Let me preface this blog with a disclaimer regarding my cortex being well marinated in a tasty little Italian Barolo (wine, not person).
So let's answer the question "how are you?" with an abbreviated itinerary from the last couple of days...
Wed, Nov 24th 1445h---leave for K-Town by car (not a bad drive, though nearly killed by several logging trucks whist refilling windshield washer fluid on shoulder of highway)
Thurs Nov 25th 0615h---wake up call drills my brain to get ready to catch 0830h flight, see heavy fog, hit snooze button. Wake up seven minutes later and spend the next six hours in my hotel drinking hot water through the coffee maker and refreshing the aircanada screen every 17 minutes while my flight continually gets pushed later. Then cancelled. Then a new one for 1300h.
1200h--while pushing 126lbs of luggage up the ramp outside, my cooler full of southern nibblies falls, spilts open, and my cans of tuna, baby spinach leaves, and soy milk hit the tarmack at high velocity. Nice.
1225h--Air Crapada Check In Hags hassle me for being late (for the flight that is again delayed over an hour), apparently air canada can be 5h late but you can't be 5 mins late. Go figure.
1235h--cans of salvaged tuna confiscated by airport security for being "a liquid". John labels me "the Tunabomber".
Friday Nov 25th 0005h Arrive Ottawa airport.
0130h Check in guy at Southways Inn notes bedragled traveller, puts me in room with a jacuzzi because "I need it". He is the first nice thing that has happened today (except for the two cans of tuna that I bought and consumed for dinner on the 4h flight from Calgary to Ottawa.
Friday Nov 25 0730h wake up call #2 blasts me out of slumber.
1030h--get on delayed flight to Iqaluit.
1400h--arrive in Rankin Inlet. Thats right. Rankin Inlet. "hurricaine winds" in Iqaluit cause us to make a diversion to Rankin. It is -49 degrees c and I learn for the first time what being in the frozen equivalent of hell must feel like.
1900h board plane to return to Ottawa as Iqaluit not improving.
2000h deplane as right engine starter not "starting".
2200h start to ration protein bar bites as it looks like Rankin Airport will be my home for the night. Call dibbs on 1ft by 6ft patch of carpet behind luggage carosel as mine. Note ratio of 100 travellers to 2 pay phones while waiting in line for the third time to make calls south.
2205h approached by fellow strandee "did you see the sandwich that lady was eating? it looked really good, I think there was salmon in it!" I point out she has clearly been in airports too long if that is what she is checking out.
2210h engine starts, we plane again. Ears freeze despite hat and mitts in 4 mins outside getting on plane.
0130h arrive Ottawa Airport...it's like deja vu all over again. Get dropped off at Shell terminal as could not go through security in Rankin, and therefore, not secure.
0230h bags arrive from other terminal
0300h open suitcase in hotel to discover my "greens plus" powder has exploded all over my clothing...hotel room now looks like spore experiment gone wrong
0730h wake up call #3 clangs me back to consciousness
0830h told by airport folks flight might be diverted due to storm, I seriously consider quitting my job.
1500h arrive in hotel room in Iqaluit.
and that....is how I got this far.
Only two days, one stop over, and 2 airports left before I get to Pond Inlet.
No comments:
Post a Comment