Okay... we finally made it to Vancouver. After being up all day Monday 20th, we departed at 15 mins past midnight on the 21st. Then 5 hrs to Sydney - 5 hr stopover, 3 hrs to Auckland – 3 hr stopover, 12 hours to Los Angeles – 2 hr stopover, 2.5 hrs to Vancouver, total of 22.5 hrs flying and 32.5 hrs total travelling time. After recommendations from friends who have my best interests at heart, I took 2 “Calmative” tablets to help me sleep just as we left Perth. 2hrs later I thought I was going to die.!! I was so sick I had to make intimate friends with the smallest room on the plane so I could donate the entire contents of my stomach in one fowl swoop.!! A further 2 hrs later I was feeling fine. To all of my friends that recommended the dose... I will not forget you.!!
The long haul from Auckland to LA is a killer, but all for a good cause in the end of course. The American Security system is second to none, for all the wrong reasons, and they now have prints and reprints of all and every one of my fingers yet again. (something even my home country does not yet have) I believe they have a five year plan to introduce the taking of toe prints next and progressing on to nose presses by the year 2014.!! Entry into Vancouver is a totally different experience, friendly fast and efficient. We were met at the Airport by a Scenic Tours director and it was then that the pampering began. (I sure wish Scenic Tours would take over the airlines)
We were promptly fixed up with a private limousine to take us to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver and the leather seats in that vehicle were simply awesome, and when we reached the Hotel I didn’t really want to get out.!!
But I’m glad I did, cos our Hotel room is even more awesome. The Fairmont is an older era style Hotel with all of the charm of the early 1900’s, but has been very tastefully modernised as well. Our room is large and the bed is the size of a rugby field if you’re a Kiwi, and a tight pants footy field if you’re an Aussie.
We had trouble getting our Mobile phone to work, but after several calls to Optus in Australia they finally realised it wasn’t set to global roaming despite telling us in Perth and Auckland that it was.!!
Today (22nd April) we visited Gastown in the morning, wandered through a few thousand souvenir shops (purchased a beanie each – the wind chill factor is minus a hundred.!!) and then we visited Heathers Mum for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are off to visit the Capalano Suspension bridge and Grouse Mountain. Hopefully we will keep you posted some more as and when we can. Love to you all.... well most of you.... I'm slowly warming again to those with advice on "calmative" pills...!!
The long haul from Auckland to LA is a killer, but all for a good cause in the end of course. The American Security system is second to none, for all the wrong reasons, and they now have prints and reprints of all and every one of my fingers yet again. (something even my home country does not yet have) I believe they have a five year plan to introduce the taking of toe prints next and progressing on to nose presses by the year 2014.!! Entry into Vancouver is a totally different experience, friendly fast and efficient. We were met at the Airport by a Scenic Tours director and it was then that the pampering began. (I sure wish Scenic Tours would take over the airlines)
We were promptly fixed up with a private limousine to take us to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Vancouver and the leather seats in that vehicle were simply awesome, and when we reached the Hotel I didn’t really want to get out.!!
But I’m glad I did, cos our Hotel room is even more awesome. The Fairmont is an older era style Hotel with all of the charm of the early 1900’s, but has been very tastefully modernised as well. Our room is large and the bed is the size of a rugby field if you’re a Kiwi, and a tight pants footy field if you’re an Aussie.
We had trouble getting our Mobile phone to work, but after several calls to Optus in Australia they finally realised it wasn’t set to global roaming despite telling us in Perth and Auckland that it was.!!
Today (22nd April) we visited Gastown in the morning, wandered through a few thousand souvenir shops (purchased a beanie each – the wind chill factor is minus a hundred.!!) and then we visited Heathers Mum for the rest of the day. Tomorrow we are off to visit the Capalano Suspension bridge and Grouse Mountain. Hopefully we will keep you posted some more as and when we can. Love to you all.... well most of you.... I'm slowly warming again to those with advice on "calmative" pills...!!
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