Our Alaskan Adventure - Day One 24th May 2014

So... we are travelling to Vancouver on a 15hr flight and we don’t have seats beside each other!  How did that happen you might ask – but please don’t J  The best we could do was sitting in the same row with someone in between us – hopefully they will change seats – after all, who in their right mind would want to sit between Ray and I?

The morning started with the alarm at 3am.  Ray in a groggy state got up to go to the loo and as he rounded the corner of the bed stubbed his toe with an almighty thud!!!  Moaning he limped to the loo.  Me in my usual caring manner said “you will be walking up Deer Mountain, even if you toe is broken.”  Poor Ray J

Charlie Brown (our feline companion) had decided she wanted to stay on the bed and was most disgruntled when I shuffled her onto the floor...  “What’s going on?” Her eyes implored.

Thanks to Phil our very kindly driver, we made it with plenty of time to the airport. And he even managed to take our photo – in holiday mode but me not quite in the holiday spirit at that time.

We check in without any drama – it’s going smoothly, except for Ray’s throbbing big toe.  Downstairs to Customs we go and this is where things get really interesting...

I get beckoned into a tardis-like cocoon and get told to place my feet on the yellow painted feet on the floor.  Now you frequent travellers might know about this but alas, I did not!  Hands raised above my head, like about to be frisked.  The glass door swishes around me and I step out, exiting without incident. 

Ray on the other hand is patiently waiting for me and our personal items to be delivered out of the gaping mouth of the x-ray machine.  Then I realise one of the customs officers has his bag.  “There’s lots of things in here she says” “can you please take them out?”  One by one items are removed – it’s like Mary Poppins carpet bag.  A laptop, an iPad, walkie talkies (don’t ask), some other item I still don’t know what it is and the piece dé resistance, a pocket knife!!!  You heard me right!  I’m sure my eyes bulged in my head when I saw it.  The customs officer asks “are there any knives in this?” Well der!!!  She proceeded to pull each appliance from its hiding spot.  She tells us she must speak with her supervisor and returns with, “I’m sorry sir, you can’t take this with you”.  Ray says “Can’t I pick it up on my way back?” Another customs officer interjects and suggests we go back to Departures and post it to ourselves.  

It wouldn’t have mattered but as Ray exclaimed “it’s a Leatherman” - he’s had it for years... His forlorn look is etched into my brain.  After much discussion we are returned to the outside world, up to Departures where we thankfully find a very kind travel assistant who tells us to go to the place where they plastic wrap you travellers bags.  We buy a $5 striped bag, place the suspect item in it and the young fellow behind the counter tapes it up and we then check in our third piece of luggage.  Luckily we return to the same travel assistant, with it labelled, she checks it through and doesn’t charge us.

Take two... back through customs.  On tender hooks wondering what is going to happen.  Woo hoo we are through.  We bound (well actually we just walked) up the escalator and after much ado, we find the Gate we need to board at.  I ask about our seating and am told to ask the person sitting between us to swap.  We still had a bit of time to fill so sat checking FB and I chatted on the phone.  Then I hear Ray’s name called and off we go.  My seat has been changed – how good is that J

We arrive at our seats and there is Ryan... good looking young bloke (actually a little bit older than I assumed) who swapped seats with me.  I thank him and we introduce ourselves.  He’s in the Canadian Defence Force and has just been to Australia (Enoggera to be exact) on a military manoeuvre (not the right wording though), Ryan help me out please.  He’s easy to talk to so Ray is off the hook - he put his head down and read his book while Ryan and I shared stories and chatted on and off about all manner of things... Possible nightmare fellow passenger diverted J  Thanks Ryan – you made this tiresome trip a so much more bearable.