** ALASKA - 2002**
** Malvern to VANCOUVER**
This is the 22 March 2003 edition
of this page.
Now the TRAVELOGUE can begin:-
13th May 2002
Having been packing for 5 days now, I set the alarm for 5.55am ready for the 7.55am '412 Coach' ,
and my walk to catch it, starting from 7.10am.. My walk to Malvern Link was in the pouring rain with
the BIG 'wheelie' case and the travel-bag that I had got from INSIGHT some time ago on my MOROCCO
expedition! Other people were waiting for my coach (and the 'Worcester' buses!), and I was pleased
to meet the FRENCH guy (this time with his 'wife') that I had communicated with on a previous occasion.
Fortunately, the rain actually stopped before I reached the 'Link'.
It was a good coach-ride to HEATHROW, with stops at Worcester and Cheltenham ONLY. We arrived 'on-time'
exactly - and then I made my OWN way to TERMINAL 3 (with a trolley that I picked up from where the coach
stopped!) That coach journey had been about 120 miles.
I found the queue for AIR CANADA in Zone D and progressed, after getting a 'window seat' booking, to the Departure
Area. There I managed to easily find the toilet area and a Restaurant (in that order!) - getting some sausage, chips and
peas (for £3.75) for inner sustainance.
In due course, I was to board the MASSIVE Boeing 747-400, that being done in about six stages according to
the 'seat number' held (as per the ticket!) My seat, numbered 25A, meant that I was in the final batch!! Once on,
there were several delays:-
(a) because they couldn't close the door in time
(b) we had missed the take-off and taxiing slots
(c) we were assigned a NEW take-off slot ONE HOUR later
(d) we got some 'good news' 20 minutes later
(e) we joined the queue of taxiing aircraft - strolling out to the main runway ....
So we were still about an HOUR late on TAKE-OFF!!
We took a lot of runway to reach take-off speed, climbed a LONG way through dense clouds, did a
180 degree left-turn whilst in the cloud - and then several degrees of right-turn! We progressed up the centre of
England (I was sitting next to an IRISH couple) - and suffered from very WEAK (poor sound!) public-address
announcements -
except when the CAPTAIN was speaking!
At least HE indicated useful, and interesting, en-route information .. like going over England's NEWCASTLE,
Scotland, the Outer Hebrides, ICELAND and GREENLAND!
Over the North Shore of HUDSON BAY, I witnessed lots of ice, snow, sheets of pack-ice etc on the Bay.
On the approach to VANCOUVER, through some dense cloud, I had the feeling (an impression) that we might be in
for a 'BLIND' instrument landing. However, at low-level, we approached visually over a bay (turned out to be
the STRAIT OF GEORGIA!) - still with NO flaps (although the airbrakes had been ON for quite a while!).
We made a good landing, followed by a FAST taxi-phase to the Terminal, arriving at about 15.25hrs (local time) -
but 8 hours later in UK time, - as the watch had been put-back 8hours with the FIRST info that our Captain had
given us.
Having 'filled-in' their 'Customs Declaration Form' on the aircraft and had it checked, I went to 'baggage reclaim',
waiting a VERY LONG TIME ('cos we have a 747-400 very heavily loaded!!) especially NOW as every case (even mine!)
seems to look the same. In days past, it was easier because my OLD different-coloured case was DIFFERENT from everyone
else's - and visible 100 yds away at the end of the 'hall'.
Next was the CUSTOMS CHECK - so quick that I thought that I'd missed it!! I exitted from there and then looked
for the bus to the hotel (I have a voucher for this!). Complications arose when the AIRPORTER BUSES first
took me DOWNTOWN - and, after a 'change', the second (connecting) one took me to the EMPIRE LANDMARK
Hotel (which is Vancouver's Tallest!). These two buses transported me a total of 18 miles approximately.
Inside the hotel, for just ONE night, I found myself on the 25th Floor in room 2508!!
In the 18 miles of bus-journeys to here, I only recognised ONE place - namely the GRANVILLE BRIDGE
and roads from my previous visit. In the hotel, I overshot the 28th floor and went onto the 30th - as I couldn't
turn my case around in time to get out!! The girl, who wanted the 30th floor, just laughed and I came down
again! One has to be QUICK here!! Mind you, it's now 1 a.m (tomorrow) back home in MALVERN TIME but local-time
is 17.00 hrs today! No wonder I'm a bit tired and my REACTIONS are slow!! [I did have some sleep on the
flight over here - thank goodness!]
I wrote up some notes from this trip by 17.45hrs (1.45am, tomorrow, Malvern Time) and made myself two cups
of FILTER COFFEE (following the complicated instructions) to 'keep me going' hopefully - and 'wake me up a bit!
All from the comfort of my own room's writing desk
Tomorrow, I require to 'checkout' at 12noon and catch a bus soon after for the PIER! I clearly need some
OVERDUE sleep NOW - but it's only 17.55hrs today and it would FURTHER CONFUSE my 'body-clock'
even more!! I tried drawing my curtains to SIMULATE Malvern's approximate 2 a.m time!!
The room's switches (rotating) and taps (push-pull) were confusing me anyway! So at 18.05hrs, VANCOUVER time,
I tried to NOD OFF. (The room's digital clock shows the correct 'local time' - so I checked that the ALARM wasn't set!!)
At 7.50pm, I toiletted when I woke up, took my dentures out, cleaned them and did further thinking! Until now,
my half-sleeping state has mildly permitted me to make my own WEB extension and development plans.
In retrospect, it became DIFFICULT to simulate 'Malvern Time' being as this was a BIG city in its RUSH-HOUR,
with LIGHT streaming through and around the curtain-gaps!! However, at 10pm (local time) - at last it is
dark - but city NOISE is a problem! By 10.30pm, the noise seems to have decreased and,in the last couple
of hours, my thoughts have turned round to possible modifications to my SOLOISM modules (on and off the web).
By now, I hope my body-clock will be 'in sync' for tomorrow and onwards!!
Night, night!!!
To be continued in the NEXT chapter
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list of books/travelogues either finished or under preparation.