After the shocks disappeared from our luggage we spent almost eight months making phone calls and sending emails trying to figure out who took our shocks and how we could get them back. We were universally ignored or caught in the middle of a he-said/she-said blame game with agents from the Transportatin Safety Administration swearing that the TSA does not take items out of luggage and Continental Airlines swearing that the TSA is the agency which removes restricted items, like shock absorbers.

Ultimately, we had no choice but to send an email to the media relations department at Continental. As legitimate members of the media, this got immediate action in the form of phone call from Gary Meckel a very cordial Continental Airlines “Senior Staff Representative.” Mr. Meckel told us that while Continental had no record of taking our shock absorbers and insisted that the TSA must have taken them, the airline was willing to offer us 16,000 frequent flier miles (worth roughly the $600 value of the shock absorbers) as a gesture of “good will.”

We told him we’d have to think about it, which we did for about 45 seconds. Then we sent Mr. Meckel an email we’d received from a TSA agent who adamantly stated that the TSA doesn’t take items like shock absorbers, the airlines do. In the email the TSA agent even advised “You should persist with the airline to rectify your claim.”

Meanwhile, the TSA assigned an investigator to our case and that investigator told us that paperwork had been found showing that a Continental Airline employee had signed for our shock absorbers. More precisely, someone had put his or her (potentially fake and nearly illegible) initials on the form.

Despite our request to Continental’s Mr. Meckel for a clarification of his airline’s policy regarding the removal of restricted items and a rebuttal (if any) to the TSA’s claims we got neither. We did, however, get a check for the value of our shock absorbers.

This is a hollow victory, however, since the underlying problem we discuss in our original post (see below) remains: airline policies allow employees to remove restricted items without any requirement to account for or log the item taken or be held responsible for the removal in any way. We still believe there’s a Continental Airlines employee out there with some very, very good shock absorbers on his or her truck.

HERE’S OUR ORIGINAL POST ABOUT THE LOSS OF OUR SHOCK ABSORBERS DURING A CONTINENTAL FLIGHT FROM APRIL, 2011:

There are many reasons that the Trans-Americas Journey is a road trip. Now we can add: “In order to avoid being robbed blind by airline staff” to the list.

Skyway robbery

As some of you know, we recently got on an airplane for the first time in years, leaving our trusty truck behind in Guatemala City while we traveled back to the US briefly then on to Argentina to embark on our Antarctic Adventure. Most of our flights were on LAN Airlines but some legs (between Guatemala and the US) were on Continental Airlines.

Knowing that we were going to need to bring some personal supplies back from the US, we booked First/International Business class seats on Continental (using reward miles) because this class gets you a higher baggage allowence plus big bright orange bagage tags that read “Priority Handling”.

On our Continental flight out of the US we had a set of brand new top-of-the-line Bilstein shock absorbers in one of our duffel bags. After more than 75,000 hard miles over rough roads and countelss speed bumps carrying a maxed out load, the shocks on our truck were feeling the pain.

To remedy the situation, our partners at Bilstein kindly upgraded us to a set of shocks best suited to the reality of the road conditions in Central and South America and we were excited to bring the shocks (which are not readily available in Latin America) back with us and have them installed so we could stop worrying over every bump in the road.

However, when we landed and collected our bags it was immediately clear that one of our duffels was half empty. We opened it up and found a notice from the TSA that the bag had been inspected–and the shock absorbers were gone.

Shock absorber shocker

The orignal cardboard shipping box containing the shocks (and clearly labeled with both our US address and Bilstein’s address) had simply been taken out of our bag. Other items in the duffel, some valuable, were left untouched.

Since the note we found where our shock absorbers used to be was from the TSA we immediately began emailing and calling them. It took more than a month to get a response from anyone and the TSA ultimately told us that they do not remove such items and insisted that it was our airline (Continental) that took them.  

Prior to flying we had reviewed the Continental Airlines web site to see if there were any restrictions on carrying auto parts. The sometimes-cryptic list did not specifically name anything that indicated to us that our shocks would be a problem since they were not oil lubricated (which was listed as a no-no).

The Continental Airlines  dangerous goods page did list ”compressed gasses” as a restricted item, which we took to mean a cylinder of oxygen or something like that. What didn’t occur to us is that our  shock absorbers operate using a small amount of compressed gas.

