January 29:
Our ride to the airport picked us up promptly at 8:15 and we were soon at the West Jet checkin centre. I have traveled with many different airlines and I still find West Jet to have the friendliest staff.
Going through security was interesting as there was flight departing for Nunavet. There were many elderly Inuits, some in wheel chairs who were taking a flight back home. I had a great time chatting with them and doing some teasing that only the elderly can get away with. I got back from them as good or better than I gave.
I stripped my body of all metal parts and put my valuables and carry-ons on the plastic trays to be scanned. Then I walked through the scanner briskly and for a change I didn't set off any warning bells because I did not wear either my hearing aids or my knee brace. I went to retrieve my"stuff" off the belt only to be chided for not taking my laptop out my knapsack. They pulled it out and took it out of its case and then re-scanned the whole shootin' match.
At our departure gate I sat near the check-in counter as we would be among the first on the plane. Said "Hi!" to a few people who were also leaving Winnipeg this a.m. My brother-in-law who was on his way to Montreal chatted for a few minutes.
Then I almost panicked when I spotted an old friend whom I see maybe twice a year bearing down on me. I really like this guy but when he corners you, the conversation is one-sided and you have to literally tear yourself from his physical grasp. 2 years ago I bumped into him on the Malecon in PV and he cornered me for an hour. When I attempted to finally just leave, he grabbed onto my arm and kept talking at me. He is mostly interesting and can be quite funny. But he just doesn't know when to stop or to let go. I spent my 2 weeks in PV that time avoiding him, literally ducking behind bushes or slipping into shops or churches when I saw him.
So when this man bore down on me I didn't know where to hide. MY whole 3 weeks would be ruined if he was also going to PV. You can imagine my relief when he neared and I saw that it was only his Doppleganger!
Because when I had indicated that I was hard of hearing when they asked while I was buying our tickets to Puerto Vallarta, I was classified as Deaf, and we were to be seated in Row 4 so I could more readily follow the safety procedures when they were being reviewed.
Our flight to Calgary was uneventful. In Calgary we had a 3 hour layover. We had lunch in the food court and then we renewed acquaintance with an old friend and her 2 daughters who were taking her on her first trip to Puerto Vallarta to an all-inclusive resort.
Our flight to PV was interesting as the tv monitors only worked on the movie channel which had some lurid choices, to be generous.
As well the young man sitting beside me in his aisle seat appeared nervous. During the flight he shredded papers, tapped his feet, and constantlly crossed and uncrossed his legs. He ordered several bottles of wine through the course of the flight and whenever the plane hit some turbulence, he would grab the seat arms tightly and talk very nervously to himself. He gave a great sigh of relief when we were back on the ground safely.
As we disembarked outside, the heat and humidity were like a physical blow after leaving -16C in Winnipeg. After a walk of what seemed several kilometres through the terminal, we reached the baggage carousel where it took awhile to retrieve our luggage. Patti had a large suitcase and I had a carry-on type as for a change I was traveling light.
We breezed through customs by hitting the button and getting a green light. We ran the gauntlet of taxi and limo drivers who were offering us their services for between 15 and 20 American dollars. Outside the terminal we walked about 50 metres to the main street to a bus stop. In a few minutes a Centro bus arrived and we boarded after paying a fare of less than a dollar each. More money for Tecate and tacos!
The bus ride to our hotel, the Pescadore took about 15 minutes. The ride brought back many memories of when we had lived in Mexico. The riders were friendly, the bus was old, and the shocks should have been replaced 300 000 kilometres ago. It shook us so that our teeth rattled as we looked out the windows at today's Mexico and got acculturated again.
As Patti had spent 2 weeks at the Pescadore last year, it was like old home week for her. She saw and greeted many familiar staff who were happy to see her again. We checked in with the promise of an ocean side room next week as there was nothing available due to it being the weekend of the national Constitution Day clebration and this Mexican hotel was brimming with tourists and Mexican nationals.
