Wednesday 30 November 2016

Nov. 25, 2016 - THE FINAL DAY- back to Canada, My flight, and Final Thanks

I decided to walk to the train but it was further than I was told. An old man, owner of the construction site was laughing at all my luggage and next thing I know he's driving me. Nice man but the last thing he said was he would have voted for Trump. And we’re done!

Everyone was so nice. Met a lovely businessman who laughed all the time. We both got carded with our passports...we both must look like trouble. Met a 20 something traveller dude and another older one. Such a delightful 3 hr wait. Then all hell broke loose. I booked my Air Canada flight months ago and they delayed my flight. I had pre-chosen the aisle in the summer so when I got to my seat there was a sullen woman my age from Australia who did not speak English well and refused to get out of my seat. Kept pointing to the man in front of her and mumbling that it was my seat. "No I don't think so." We kept this up for a bit until all the passengers were listening. Finally the sweet attendant kicked her over one and the ugly started. Decided to throw caution to the wind and have some free wine. You know me and free anything.  All three of us have full trays and full drinks and she looks at me and says, “get up, I need go bathroom.”  Now I have no idea how to get out of my sardine seat with a full tray and three drinks but too bad..."NOW!" then she dumps her full tray on the other surprised passenger and told her she had to fill out her Entry to Canada forms because she had problems with English and no, it has to be done now, not in the next 16 hours of confinement. Bless that other woman with her patience when I was just wanting to punch and spit nails.  

So I've just decided to drink for the whole trip and someone can pour me into an UBER when I arrive. Back of the plane is the place to hang. All you can drink but no doubles. Met the  mayor of a town in Michigan who is now terrified for the state of the US and another woman politician's Aide who is freakin’. I've been gone a month...what am I returning to….is the wall built yet?

It was indeed a long, long night but I got a surprisingly fair amount of sleep even with the Angry Woman leaning onto my side and taking all my arm space with her winter coat that smells like moth balls for 16 hours. Ate lots and arrived late, so late that the plane was boarding in Vancouver on the other side of the terminal and I had to go thru security for the 100th time. I ran like the wind and made it with 10 minutes to spare. Sorry, too late! I complained and she looked at me and said, we will put you on another flight that now stops in Toronto and arrives 1 1/2 hours later. "First world problems dear" she tells me. I punched her in the snout, in my mind, and she smiled sweetly and said, "and here's your meal vouchers since you just told me you are hungry." wink wink. I wanted to be furious but it was something free. My defenses were down. Don't judge me for being weak. As it was, I barely made the replacement flight, until they delayed it too. What is with Air Canada? All the other flights down under announced the late comers forever on the PA and waited for them. AC, you are 10 minutes early, too bad. You are on time, too bad. Anyway, the flight was fine, used my food voucher that no one else got even tho they were all bumped too. I even asked for another aisle and OMG I got the bulkhead near a bathroom with about the space of 5 seats. Paydirt!
The view from the plane in Vancouver. Yahoo- Canadian mountains. Canada- I love you. I miss you. I won't ever leave you again... well, until the next time.

Over the course of 2 1/2 days of travel, I watched 4 movies: Bad Moms, BFG, Absolutely Fabulous and Central Intelligence. Arrived, luggage was almost first off, caught the bus with two minutes to spare and got a ride home the final bit.

This final portion of the trip had me take four flights, four buses, four trains, and then I was home. I came through the front door and froze. I thought someone had decorated my house for Christmas. I forgot my house was red and it was the most beautiful sight I'd ever seen. I was home to have a huge bubble bath- I miss her so much.

Many thanks to the people who watched over my house: Albert, Yagu, Lenford, Jessica, and Linda.
So many thanks to Yagu for helping me with posting the blog from afar and another unnamed person for putting my life in danger with her driving skills (see, I told you Yagu I would be anonymous for this on my blog), daughter Christelle for planning every minute of Australia, Costa Rica angel and friend Beth for giving me the courage to get started in NZ and Christina and Barbara from Germany for dragging my carcass to all the fun destinations.

I've learned so much about myself from this trip which I will promptly forget and do again in a year. I never learn. You know the whole reason why I went to Australia... to see the Great Barrier Reef? Well, I have one small regret. I should have taken the largest boat around that was suggested to me but it was too expensive for both of us. It would have been stable and very fast. I would have arrived raring to go. Look at my dive book picture. 24 dives. I suspect that when Daughter #1 returns to Australia, I will visit and maybe reattempt the final 25th dive and it will be perfect....but this is not number one on the bucket list anymore.
I've been driving in Canada and thankfully the car is on autopilot so it knows what lane to drive in but if I think about it, I second guess my car's decision and have no idea if I'm in the proper lane or not. Scary. Imagine if I had been driving in Australia for 3 weeks and my habit was set.



I just might start stocking mini bottles of wine like on the plane. See there is value in every vice on vacation.

When I left, the leaves were falling on Halloween.  Now everything is covered in snow and all that is left are 5 different kinds of apples on my bare naked tree.  Pretty cool eh?   Maybe I should make ice wine. Unfortunately, the mice found my apple stash in the garage and they have been going to town.  
This winter, I expect to see 400 pound Sumo Mice setting up lodging in the garage.  It won't be pretty.


My travel planner comes home today after her brief trip overseas and ironically, on the last day of my blog post.  Great timing.  Have I got pictures to share.

BUT THIS IS THE ICING ON THE CAKE  Putting Australia and New Zealand pins on my wall map.  Sweet!

Hmmm, I didn't see any on Africa or S. America. Now what am I going to do about that?! 


Thanks for following me.  See you at Santa's second home...Spoiled Rotten B&B, for Christmas.
The End

No comments:

Post a Comment