Fair enough. Our bad. We figured we’d have to file a tedious claim with Continental  Airlines then we’d get the shocks back and have them shipped down to us. Inconvinient? Yes. More costly? Yes. But at least there was a solution. Wrong.

It took another series of phone calls and emails to reach Continental Airlines and get our hands on the right claim form which we filled out and returned to the airline as instructed along with a receipt for the shocks and many other supporting documents.

Flyer beware

Now, more than two months after filing our Continental paperwork, we have received a letter from Continental Airlines Claims Analyst Curtis Richmond informing us that his “analysis” has failed to locate the shocks and, anyway, CONTINENTAL AIRLINES IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR RETURNING RESTRICTED GOODS and because we were busy barking up the TSA tree and getting the run-around from Continental employees for so long we were not able file our documents within the prescribed time period which is 24 hours after landing so, according to Curtis Richmond, Continental Airlines is also not responsible for reimbursing us for the value of the goods that were taken from our luggage.

What’s eating us up (besides the loss of expensive and essential belongings) is the impunity the Continental Airlines policy seems to foster. By saying that the airline is not responsible for the fate of restricted items Continental Airlines is, essentially, issuing a license to steal to any employee who sees something that falls into this category.

As long as you know the item is restricted feel free to “forget” to log it and  go ahead and take it home. Right now some smug Continental employee is probably driving around on OUR $600 shock absorbers.

We’re pissed and we’re powerless. We’re also without a set of very expensive and very essential truck parts.

And we’re sure that other airlines have similar loopholes in their baggage search and confiscation guidelines. Sadly, a simple Google search turns up many other people with similar stories.

Flyer beware, indeed.

As we await any semblance of a reasonable response from Continental Airlines regarding our stolen shock absorbers we thought we’d share this musical take on Airline angst (this time with United Airlines which recently merged with Continental). Though there’s nothing funny about having major baggage issues with an airline and then getting no compensation or assistance whatsoever, this video had us smiling between the tears.

We are heartened to learn that a Tiger Air passenger recently won reimbursement from the airline for the value of his lost luggage and the excess baggage he paid–but only after he made his own musical stink.

Pathetic but true: it now requires a Hollywood production to get what we used to call Customer Service from an airline. So be it.

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During our Trans-Americas Journey we’ve spent well over a year in the Mundo Maya visiting more than 50 Mayan sites in Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. In addition, Josh (who also writes the Moon Handbook travel guides to Nicaragua, Belize and the Living Abroad in Nicaragua guide) is committed to conveying a true sense of place based on actual first-hand experiences just like we are.

We did some digging around and provided Josh with information about the best guides, events, tours and hotels to help readers plan the most powerful and revealing trips through the Mundo Maya in 2012.

The end of the world (as we know it)

Why 2012? Well, the Mayans were meticulous record keepers, astronomers and day counters. The carved-stone calendars they left behind are stunning in their accuracy and artistry and have been the focus of intense research for decades.

Mayan calendars end on December 21, 2012, however, for reasons we may never know. Theories range from hysterical (and often ignorant) cries of “It’s the end of the world!” to the more moderate view held by many actual Mayans that the end of the Mayan calendar is merely a kind of re-set button for humanity–difficult and painful, but nothing to get apocalyptic about.

Whatever theory you subscribe to, 2012 is a year full of unique celebrations of Mayan culture throughout Belize, Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras. If you’ve ever been curious about these countries and/or the Mayans, 2012 is the time to visit.

Moon Maya 2012: A Guide to Celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras (Moon Handbooks, $7.95 for the book/$2.99 for the Kindle edition), is available NOW so if you want the inside scoop about the most unique and authentic on-and-off-the-beaten-path celebrations, pick up a copy and start planning smart.

We do not get a percentage of book sales. We just hate to see people waste their vacations (and their money) on mediocre experiences, especially with regard to a once-in-a-lifetime event like the end of the epic Mayan calendar.

Use the link at the end of this post to buy a copy of Maya 2012: A guide to celebrations in Mexico, Guatemala, Belize & Honduras (or snag a FREE Kindle version). But first, here’s a sneak peek look at the interview with us that ran in the book.

