Friday 27th January ( continued)
Let's talk about what happened upon arriving back at The Century Plaza Hotel by the door to door Whistler Connector shuttle bus which was actually outsourced to LandSea Tours for some reason. I mentioned Whistler Connector's door to door shuttle service - it is not really as only certain properties and hotels are serviced door to door . If the property or hotel you are staying at in Vancouver or Whistler does not have a drive in area for the shuttle bus to park to pick up and drop off (even if it is on the list of door to door properties and hotels on their website), Whistler Connector will ask you to go to the closest property or hotel that does have one. On the way up to Whistler a young couple staying at The Residences ( Marriot not Sutton place) way down the road from The Century Plaza Hotel had to make their way to The Century Plaza Hotel with all their luggage to be picked up yet they paid the same fee as me for the door to door service. It took forever for me to check into The Century Plaza Hotel again . I was suppose to be picked up from The Cascade Lodge in Whistler at 9.45 am which means I should have arrived at the Century Plaza Hotel by 12.15 pm or so but because the door to door shuttle was outsourced to Landsea Tours the shuttle bus dropped every passenger off at every hotel which Whistler Connection would not have done. So it took forever to get to The Century Plaza Hotel and the stops were in no particular order even stopping at The Hyatt where there was no one getting off at! I said next time I will save some money and get the Skylyx back to The Hyatt and get a taxi back to The Century Plaza Hotel like I normally do ( maybe not will have to see what happens next trip with the door to door shuttle arrangements). One stop at the Wedgewood Hotel in downtown Vancouver was particularly dodgey. The street was one way traffic only and because Canadians drive on the opposite side of the road and the driver seat is on the left hand side - to open the passenger door and get out they had to stop and look until there was no traffic passing by and be quick at getting out of the shuttle bus door to the back of the shuttle bus to retrieve their luggage otherwise they would get run over by traffic driving past.
I was last if not second last to be dropped off at The Century Plaza Hotel and it was now past 12.30 pm. I had not had breakfast. I had expected my apartment to be ready and to have my bags bought straight up as I had already prepaid my stay and transferred my security deposit from my previous stay to this stay before leaving for Whistler. I was hungry and just wanted to get something to eat - but no my apartment wasn't ready and again it took me ages to check in. I was behind yet again. The other couple that was dropped off and also staying there checked in quicker then I did! ( Postscript : oh s*** catching up on this blog almost a week after returning to Sydney, I forgot upon checking out to get my security deposit back! I didn't get my credit card out, I just returned my room keycard and asked for a taxi as I was running late checking out and getting to the airport due to the dryer issue and shattered bathroom light as well as the malfunctioning tv problem earlier today bc I was be behind again in what I had to do today).
Front desk rang housekeeping and my suite wasn't ready yet. Housekeeping needed to do a final check so I told the doorman that I needed to get something to eat as I haven't had breakfast yet. I leave my luggage and tell front desk that I will be back - again I am behind.
I walk to Burrard Station and take the skytrain to Stadium Chinatown to T & T to get some peking duck rice vegetables a loaf of Chinese whole wheat bread and a few other things. I also stop off at IGA on Burrard to get some drinking yoghart cucumber limes bananas cherry juice and some sambucol gummies for my cold & flu sparking water shallots and coriander. Along with these grocery items and my leftover groceries I did not quite finish in Whistler, it was enough to last me for the 3 days I had left in Vancouver. By the time arrive back at The Century Plaza Hotel I was able to check in and my luggage had been taken up to my suite on the 29th floor - suite # 2904 which was very different to my original stay on the 14th floor in suite # 1402. It was already really late. I was planning to get to Grouse Mt tonight but it will now have to wait until tomorrow night as I was behind again in my day's plans and sick. I could not even watch tv as it failed to switch on and was only intermittant. I only managed to watch 2 episodes of Chopped before the tv switched off and would not work afterwards.
