Oh (Air) Canada!

Air Canada put forward a quite small airplane to hop us from Victoria to Vancouver. It was a Canadian homegrown deHavilland, a domestic company that has existed since 1928. But at least it was not a Beaver, another Canadian classic, but infinitely smaller.


The deHavilland

At Vancouver, the transfer to the gate worked smoothly. We did have infinite time because Air Canada had played with our flights, and we needed to spend the night in the airport.  

The Vancouver airport always puzzles me, in their use of indigenous art all over. An airport is a place where visitors pour in, and visitors have not necessarily been beneficial to the indigenous people, and in modern times not really much welcomed by them. So the art is not a welcome from the indigenous people. Is it then an appropriation of their skill and culture to decorate the place? Maybe. Or maybe it is an honest recognition that this is their land, and an effort to afford them a little recognition. Whatever the right interpretation is, I found that this time around I enjoyed seeing the pieces. We must have been in different parts of the building from other times, because they were new to me.


Large panels in a canoe configuration.




Skyhopping Killer Whale



One of many disks hanging from the ceiling.


We found some benches where we could stretch out, so that was very good. We had also brought bagels with eggs, and muffins from home. That was a good move, because sandwiches were priced around $12. But what about coffee? Typically $6. All the shops but Starbuck's were closed, and I was a bit surprised by what they did turn out for the $6. This was Dodie's Moka Frappuccino, and by European standards, it was mega huge:


Huge

I chose the standard Moka for her, because I had been sent out alone on the errand, but I bet Dodie would have also liked the Christmas selections:



The next leg for us was to Toronto, and I was a bit surprised to find the aircraft a somewhat antique Airbus. It did have seatback entertainment, but with small, balky, and washed out screens. It's so annoying to be punching screen buttons and getting no response.

Air Canada was also offering no food, except for what they were trying to sell, at inflated prices. By inflated, I mean look at this:

Not exactly a German breakfast!


At Toronto, assistance in getting to the new gate - which was way off in a separate international section, broke down. The agent near where we deplaned had to call three times for the assistance to arrive, in the form of a golf cart. She told us that Air Canada used to drive their own carts, but that now a central department of the airport was handling them. The cart dropped us off in a holding area, something we recognized ruefully from experiences in Paris. We expected to be left there indefinitely. But there were stacks of unused wheelchairs piled up, so we grabbed one, and I took off with Dodie in it, at high speed. This time, unlike at Paris, no supervisor from Assistance chased us down the corridor.

On the way, we also passed unused golf carts, but of course I was not about to hijack a vehicle. Dodie also pointed out that they were charging.



The plane that Air Canada had for the flight to Costa Rica put their Canadian domestic one to shame. It was a huge new model Airbus, with large seatback screens, housing an extensive entertainment library. 

This was more like it.




But again, no food. We broke down and split this, for about $12.



The flight in that Airbus was nice, and it did feature one bit of excitement. I was watching a late model "Twister" type movie, and the funnel was just grabbing the SUV housing the stars of the movie, and getting ready to suck them into the sky. At exactly this moment, our plane hit an air pocket and we were both lifted off our seats. Now that is putting a lot into getting the entertainment system right!

We have so far only seen the San Jose airport and the 5 km stretch to our slightly rickety hotel nearby. The impression is not what I expected at all. The airport is in all respects like Cancun - large and glitzy. And the surrounding roads and traffic are actually larger and more intimidating than at Cancun. We saw NO WAY we could assemble bikes and pedal out of there, unless (as at Cancun) a cycling program could find something of a back way. But it really did not look like it!

Slightly starving now at midnight, by running on 1/2 sandwich only since breakfast, I am looking forward to the included breakfast here at the hotel, which is called La Guaria. Breakfast starts at 6, and we'll see how hunger makes out in competition with exhaustion for what hour we will actually show up there. I am really curious to see what will be on offer!



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