Bike in a box
Under different circumstances, I’d never even think of flying at a busy time like this, and previously have only bitten the bullet once before when I jumped on a bird for the Christmas day departure out of Fort Mac. That was enough for me.
But here I am, on my way home in the midst of a pandemic with travel advisories coming at us like a flock of bats.
Booked up two weeks prior, the prices hadn’t yet gotten out of hand and remained reasonable at $800 Canadian bucks for the one way ticket, with $75 insurance running a grand total of $875. A last minute flight for the next day was a little heavier at $6500, from Pedang, on the Southern coast of Indonesia.
How busy were the airports going to be?
Anticipating the traffic soon to be encountered, flying with the carry on only was starting to feel like an easier option, with five different departures, four arrivals, and four different carriers.
The first leg of this trip started in a smaller airport, but that didn’t mean there was less traffic than the larger ones, with the worlds travellers alike, going back to their countries of residence, even this little surfing village had some dust to kick up.
Jakarta had nearly everything closed up completely that evening as we landed, and with most of the decent sleeping spots spoken for, it seemed for the best, that I get a cab and head to a hotel.
This would be the second time that a cab driver tried a scam, taking me to the wrong hotel firstly and forgetting his English when it was time to collect at the second. I stood my ground for nearly an hour and eventually was home sweet home to stay up all night, for boarding at 4am.
Tokyo, Japan. The main hub for Western flights now, and was only slightly busier than that of the earlier two from Indo, had most of their shops and restaurants were open with sitting in still an option. Christine and I managed to find some Sapporo with a few hours lay over.
No such Covid testing here either, as nobody connecting dared to exit and try navigating the mess of incoming passenger traffic and regulative measures taken to breach the airports defenses.
Touching down in Vancouver set the record straight for the situation that we’re in, from cancelled flights, grounded aircrafts, and empty seats.
Ghost tow
However, I’ve never had such an easy experience. Only one full plane, otherwise I had the row to myself, five hours sleep from Tokyo and another six on a bench in Vancouver, I was more than ready to eat at Wendy’s a fourth time. That’s all that was open but I would’ve eaten there all day anyways.
Getting bored and knowing someone else might want to sleep on the 7′ of bench I barricaded, I started my 10 km back and forth explorative tour of this airport, where I managed to find a Subway, which gave me a bit of culture shock.
Calgary and Brandon were much the same, with a record of four passengers arriving in Brandon. Walking out on the tarmac, I was the only one wearing shorts and sandals, and at 50 hours in transit, had been relieved to find some cool air and a bug free environment at long last.
Safe and sound, home once again. Of course, this will not be the end.
Though this has been a side-step, it is not a set back. The song remains the same and will be back after these messages.
“Every strike brings me closer to my next home run” -Babe Ruth