I eat part of what I purchased from T & T and save the rest for the next 2 days. I planned to make myself some sandwiches with the cucumber shallots and duck. The cherry juice and mineral water lasted me the 3 days and the 2 bottles of drinking yoghart were for breakfast along with the oranges bananas and I made myself some hot lime and leftover maple syrup hot beverages to soothe my cough. The leftover soya sauce sesame oil vegetable stock cube duck carcass rice oats shallot and coriander I made a congee for breakfast in the morning with. I did not waste much just a small amount of leftover all purpose flour baking soda a few shallots and a small amount of soya sauce and sesame oil was all I disposed of . I also disposed of a very small amount of aveeno bath oil and QV oil both of which I probably won't use back home as I don't have a bath.
I packed as much as I could and went to bed early as I still had this hacking cough which became wet and phlegmy. It was awful and my nose was so runny and congested. I was blowing it so much it was bleeding. I felt really sick. I thought I was getting better but I was actually getting worse. I did debate whether I should see a doctor but I didn't have a fever headache or sore throat and it was too close to me going home. I have had this cold flu before with exactly the same symptoms and last time I had it I did go to the doctors which was expensive last time even with travel insurance and ended up being prescribed antibiotics which made me worse so this time I am going to let it run it's course with off the counter sambucol. The wait time would be bad enough but it will probably cost me an arm and a leg upfront this time round if I went to see the doctor even with travel insurance.
If I do get really sick St Paul's Hospital is almost next door.
Saturday 28th January 2023
Breaking news today
Novak Djokovic wins the Australian Open - of course I didn't find this out until later because I couldn't watch the Australian Open on tv when I got back to Vancouver because the tv was broken for 2 days in the apartment I was staying in at the Century Plaza Hotel! Great I get put into a beautiful apartment on the 29th floor with a spectacular view but the tv doesn't work , the shower is cold and the exhaust fan does not work bathroom because there is a burnt out shattered glass light bulb that had not been fixed ( another hazard) The toilet at least flushed so I could actually use it. What was I suppose to do take the lift down to the 5th floor guest amenities laundry to watch tv and use the toilet each time ? The housekeeper turned the heating and cooling system off for me because there was a constant loud and annoying running water sound 24/7.
Today I went to Steveston Fishing Village which if you live near Richmond or Vancouver Airport is not very far away but from Downtown it is a walk to Vancouver City Centre Station or Yaletown Station or Waterfront Station on the Canada Line to Richmond then a transfer onto another bus to Steveston Village or close to it then a walk down and around the village.
I still had a bit of shopping to do but I knew that I would not have time to travel to Broadway City Hall and find the relocated MEC store ( a lot of the shops and food establishments along the Broadway City Hall corridor have been forced to close or relocate due to the construction of new the skytrain line - even crossing the road is a real nuance, similar to when the new Canada line was being constructed along Cambie) to get some acqua shoes and sunglasses particularly if I was determined to make it tonight to Grouse Mt for a skate and see The Light Walk when it turns dark .
I only managed a quick shop at Shoppers Drugmart at Richmond Centre and a toilet stop.
I had a lunch which was a salmon burger from a cute hoke in the wall burgery in Steveston Village on the wharf. It only cost me CAN$9.95 and was the best salmon burger. No fries or other additional bits are usually included and is what you get charged for - just a bun with a lightly battered seasoned piece of salmon tartare sauce lettuce and tomato with onion and option if you wanted it and yes I did for without it the burger would not have been as good. Most people order a normal burger from that burgery but there was one item that was not on the menu but was served and that was poutine . Tempted but I didn't order it as it wasn't cheap per serve I think it was CAN$10.
For a snack and to bring back to Australia with me or as a snack for the plane ( in case my special meal request was dropped off again), I purchased my favourite salmon jerky and salmon pate in a tin. I tried one of the salmon jerky before my walk around Gary Point Park.
There is so much to see and do around Steveston Fishing Village which has become a suburb full of my new apartment complexes. They now have a second supermarket - a huge Save On Foods (I think it is) which is brand spanking modern.
I didn't have time to walk down the boardwalk towards the Britannia Shipyards National Historic Site or visit the Georgia Strait Cannery this year. Nor did I have time to go inside the new Save On Food Supermarket or the shed where the old restored tram is kept ( I arrived to find that the shed had just closed for the day - I have been trying to see this restored tram for years but it seems to be always closed when I visit Steveston Village) . I didn't have time to go shopping at all the quaint shops in Steveston Village or go into the Storybrook Bakery ( not that I want to go inside as there is a creepy man who bakes the expensive sourdough loaves inside. He usually keeps all the doors and windows shut except for a serving window but today the bakery was opened up but no one was visiting it. Everyone knows how expensive these loaves of bread are - I eavesdropped and 2 ladies as they were walking past were mentioning how the bread from this bakery is expensive apparently due to the specially imported flour used to make them.