Related posts:

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Unlike in 1993, the road to Placencia is paved all the way and construction of fancy homes and condo buildings is going on everywhere you look, giving the place a kind of Caribbean Hamptons 30 years ago feel. Out a long peninsula, the area has one road. In places, the sea laps up on both sides mere feet from from the pavement. One of the two thoroughfares through Placencia town, at the very tip of the peninsula, is a sidewalk which, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the narrowest main street in the world at 4,071 feet (1,240 meters) long and just  four feet (1.2 meters) wide.

A very purple house along the world's narrowest main street in Placencia, Belize.

The biggest change in Placencia is being spearheaded by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line which is pushing hard to build a cruise ship dock in town. When we were in Placencia this was pretty much all anyone was talking about. The locals have had numerous meetings with Royal Caribbean execs and their fancy presentations about why a massive cruise ship dock and disembarking hoards would be good for Placencia and its population of less than 1,000 people.

Tourism business owners and regular locals, however, have almost universally adopted a position against cruise ship arrivals and we can tell you one thing: we wouldn’t want to be on the other side of the argument. These are some determined people who love where they live. They’ve also developed a healthy dose of cruise ship skepticism after watching the months-long, petty and very public fight between Carnival Cruise Lines and local boatmen in Belize City over the cost of tendering passengers from ship to shore.

A view of the coastline in Placencia, Belize from Chabil Mar Villas.

For now, no cruise ships sully the lovely, lazy coastline in Placencia which has a strange but appealing mix of florid Caribbean shacks and florid (in a different way) McMansions.

Honestly, this tiny place with very limited infrastructure seems to be maxed out in terms of tourist facilities even without the cruise ship throngs. There are dozens of cottages, guesthouses, hotels and small locally-owned resorts (no chains yet) in most every price point.

Want a cheapie? Check the quaint options in town. Want a condo? Chabil Mar Villas has 18 of them to choose from with multiple bedrooms, laundry and full kitchens plus a bank of three wonderful outdoor gas grills which no one seems to use for some reason. Want a world-class boutique hotel chic? Head to Francis Ford Coppola’s Turtle Inn where they’ve just renovated Sophia Coppola’s Beach House, a modern, two unit, loft-like haven, and now you can sleep there too (when she’s not there, of course).

One of two swimming pools at Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn in Placencia, Belize.

A casita at Francis Ford Coppola's Turtle Inn in Placencia, Belize.

A triangular pool (the shape is a recurring theme at all three of at Francis Ford Coppola's resorts) at Turtle Inn in Placencia, Belize.

Earlier this year, Placencia pioneers and creators of the Inn at Robert’s Grove, Robert and Risa Frackman, sold the resort they opened back in 1997 to the same team that recently re-created the Singing Sands Inn.

Nothing new at Rumfish y Vino, but that’s the way you want it. Pamela and John Solomon opened this stylish, breezy bar and gastro pub in November of 2008, mere months after honeymooning in Placencia and falling in love with the place. Timid, they are not. Nor is their eatery. Imported wine, gourmet fish tacos, inventive red curry risotto, rich shrimp bisque in a homemade bread bowl. All delicious and made more so as Aretha Franklin serenades and a stylish gang mingles.

Turtle Inn, Placencia Belize.

TIP
Can’t afford Turtle Inn? Check out the more affordable Starfish Cottage. Located on a chunk of beachfront land completely surrounded by Turtle Inn, guests at Starfish Cottage get full access to Turtle Inn’s facilities.

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Related posts:

1. Belize Briefs: Tips, Quirks & Foibles After 2.5 Months in Belize
2. We’re Belize-ing It – Corozal, Belize
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It’s over.

If the weather holds, the space shuttle Atlantis (which made its first trip into space in 1989) will launch into orbit tomorrow (Friday July 8, 2011) from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, marking the final space shuttle mission–and the end of the Space Shuttle Program.

No replacement space program has been fully developed yet, so Atlantis is carrying a year’s worth of parts and supplies up to the space station which, from here on out, will be served by the Russian space program until NASA develops a new way to reach the scientists working there.

The Kennedy Space Center in Florida, where the past, present and (hopefully) future of the NASA space program is on display for visitors.

