Airports

You all know what they look like. No need for photos. No need for explanation.

"Yesterday" is sort of a fluid concept. We started with a bus ride to a museum in Auckland called MOTAT. Really cool. It involved a tram ride. Later a taxi ride to the airport. Rush hour. Security check was fast, with most of the people involved smiling. The departure lounge is nice.

Business class on Air New Zealand is really nice! It was a bit of a bumpy ride so I didn't sleep as well as I'd have liked, but being able to lie flat on a soft surface is pretty good.

Customs in Vancouver was a breeze. Fast, though the photos they take as they check your passport are dreadful.

Then it went kind of pear shaped. Waiting for luggage. That happened last time in Vancouver as well. Then a gong show of a herd of people following the signs to the slowest security checkpoint ever in the history of mankind. Holy doodle. One guy was shouting there was a shorter line downstairs, just go there and ignore the signs that say don't. Several people in line were having a melt down because they were afraid, with good reason, they were going to miss their flight, mainly because they were doing final call. One lady apparently had never done this before, and security was barking at her. At first I was all WTF lets get with the program, then I felt sorry for her. Eventually we got through.

Then the most crushing disappointment. Air Canada. How we hate thee. Their "swanky lounge" was horrible. We were expecting the really nice lounge, but that's in the international terminal. This was domestic, where they knew they had you. When a tired broccoli salad is the only food I'd eat, you know it's bad.

We waited. Endured. At least the flight attendant on the plane was cheerful. He was the most cheerful Air Canada person I've seen in my entire life, and I've flown them a lot, mainly long ago. He was the one exception to the Air Canada motto, "we're not happy till you're not happy."

Anyways, we're back. The cats gave us the cold shoulder, but are coming around. There are more photos coming. Stay tuned.