I did have a chance after walking the entire Gary Point Park ( taking a short cut back across the park ) to walk down to the commercial fishing boats selling mainly fresh prawns fish and this year these large fresh beautiful crimson sea urchins straight from the boat all docked along the side of the Steveston Village Fisherman's Wharf.
I was very disappointed that there was not a single species of wildlife around Steveston Village. In the past there are always huge black or white swans seals sealions or just seagulls the size of chickens. This year nothing not just nothing at Steveston Village but nothing in Whistler or Vancouver except for 2 chipmunks and a few Canadian geese. It was the most perfect sunny day to be in Steveston Fishing Village today though. Every man and their dog was there!
Sunday 29th January 2023
Very last day in Canada!
Today is my last day in Canada. The morning is spent continuing my packing and doing my last load of laundry before seeing a movie and running around to do last minute shopping to replace broken equipment and items as well as get extra snacks for the long haul flight home.
When I go down to the 5th floor from the 29th floor to where the guest amenities are, there is someone watching TV and waiting for his laundry to dry. I had just gone down to front desk to change my CAN$20 note into CAN$5 and CAN$10 notes as I didn't want to put my entire CAN$20 into the change machine for CAN$1 coins and CAN0.25 coins. When I try to put my CAN$5 note into the change machine it did not want to accept it and the red light was not flashing or on to indicate it was out of service so I asked the person doing his laundry who advised me that the change machine was not working AND that the industrial dryer was not working again. same problem as last time coin stuck and won't operate at all with the same 50 appearing on the LED screen. I take the lift down to the lobby again and tell the staff at front desk who can't do anything about the dryer as it is contracted out and they give me change of all CAN$1 which I had to tell them that I also need quarters for the washer and dryer not just loonies. Stupid front desk what is wrong with all the staff there? The only staff that seen to do their jobs well is housekeeping!
Back up to the 5th floor I place my clothes in the larger washing machine on the super wash cycle which cost CAN$2.25 - there is so much water in there but it does need a heavy duty wash after all my adventures outside! I go back up to my serviced apartment on the 29th floor ( I later find out the penthouse which I keep asking about on the 30th floor had already been booked for the dates I was staying - maybe next time - no there will not be a next time I am only staying here because the normal property I usually stay at and the suites across the road are both under renovations until Spring) and continue to pack and do a few other last minute things. The wash cycle is about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes the same person is still drying his clothes! I guess with his clothes in the small dryer and the large dryer out of action, he could be there for a while and I will just have to wait - putting me behind again!!!! So I put my clothes through a second cold wash cycle this time costing CAN$2 cash in the same washing machine as I am unsure if the Tide liquid capsules dissolved and the soapy residue was not left behind. Another 30 minutes and the previous person drying his clothes should have finished so I go away again and come back. I asked if anyone has come to look at the larger dryer - nope! There is nothing I can do except wait. The other person and I try to explain the problem to the housekeeping boy who could not really do anything as the maintenance manager is the person with the key. He calls for assistance and he returns with his work colleague, somehow they manage to get the larger dryer working again - I think by slamming the door shut it may have dislodged the coin stuck inside the coin slots enabling the other person drying his clothes to put money in to test it out. I was going to pay him back for the coins he put in so I could use up the credit on the larger dryer but I said to him just take out all your semi dried clothes out of the smaller dryer and put them all into the larger dryer and they will completely dry in a 10 minutes or so. So he did ensuring he didn't leave anything behind. He only put them in for 5 minutes or so before he opened the dryer door taking out all his clothes and folding them neatly as he did. After he left I put my load of clothes into the larger dryer and used the remainder of the credit left on the larger dryer which was almost enough to dry my clothes completely but it did need another 10 minutes or so more to completely dry so I put the minimum amount of CAN$0.50 into the dryer. Laundry finally to done by after lunch.