The Space Shuttle Program is officially called the Space Transportation System and it’s always referred to as STS (NASA–which stand for National Aeronautics and Space Administration–loves acronyms). STS was started in 1981 and the program has had five different shuttles which have been successfully thrust into space 133 times (tragically, Columbia was lost during launch in 2003 and Challenger was lost during re-entry in 1986).

Because launch dates/times so often shift due to each mission’s small launch window and Florida’s variable weather they’re difficult to predict with accuracy. That’s why just one Space Shuttle launch has ever been observed in person by a President (President Bill Clinton watch Discovery go up in 1988).

The de-commissioned space shuttle Explorer on display at the Kennedy Space Center.

In 2008 we attended two Space Shuttle launches and got a unique behind-the-scenes look at the preparation. In February of that year we saw the Atlantis shuttle go up during a daytime launch. We were so amazed by the combination of science and spectacle that we returned to Florida’s Space Coast in March to watch the space shuttle Endeavor go up during a dramatic night launch. The ground shakes. People cheer. It’s one of those unique American events.

Here’s a look at the launches we witnessed and a nod to NASA as they prepare to send their shuttle up for the last time.

Launch of space shuttle Atlantis STS #122, March 2008

Space shuttles have carried more than 850 people into space. Here, space shuttle Atlantis adds a few more astronaut names to the list during a launch in March 2008 that we attended.

Since 1981, NASA's space shuttles have traveled more than 500 billion miles (equal to more than one round trip between the Earth and Jupiter). Here, Atlantis adds a few more miles to the tally during its launch in March 2008 which we attended.

Since 2009 astronauts have been tweeting from space during their shuttle missions. This 2008 launch of Atlantis, which we witnessed, was tweet-free.

The space shuttle Atlantis making easy work of a cloud during a launch we witnessed in March 2008.

And there she goes...space shuttle Atlantis rockets out of view during a launch we witnessed in March 2008.

Since 1981 the space shuttles have spent more than 1,320 days in space. Here, a clock tracks the amount of time space shuttle Atlantis had spent in orbit following its March 2008 launch which we witnessed.

The epic launch-Pad-39-A. Space shuttle Atlantis lifted off from here 20 hours before this picture was taken.

The vehicle assembly building (background) is the fourth largest structure in the world by volume. Moving in the foreground is the twin crawler (the largest truck in the world) practicing the slow-motion run it made three days later with space shuttle Endeavour on board. The crawler moves over a meticulously engineered road capable of holding the combined weight of the crawler and a space shuttle.

Night launch of space shuttle Endeavour STS #123, February 2008

Since 1981 space shuttles have completed almost 21,000 orbits of the earth. Here, fans (including us) gather at Kennedy Space Center to watch the night time launch of space shuttle Endeavour.

Space shuttles travel at 17,500 mph. Here, spaces shuttle Endeavour is ready for take off during a night launch we witnessed from the Kennedy Space Center in February 2008.

Space shuttle astronauts, including the ones on the Endeavour (above) which we watched during a night launch, travel so fast around the earth that they see sunrise every 45 minutes.

In 2010 a space shuttle mission cost US$775 million to plan and execute. Here, Endeavour successfully launches from the Kennedy Space Center.

Skies were cloudy the night we watched the space shuttle Endeavour launch from Kennedy Space Center so it was only visible for a few (very dramatic) moments before it disappeared behind clouds.

Ready to get really geeky about the final space shuttle mission? Download the Go Atlantis app for iPads and iPhones.

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As many of you know, we’ve been part of the elite Lonely Planet Featured Blogger program since 2010. Recently, 40 of the Featured Bloggers (including us) got together to contribute to this FREE e-book full of travel inspiration. Whether you’re into epic road trips like ours or city travel or traveling with a family or budget backpacking or solo travel practically anywhere in the world there are seasoned, funny, smart, real experts in this book who will have you calling in those vacation days.

We’re talking 40 Lonely Planet bloggers, 70 countries, 88 pages of inspiration and expertise. Just sign up for our (very) occasional newsletter using the form below and a copy of the e-book is yours for free.

NOTE: We will not sell your email address or send any spam, just an occasional update from our Trans-Americas Journey.

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They’re interested in just two specific shades of green—the deep jade of the fronds produced by the fishtail xaté palm and the green, green color of cash—and they’re leaving cleared land, poached animals, frightened scientists, threatened tourists, pot farms and really, really pissed off environmentalists in their wake.

