 20 minutes or so. In the meantime we found a shop with a bag on wheels that could be a replacement for the duffel bag. 350 kunas ($70). Ricardo didn't think it was very good quality as the wheels looked very cheap plastic and poorly made. But it was all we could find and thought it would at least get us home. We left this as an option. We then returned to get the red bag. This lovely lady had stitched it up with very large loopy stitches and had not secured the frayed edges from the tear first. She then decided it wasn't going to be strong enough so she put a strip of duct tape all along the edge on the outside of the bag. Louisa knew this was not going to be a long-term option as it was not mended well, but we thanked this kind lady profusely and gave her 40 kunas for her trouble! Then we went back and bought the other bag positive it would be the solution to get us through the remainder of our trip and home. Back on the boat Louisa packed all of her belongings in the new bag. Everything fit very well. Saturday morning - last day on the boat. We decided to leave the ripped red bag behind on the boat. Ricardo tore off the duct tape and the seam ripped even more -- useless bag now without extensive repair. Ricardo took the other bags off the boat first and brought the new bag off last. As he was pulling the bag out of the room down the corridor of the boat == the wheels broke and one of the wheels came loose!!!! We have not even left the boat yet and the new bag was going to be a huge problem as it now had to be carried and it was very heavy! We managed to get ourselves and all our luggage (including our newly defective bag) to Dubrovnik. Just about 20 feet from the door to our apartment in Dubrovnik the whole wheel mechanism fell off and was sitting on the cobblestones! How can we continue on this trip via bus and trains trying to carry such a heavy bag? Solution: Buy yet another bag!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 We found a bag in Dubrovnik. It has a much superior wheel mechanism which isn't housed outside of the bag (390 kunas $80)- it is enclosed except for the wheel portion. We are ABSOLUTELY, POSITIVELY CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC that this bag will carry us home! And let this be the only and last darkish cloud on our travels ...... HILARIOUS!!!