I purchased a ticket across the road at The Scotia Theater for the 4 pm session to see Megan. I was still having trouble purchasing a movie ticket using the automated machines after receiving my e voucher manually by ringing up scene card. They insist there is nothing wrong with my card. I think there is as I don't seem to be accumulating points or able to redeem them. I had just enough time to purchase my ticket upstairs manually and purchase a small popcorn no extra butter ( which was being pushed as an add on sale) and a small drink called AHA which was lime snd watermelon naturally flavoured no sugar sparkling mineral water. It was gross by the way but it could have been because I was still sick. So Cinema 1 I find my sear and there is hardly anyone there the movie is a NZ production. What did I think ? I didn't love it but I didn't hate it either. Great child acting. I was not scared. I thought it was meant to be a thriller. The AI doll really reminds me of Chucky but did not scare me at all. Rating for the movie Megan ( nothing to do with the Duchess of Sussex) 7/10. Why have I not heard of this movie promoted back home in Australia? Straight to streaming or video?
I didn't have time to do the last minute shopping I needed to do but managed to replace the sunglasses that broke for an bc equivalently priced polarized one from Shoppers Drugmart as well as purchase a few other mini toiletries to replace ones that I had used up. I forgot quite a few medications I had to replace but can do without them. I needed a new fold up toothbrush but there weren"t any only a mini electric one but did not want to spend so much on one so settled for a streamlined one I found which fit into my toiletry bag.
I returned back to the hotel packing and packing. Why is my main suitcaseso heavy I didn't purchase any new clothes. I did not check in online as advised by my travel agent and packed as much leftover food I could as well as fill up my thermos with hot water. I can't bring this with me through security but st least I can have a hit cup of tea at the airport after checking in and before going through security.
I was running late again so took all my bags one at a time down to the lobby all the way from the 39th floor, a final check that I didn't leave anything behind and returned my room keycard and asked the front desk to call me a taxi to the airport. I arrived at the airport about 2.5 hours early, I like to arrive 3 hours early but when I arrived found that the flight had bern delayed 2 hours . ( I forgot to check my emails for the flight delsy notification). When I checked in my main suitcase was very overweight. It weighted 28 kg or so the limit is 23kg . How am I going to lose 5 mg? I had to move a lot of clothes and toiletries to my ski bag but had so much trouble closing it up. I also had to disposeof my large tub of QV intensive moisturiser which I think I am allergic to anyway and also ditched my very old hotwater bottle which looked as if it was mouldy but kept my moody cover. I can always purchase a new hotwater bottle when I get home ( which I did). Finally all balanced out I put my raged suitcase on the bag drop belt and my ski bag to the oversized counter and belt. At least this drama was over but let me now back track to checking in .
OK so as soon as I arrived at Vancouver International Aurport I found the check in counter and checked the gate number which had a flight delayed until 12.40 am next to it on the departure indicator boards. Oh great but not so great as well. I go to a self check in kiosk and asked an Air Canada attendant to assist me with check in as the self check in never works for me. So I tell them about the troubles I had on my way over to Vancouver - lost special meal request no seat allocationand having to psyfor my extra ski bag when I self checked in and how my travel agent from Flight Centre advised me not to check in online. I asked if there was any chance of upgrading to Premium Economy ss well as cost and yep there were still seats available . I also asked if there was any chance of upgrading to Business class - unfortunately not the very last seat had just been sold so I took what upgrade I could take and within a few minutes and a little over CAN$800 I was upgraded to a premium economy seat. I did not care if it was a middleor asile seat just get me out of economy as I am feeling sick and don't want to be squished up in a middle seat in economy which had not even been allocated by the Flight Centre travel agent I found out until I reached the airport. The premium economy seat ended up even being an aisle seat and I was even asked if I wanted to change it to a window seat - absolutely not I said I wanted an aisle seat. This now solved my extra ski bag - it was now free as 2 pieces of 23kg checked in luggage is included with premium economy seats. They even put priority tags on each piece of my checked in luggage and an Express security stickeron my boarding pass ( not that I needed it now - read on to see why) But what about my special meal request - I was assured both by my Flight Centre travel by email and when I rang Air Canada that it had been confirmed. I assume this was the end of the missing special meal ( non lactose ) problem as it was also on my aeroplan profile. So I thought. It was now at least another 4 - 5 hours before boarding so I sat down and tried to reorganize my carryon bags a bit more and wanted to get a snack or 2 and some souvenirs. Nothing much was open as it was now close to 9 pm. Even Tim Hortons was closed by now as they usually cl oui and by 8 pm ( so much for putting all my leftover spare change onto my Tim card earlier today so I could grab some cashless snacks before boardingthe plane tonight).