Why should you care?

Because one of the main buyers of xaté are big floral companies like the one you’re probably buying a Valentine’s Day bouquet from right about now (it’s estimated that 40% of flowers sold all year are sold for Valentine’s Day).

So…

What is xaté, who buys it and why?

There are three species of Xatémora/Chamaedorea plants found in Central America. The one at the center of this story is the fishtail xaté (pronounced “sha-tay”), which produces a pretty frond that is prized in flower arrangements because it makes great cheap filler (like a green version of baby’s breath) which last up to 45 days after being cut.

The main buyers of xaté are international floral companies (mainly in the US and Holland) and the Catholic  Church which buys up the stuff for Palm Sunday services.

Where is xaté found and who supplies it?

There used to be plenty of wild xaté in the jungles of Guatemala (especially in the Peten region) but it’s been cut to near extinction in that country so now the xaté-rich protected forests just over the border in Belize, where palms grow dense and wild, are effectively the sole hunting grounds.

Virtually no one farms xaté.  However, as it gets harder and harder to find in the wild some Belizeans and Guatemalans are talking about establishing xaté “plantations” (something environmentalists have been pushing for) but no substantial progress on this front has been made.

Where is this happening?

Xaté is being heavily harvested from within the Chiquibul National Park, the largest park in Belize at more than 400 square miles (nearly 5% of the landmass of the entire country). Located in western Belize, the park (and the adjacent Chiquibul Forest Reserve) and its extensive and remote border with Guatemala is currently patrolled by just seven (some say six) rangers. Needless to say, you don’t have to be Jason Bourne to sneak across. You hardly have to sneak at all.

Is this a new problem?

No, but it appears to be getting worse. Illegal xaté collection by Guatemalans is believed to have been taking place since the 1970s. In the past decade, Belizean environmentalists say, the scale and scope of what was once a small problem has gotten steadily and dramatically worse. In the 1980s it was believed that xatéros (xaté harvesters) were impacting around 250 acres. Today it is estimated that hundreds of Guatemalan xatéros are in Belize impacting thousands of acres.

According to Flora and Fauna International, more than 400 million stems of xaté were harvested and sent to the US and Europe in 2007.

Xatéros apprehended with illegally harvested xaté near the Bladen Nature Reserve in Belize in March 2010 (photo courtesy of Ya'axche Conservation Trust).

Get the full story about the arrest of the xatéros pictured above from the Ya’axche Conservation Trust

What’s in it for the Guatemalans?

A xatéro makes an average of US$5 a day (a lot by Guatemalan standards) and they are mostly—but not exclusively—male. The people who pack the cut xaté, however, are almost exclusively female. Some say up to 100,000 women (mostly Guatemalan) earn their living as xaté packers or (more rarely) harvesters.

The emerging issue is that these xatéros are not just crossing over the border illegally and stealing a few plants before returning home. Belizean environmental groups, including Friends for Conservation and Development which manages the Chiquibul area, and Programme for Belize warn that xatéros have now cleared hundreds of acres of protected Belizean land and some have put up dwellings and started small farms in those clearings.

Inhabitants of these perma-camps are also believed to be poaching wildlife for food and for sale, logging, trapping endangered scarlet macaws for the pet trade (best estimates say there are only 100 mating pairs of these Technicolor birds left in Belize) and possibly growing marijuana in the park.

Though Chiquibul is ground zero (Friends for Conservation and Development representatives believe that 8,000 acres have been lost in the Chiquibul National Park alone), other protected areas being affected by Guatemalan border crossing xatéros include the Vaca Forest Reserve, Caracol Archaeological Reserve (where looting is also believed to be taking place) and the Columbia River Forest Reserve.

What does  this mean for conservation efforts in Belize?

Apart from the wear and tear on the land caused by Guatemalan squatters, encounters and clashes with the xatéros have begun to scare scientists, researchers and conservationists out of many areas of Belize. In 2004, for example, a group of researchers abandoned their work with the showy and enormous Harpy Eagle in Chiquibul National Park after tensions rose with the xatéros and after one researcher had more than US$10,000 in camera equipment stolen.

