Trip: Honolulu->Vancouver

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Last night dad took DH and I to the airport. Our flight was on Air Canada at 8:50, so we dropped off the car at mom and dad's just before 6:30 (after picking up a splitter at radio shack) and then we switched cars and headed over H3. At 7, we pulled up to the terminal and DH and I both rejoiced at seeing no one else unloading. Then we came to a stop, and realized no one was unloading because everyone else was already there. Bummer.

Fortunately, the line moved quickly and we were soon greeted by a very friendly agent. She gave us our seats and when we realized that we were assigned to the middle section with an aisle and a middle seat, we requested different seats. She told us the flight was very full, but she would see what she could do. So she gave us our boarding passes and then told us to find her at the gate in a little while. In all this, she almost forgot to check our bags. She never even weighed them, and we had spent so much effort making sure the big bag was under the limit.

We went and bought Chocolate Chocolate Chip Frappaccino from Starbucks for us to split (earning the envy of a little boy who walked by) and headed for the gate. The agent from before was already there, and she told us we had great timing, and then gave us the window and aisle on the left side of the plane. YAY, no-one sitting next to us! What a nice lady. Mike says her name was Kris. We should write a letter or something.

The flight was uneventful. They served us a meal (only because it was international) and then showed a movie starring Anotonio Banderas (dance something or other). It was ok, although rather formulaic, especially at the end when the kids take over the ballroom.

The flight was just over five hours and the time difference is three hours, so about 5:30am, we arrived in Vancouver. Going through customs was almost a non-event. The line wasn't very long, probably just people from our plane, and they didn't even ask us if we had anything to declare. So, one stamp in our passports later, we were officially in Canada.

Our first order of business was to get some cash, so after an initial misfire, we found a working ATM that eventually took our card once I got mad at it. Then we caught a cab to the hotel, the Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel on Kingsway. It's ok. The rooms are rather humble, with the smallest bathrooms I think I've had yet, but there's a restaurant with cheap food downstairs, lots of shops and other restaurants nearby, a free paper, and cheap internet access. Could be worse.

We got to the hotel, and our room wasn't ready yet, so we went to call Aunty M when we discovered our phones didn't work in Canada! Crud. So we asked for the room number for the B family and got three. Trying one, we got Aunty K who came downstairs to get us. We met up with Uncle S for breakfast and then they let us sleep in their room until ours was ready. They went in the bus to go pick people up at the airport and do a little sightseeing.

Eventually, we got a room, slept a while, and then showered and went out. The neighborhood seems slightly seedy, but generally safe. I see a lot of new businesses opening up, and a lot of new condos being built. It looks like it's in a rebuilding period. The new things are all very nice, and the old looks like it's being brushed away.

We tried to get a new sim card for our cell phone, but the guy at the store did a trial run and it didn't work. Our phone seems to have a block on it, so we are trying to get that removed. We also tried to follow one of Rachel Ray's recommendations and try a dim sum place about a mile away, but it appeared to be booked for a wedding. The bride was right at the door greeting people, so we backed out.

Eventually, we just grabbed a slice of pizza and made our way home. We're doing pretty good, ready to sleep some more, but ok. I seem to be coming down with a cold, but hopefully I can avert the worst of it.

Going to bed, planning on watching a movie on the computer.