I went straight through to the security gatethinking it would take long as I had an Express sticker on my birding pass and that there would be plentyof snack and shops open post security. How wrong I was with both! It took me so long to get through security I had to take out EVERYTHING! and security officers are rude and don't put stuff back into bags for you. I had to also quickly slipmy hot water and empty the rest of the water in my thermo before passing security. Once I passed through security amd replaced everything I went to the gate which is usually really far away. Gate 51 was not too far but there was nothing open around that gate and I needed some bottles of water . All there was were vending machines full of sugarysoft drinks and dasana water - I asked someone from a concession that was o po enwho also only sold dasanawater where I could get bottledwater other then the shit in the vending machines, I would have to go to a concession store and this was locatednear the other gatepost security. So off I go bv ackin the opposite direction nit only looking for bottles of water but food. I managed to find a large bottle of Smart water and also purchased 2 rather expensive boxes of ice wine dark chocolates on 'special'if you purchased 2 . I went to 2 food outlets. I was only looking at the menu for one and a server comes up to me and advises the kitchen has already closed for the night. I went to the second food outlet snd thought it was still open as I wanted some bannock and salmon on lo y to be advised by a lady behind the counter counting her toll that they were also closed for the night. I really did not want to queue up for the only 2 food outlets open a n A & W and a Subway . Oh how I hate the plastic smell if Subway so A & W it was. Starbuckwas also closed for the night. I could grab a cold Turkey sandwich from the news outlet and a juice but no I wanted a hot snack so from A & W I ordered a baconand egg muffin with tomato and lettuce and a minute maid reconstituted juice - no juice they were entirely out for the night. They had plenty of soft drinks still - no thanks. The muffin will do. I didn't want to get a reconstituted Simply Orange juice from a news outlet as that brand had a recall very recently due to listeria and everyone knows about never to buy Dasani water as it is contaminated with chemicals - people know how awfulit tastes.
I make my way back to Gate 51 and wait. I eat my muffin which wasn't that good and have some of my snacks I had packed in my carry on.
When people started lining up to board in their Zones 1 - 5 , I stand there in the Zone 2 queue. I don't think I have ever been in a queue that wasn't in Zone 4.
13 H a nice comfy asile Premium Economy Seat. Plenty of room to place my smaller then standard sized wheelie carryon bag in the overhead locker above but hardly any room to tuck my small laptop back pack convertable handbag underneath the seat in front of me. I know how strict flight attendants are about placing all smaller carry on completely under the seat in front of you but they didn't really care in premium economy. A bottle of water waits on the small shared armrest table and in the sest pocket is a little black Air Canada pouch containing tooth brush tooth paste eyemask socks and earplugs. Earphones are also available.There is a menu card in the seat pocket as well which I have a look at but didn't think I would need. How wrong I was. When the flight attendants came around to take our meal orders, you can guess what happens next. ... ..
I advised the flight attendant that I had a special meal request and she could not find it on the premium or the premium economy list and she asked if I had given enough notice and I advised her yes with a confirmation from both my travel agent from Flight Centre in an email and by Air Canada on the phone. She then went asked if I changed seats and I said no but I originally was in economy and upgraded at the airport to premium economy so she said it is probably at the back and will look on the master list of special meal requests. Nope I was definitely not on there. Oh dear am I going to have to suffer again all the way home? Luckily I packed enough food to keep me going for the 15 hour flight home in case I can't eat any of the normal meals. I had my tin of salmon plate my Chinese whole wheat bread although only 2 slices or so , a banana, chocolate chips crackers cheese water nuts chips and a few other odds and ends.
On the plane ( flight was suppose to depart at 11 pm but did not depart until past 12.40 am.