We checked into our spacious room on the second floor. It overlooked the street across from the Rico Taco Mac Restauranti-Bar. The room had a TV, phone, AC, 3 beds - 2 double and one single, a nice bathroom with a wonderful shower, lots of room for all our stuff, and a table for our laptop. After unpacking and freshening up, we went to see Patti's sister and brother-in-law who were on the first floor overlooking the ocean. Outside their room, draped in a canvas cover, was their Harley-Davidson on which they had made the trip from Phoenix after having shipped their bike there in December and then flying there near the middle of January, and then "biking to PV.
They greeted us with some ice-cold Tecates and some rum and coke. We visited until midnight on their outside balcony, listening to the surf pounding the shore, and enjoying the warm Mexican night.
Our ride to the airport picked us up promptly at 8:15 and we were soon at the West Jet checkin centre. I have traveled with many different airlines and I still find West Jet to have the friendliest staff.
Going through security was interesting as there was flight departing for Nunavet. There were many elderly Inuits, some in wheel chairs who were taking a flight back home. I had a great time chatting with them and doing some teasing that only the elderly can get away with. I got back from them as good or better than I gave.
I stripped my body of all metal parts and put my valuables and carry-ons on the plastic trays to be scanned. Then I walked through the scanner briskly and for a change I didn't set off any warning bells because I did not wear either my hearing aids or my knee brace. I went to retrieve my"stuff" off the belt only to be chided for not taking my laptop out my knapsack. They pulled it out and took it out of its case and then re-scanned the whole shootin' match.
At our departure gate I sat near the check-in counter as we would be among the first on the plane. Said "Hi!" to a few people who were also leaving Winnipeg this a.m. My brother-in-law who was on his way to Montreal chatted for a few minutes.
Then I almost panicked when I spotted an old friend whom I see maybe twice a year bearing down on me. I really like this guy but when he corners you, the conversation is one-sided and you have to literally tear yourself from his physical grasp. 2 years ago I bumped into him on the Malecon in PV and he cornered me for an hour. When I attempted to finally just leave, he grabbed onto my arm and kept talking at me. He is mostly interesting and can be quite funny. But he just doesn't know when to stop or to let go. I spent my 2 weeks in PV that time avoiding him, literally ducking behind bushes or slipping into shops or churches when I saw him.
So when this man bore down on me I didn't know where to hide. MY whole 3 weeks would be ruined if he was also going to PV. You can imagine my relief when he neared and I saw that it was only his Doppleganger!
Because when I had indicated that I was hard of hearing when they asked while I was buying our tickets to Puerto Vallarta, I was classified as Deaf, and we were to be seated in Row 4 so I could more readily follow the safety procedures when they were being reviewed.
Our flight to Calgary was uneventful. In Calgary we had a 3 hour layover. We had lunch in the food court and then we renewed acquaintance with an old friend and her 2 daughters who were taking her on her first trip to Puerto Vallarta to an all-inclusive resort.
As we disembarked outside, the heat and humidity were like a physical blow after leaving -16C in Winnipeg. After a walk of what seemed several kilometres through the terminal, we reached the baggage carousel where it took awhile to retrieve our luggage. Patti had a large suitcase and I had a carry-on type as for a change I was traveling light.
We breezed through customs by hitting the button and getting a green light. We ran the gauntlet of taxi and limo drivers who were offering us their services for between 15 and 20 American dollars. Outside the terminal we walked about 50 metres to the main street to a bus stop. In a few minutes a Centro bus arrived and we boarded after paying a fare of less than a dollar each. More money for Tecate and tacos!
The bus ride to our hotel, the Pescadore took about 15 minutes. The ride brought back many memories of when we had lived in Mexico. The riders were friendly, the bus was old, and the shocks should have been replaced 300 000 kilometres ago. It shook us so that our teeth rattled as we looked out the windows at today's Mexico and got acculturated again.
As Patti had spent 2 weeks at the Pescadore last year, it was like old home week for her. She saw and greeted many familiar staff who were happy to see her again. We checked in with the promise of an ocean side room next week as there was nothing available due to it being the weekend of the national Constitution Day clebration and this Mexican hotel was brimming with tourists and Mexican nationals.
They greeted us with some ice-cold Tecates and some rum and coke. We visited until midnight on their outside balcony, listening to the surf pounding the shore, and enjoying the warm Mexican night.
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