I made it off the coast... but not out of Canada *yet... I'm finally in Bogota

I hate my little computer so much.  It never let's me sign in without the hugest hassle. My next big travel purchase is going to be a non-google product travel computer.  Anyway, I am typing this on my phone with one finger.  If you think that will make me less verbose, think again my friends

I left Victoria this morning.  Somehow I managed to get pulled aside for THREE random screenings in Victoria!  First from the line waiting to get scanned.  They swabbed my bags.  Then again after the screening.  They swabbed my hands and belt.  Then my bag got a good going over.  Well, that third one may not have been random.  I did have a knife in my bag.  (A little pocket knife, they let me keep it)

My original flights got messed up with yesterday's snow and there was more snow issues predicted for today so I was a bit anxious.  But the snow held off for Victoria and again when I left Vancouver for Montreal. I hear it is pretty bad now but too late to waylay me. 

I watched the first four episodes of Ted Lasso.  Now I have to decide if I watch the next six or sleep on the next leg of this trip. 

We were a bit late into Montreal but my new itinerary gave me enough time.  I should have knocked on wood as I complacently sat down at my gate. 

My flight was scheduled to leave at 9:45 pm.  I got an email as they were making an announcement in French.  My flight was delayed. Until 1:10 am.  Something to do with a new plane. They were offering food vouchers. The line was insane. I was just going to skip free dinner.  But then I got another email saying I have a new seat and I need a new boarding pass so I got into line.  

Now I am sitting in Ubar, the only restaurant that was still open other than Subway, enjoying a free Quebec beer and a selection of Quebec cheeses.  Quite nice for airport food.  

You know I'm loathe to be nice to Air Canada but they have been pretty good with the communication and the free food was a nice touch.

Interruption between the start and end of that last paragraph.  The young woman sitting beside me told me that she wasn't feeling well. Probably a panic attack.  Being fairly useless I tried to distract her with inane patter, my specialty. 

That didn't work.  She asked me to find some medical help.  I asked the manager who called the airport paramedics.  They arrived.  She asked me to stay with her.  So I did.  Still useless but now I could watch her bags while they chatted with her in a quieter area.  Then they took her away. 

paramedics

Is she ok?  Will she be on the flight?  Will I ever find out?  Doubtful, I didn't even find out her name.  I really am bad at this stuff. (update next day, she is fine)

Did I say something nice about Air Canada?  I take it back.  A thousand times.

So, they made an announcement that the flight was cancelled.   Something about if you live in Montreal go home, if you don't ... vague mention of a hotel.  We will get an email.  Get out.  

So we got out.  Some people left.  More people milled around.  The email came finally.  Rebooked for 10 am.  But ZERO instructions on what next.  What about this magical hotel.  Where is the Air Canada agent on the other side of immigration (which we had to go through). Nothing!  Nada!  

I have never been to this airport.  Soon, almost everyone had disappeared.  Just standing there seemed pointless.  I wandered around for awhile until I saw line.  Ah, an Air Canada desk.  I'm in line.  I don't know if this line is any use.  I'll let you know.  It is 2am. 

I thought this was long when I arrived.

  

It's 3:30 am.  Did I say something about taking back my nice comments about Air Canada a thousand times. I mean a million times.  It will have to wait for morning.  

Next day.  So, last we spoke, I was in line with the Air Canada ticket agents.  What a gong show.  I thought I was late to the line, having received no information and discovering it myself after an hour.  But I was comparatively early to the game.  The line grew and grew.  There were hundreds of people on that plane.  And now most of them were in line behind me.  For some reason the agent opened a second line that cut in front of the first people.  If you want to make people mad, officially sanction queue jumping at 2 am.  i was in line, just hoping for a hotel room but I was guessing at that point.

Anyway, I finally made it to the front of the line.  I get more vouchers for breakfast, a voucher for a hotel room and my new boarding pass for my rescheduled 10 am flight.  Go to door 9 he said, there will be a shuttle to your Airport Marriott hotel.  

Off I go to door 9.  But I can see the Airport Marriott is right there, at door 13. So I and another woman go there.  No one.  We met a man who had found a human who said they are full, we are going to a different Marriott. We go to door 9.  There is a little crowd now.  Our guy called the new Marriott.  They said they do not have a shuttle at 2:30 am.  So, thanks Air Canada.  Me, the woman Ellie and the man, Raymond formed some sort of Survivor alliance.  We found a cab and booted it to the next Airport Marriott which is a good 15-20 ride away so maybe change the name?  

there's the wrong Marriott, right there!

We get in line, again.  When we get to the front, the desk clerk was saying 'oh dear, we only have 10 rooms, I wonder how many people they sent'.  Is there three for us?  Yes.  Great, then the rest of them are on their own unfortunately.  It was 3:30 am by the time I got to my room.  Nice room.  Big.  Too bad I only had three hours to enjoy it.  

7:30 shuttle back to the airport. I didn't use my breakfast vouchers because I still had a half a sandwich left from home. I ate that.  I was going to update this post at the airport but Raymond and I chitty-chatted until the plane finally started to board.  Late, but still, we were leaving.

Raymond

I got to my seat.  Now remember, that plane was full.  Not an empty seat to be seen.  I go to put on my seat belt.  there is only half of a seat belt.  There was no way on God's green earth I was getting off that plane so I said nothing.  I used the half that was still there to make it seem like I was belted in.  I did think about that recent incident where the window blew out but i WAS NOT getting off that plane.  

That thing was a relic.  I'm surprised it didn't have the pull down movie screen at the front.  That actually would have been better.  I found Ted Lasso.  The jack for my ear phones didn't work.  The touch screen to add subtitles didn't work. Only four episodes loaded.  So, no entertainment.  I lowered the tray when the very unsatisfactory meal arrived.  The tray fell off.  I hoped that the overnight repair job they did on the plane made the flying bits functional but I kind of resigned myself to falling in the sea.  But, spoiler alert!, we made it.  

broken tray

So, the plane landed.  I made it through immigration with only one wrong line. Apparently, there is a special line just for Canadians.  Because we have to pay an entrance fee.  Just Canadians.  

I assume my government has done something to piss off the Colombian government.  I don't know what, and at the moment I don't care.  Taxi to the hotel as the sun was setting. This is where I will leave you.  I have 12 minutes until my allowable bed time on first day of travel - 8 pm.  My remaining half day (out of the original 2.5) in Bogota starts in the morning.