G'Day from Down Under!!!
Mark and I have arrived safely in Australia!!
We left Toronto on Thursday November 22nd. We left our house and it took over an hour to get to the airport when it usually takes about 15 minutes. The weather was horrible! We made it in to the termial and they were checking us in (a mere 20 minutes before the flight closed) and asked Mark about his Australian visa. They said he didn't have one. I had one but he didn't. It was odd because Mark did both of them together! They said another one would be $25 - we said go ahead. The counter lady said that we couldn't just do that because if there were two visas with the same name it would freeze both of the visas. CRAP - time was creeping by. She tried to re-enter the visa - but Mark's middle name was causing a problem as in one place was the initial and other was the name.
A supervisor was called to investigate. We were getting many dirty looks from the people in the line because we were holding it up and occupying the time of the ONLY check in lady.
Finally the supervisor comes back and says that we are good to go - we had to RUSH through American customs and immigration and make it to the gate. They were boarding. We get on the plane and everything seems good. Then they announce that we have to go for de-icing...we sat in line to be de-iced for THREE HOURS!!!! I was thinking by this point that we should just turn around and go home! They turned on the entertainment system and I watched 1 1/2 movies before we took off!!
We made it to LAX and only had 3 hours, instead of 6 hours, to blow there and it went by fairly quickly. We went through Auckland to Sydney.
We were picked up by friends and are currently at their place. We have had a shower and are refreshed and getting ready to go out!
From leaving our house to arriving in Sydney was 31 hours!! Can you say TIRED!
Currenlty it is 11:32 am Saturday morning - that makes is 7:32pm Friday night in Toronto.
I am wearing shorts and although it is raining a bit - it is WARM!!