Because the areas in questions are so grossly under-patrolled, some environmental groups (like Programme for Belize)—already strapped for funds and resources—are stretching themselves even thinner to try and take up some of the policing slack.

What does this mean for travelers to Belize?

The Chiquibul Park incorporates portions of the Chiquibul Cave System which is the longest known cave system in Central America which, in turn, includes the largest known underground passages and cave chamber in the Western Hemisphere.  Belize would obviously like to encourage more sustainable tourism to the cave areas (tourism is Belize’s number one income generator—trailed distantly by sugar and bananas), but the volatile situation with xatéros in the region is making that difficult and even impossible.

Already-touristed areas are also suffering the effects of the xatéros. After a group of tourists was allegedly robbed at gunpoint by Guatemalan xatéros in the Caracol Archaeological Reserve a few years ago (there are also allegations that a tourist was sexually assaulted) the government now sends soldiers along as escorts with all visitors to the area. We can attest that this is still going on since we had to travel as part of a convoy when we visited Caracol last month.

What can you do?

By all means go for some flowers to make your someone special feel extra-special, but we urge you to build a better bouquet by asking your flower arrangement provider to leave out the plam frond filler.

Oh, and if you’re  an editor you can give us a big old Valentine by commissioning a piece about xaté harvesting. We’ve been researching (and pitching) the idea for almost a year now and we’re currently in Belize and Guatemala where we (and our contacts) are ready to complete final reporting and shooting for you.

Mwah!

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1. Belize Briefs: Tips, Quirks & Foibles After 2.5 Months in Belize
2. We’re Belize-ing It – Corozal, Belize
3. Breezing over the Border – Belize, Central America

Arriving visitors just need to pick up a brochure and a user card at the tourist information center in the immigration section of the Tocumen International Airport (we certainly hope they expand this program to cover travelers arriving overland like us).

Travelers who need emergency medical care due to an accident in Panama or due to a disease contracted in Panama just present their user card and a passport at any health center to receive free care and coverage that includes accidental death, hospitalization, medical expenses, dental emergency expenses, administrative legal assistance and lost or stolen documents fees. Incredibly, the cost of your medically-related hotel stay (up to 10 days) is also covered as are prescriptions.

In case of death, the program will cover repatriation of the body to the country of origin. Even translation services in English, Portuguese and French are covered.

Quite reasonably, Panama is NOT covering problems caused by negligence, related to alcohol and drugs, or resulting from participation in extreme sports.

The policies will be issued by Assicurazioni Generali and you can get more information here.

Our Trans-Americas Journey should be entering Panama later this year and we look forward to not needing (but totally appreciating) this innovative new traveler emergency safety net.

VIVA PANAMA!

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We also added dozens of new wild animal sightings (from spotted eagle rays to occelated turkeys to a tiger rat snake). This got us even more excited about our upcoming opportunity to add penguins to that list during our Antarctic Dream adventure to the world’s 7th continent from November 7-17. Would they fall under the “land” or “water” category?

Anyway, don’t forget about the EXCLUSIVE 30% OFF DISCOUNT we secured for any friends, family, fans or followers who want to join us on the small, full-service Antarctic Dream boat for this once-in-a-lifetime sailing!

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For years we’ve dreamed of hopping on a boat to Antarctica once our road trip finally reaches Ushuaia, Argentina at the bottom of South America where the road pretty much ends and where most Antarctic trips depart from. Since, at the (slow) rate we’re going, it’ll still be years before our road trip reaches Ushuaia, this dream has been something to look forward to–a very large prize at the southern-most point of a very large road trip.

Well, surprise!

The opportunity has come up to realize that dream sooner than we’d dared hope. On November 7 (yes, of THIS year) we’ll be boarding the Antarctic Dream for a 10 day trip to Antarctica! Penguins! Icebergs! More icebergs! Really puffy coats!  That damned Drake Passage! We will, of course, be covering the whole experience in newspaper stories and blog posts.

We’ll also be announcing some very exciting and exclusive opportunities for friends, fans and followers of the Trans-Americas Journey, so if getting to the 7th continent your dream too, stay tuned to find out how you can join us!

UPDATE: Check out our exclusive 30% discount

photos courtesy of Antarctic Shipping S.A

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You can check it our HERE.

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