Monday 30th January 2023
On the plane. The guy sitting next to me watched a load of downloaded movies and slept. He was part of a group of I think he mentioned 18 family and friends and while he sat in premium economy most of his family and friends were in economy. When I mentioned how I upgraded to premium economy from economy at the airport and just missed out on an upgrade for the very last business class seat, he said that was probably his friend who managed to snare the upgrade from a premium economy for a bargain price. I said so if I see him when I pass business class I should give him the evil eye look should I?
Back to my special meat request. I told the flight attendant how on the way to Vancouver my special meal request had been left off and how it has happened quite a few times in the past on the second leg of the flight. It is on my Aeroplan profileso I don't understandwhy it keeps happening. So on my flight coming over to Vancouver I just had the least lactose content meal in Economy offered. I decided to do the same in Premium Economy until the flight attendant said to leave it with her to see if there were any spare meals. She found me one gluten free meal which was a chicken and mushroom with gravy for dinner. Then for a snack and breakfast she found me 2 vegan meals which apparently a passenger swapedfor a normal meal. Non lactose does not mean vegan or gluten free but what could I do.
Anyway when I looked over at what the guy sitting next to me had chosen for his dinner and breakfast from the normal meal choice menu - he was unimpressed and so was I, the normal meal choices in Economy class were better then the normal meal choices in Premium Economy! So when I received my special gluten free meal - it was unrecognisable- I had to check what it was again with the flight attendant before eating it as it did not look like chicken but meat and I don't eat beef or pork . It was chicken so I ate it because I was hungry but it was not very nice.
The snack is usually a chicken sandwich and a biscuit but the guy next to me was asleep so they left his chicken sandwich and biscuit on the arrest table for him. I wanted to steal it as my vegan sandwich was ok but not the most appetizing. Then there was breakfast - it was an ok vegan breakfast but again the normal savoury breakfast choice was not that appetizing. I asked the guy next to me have the meal sizes shrunk just like everything else? Yep both agreed - cost cutting. I did like however the refreshing hot hand towel they gave out after we boarded. I really needed that given all the dirty germs food bits etc.
Then there was the toilet situation. The guy next to me kept secondingto business class to use their toilets and kept getting kicked out . He was told to use the premium economy ones but it was impossible to access them due to blockages in the wider seat rows so there was a constant queue of passengers in both premium economy and economy for one single toilet. I got fed up as there was no queue on the opposite side to use either of 2 toilets it was just a matter of finding out how to cross over and get to them. I queued up for a while then gave up walked all the way to the back of the plane in the turbulance and crossed over the back of the gallery and down the asile to use one of the other toilets opposite then I had to do the same walk back to my seat till in turbulance. When you have to go you have to go.
Did I get any sleep in premium economy a little as it was a lot more comfy.
Finally landed back in Sydney I only managed to watch parts of movies during the rather long haul flight. I could not be bothered with earphones.
Considering what I paid for my flight I was totally ripped off by flight centre. Not using them again.
Only after I landed back in Sydney did it occurred to me why my special meal requests went missing and it had nothing to do with giving enough notice ie 48 hours minimum. . The travel agent never allocated seats on my flights for me in both directions when she said she would. She only left a note for seat allocations and special meal requests - it would not be possible to process a meal special meal request without seat numbers being allocated to passengers - how would flight attendants know how to find a passenger on a flight to match up with a special meal request if they don't and won't have a seat allocation on flights? Never use Flight Centre. I always used STA in the past but can no longer do so as they went into admo administration during COVID unfortunately. They had the better travel insurance and cheaper flights. Their travel insurance not only covered snow sports but insolvency as well which the travel insurance from flight centre diesnot cover.
Tuesday 31st January 2023
On the plane which finally landed after an over 2 hour delay and over 10 minute wait to be sprayed by before passengers could disembark the plane making it close to noon today.
At Sydney International Airport (for ages)
In a 2Airport private shuttle ( took forever to locate and the drive home went the scenic route.) Because it was a private transfer ( which I was unaware of , rideshare was located across the road to a side carpark for all rideshare vehicles. I normally take the ASN shuttle bus that looks for you outside of McDonalds but this year because they did not operate on the 1st January I had to find alternative and much more expensive return airport transfers. Use ASN whenever possible it is so much cheaper about half the price return.
Finally arriving home by around 3 pm this afternoon.
So much to do!!!! I just deal with everything one thing at a time.
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