UPDATED: January 28, 2021
I’ve misfiled one of my 2008 trip reports and want to do a
bit more research before continuing the Scourge files. In the meantime here’s
part 1 of my Toronto adventures. It was just this year so nothing much to add
from what I sent friends and family (except that one of the cats has sadly
passed on), aside from minor tweaking (for those who don’t know me I live in Victoria):
First off I did in fact make it to Toronto but things didn't
go quite as planned.
I had only gotten a few hours seep when I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep due to a wind storm. A little before it was time to leave I decided to check the ferry schedule, the plan being to take a ferry to Vancouver and then fly to Toronto from there. The cancellations weren't yet confirmed so I pretty much had to chance it. I grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonald's (I know, I know) and then took the 72 bus to Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal... at which point a guy said that all ferries had been cancelled until 3 pm. I called the friend I was staying at to let him know I was scrambling to make backup plans and then took the same bus to McTavish Park & Ride and then hiked to the Victoria Airport. As it turns out there was a bus going to the airport around then but I got there soon after anyway.
I had only gotten a few hours seep when I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep due to a wind storm. A little before it was time to leave I decided to check the ferry schedule, the plan being to take a ferry to Vancouver and then fly to Toronto from there. The cancellations weren't yet confirmed so I pretty much had to chance it. I grabbed a quick breakfast at McDonald's (I know, I know) and then took the 72 bus to Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal... at which point a guy said that all ferries had been cancelled until 3 pm. I called the friend I was staying at to let him know I was scrambling to make backup plans and then took the same bus to McTavish Park & Ride and then hiked to the Victoria Airport. As it turns out there was a bus going to the airport around then but I got there soon after anyway.
[NOW: The friend's name is Aidan.]
I went to the Westjet terminal and explained my situation. As it turns out I was able to get a 9:15 flight from there to Edmonton and Edmonton to Toronto by paying a fee ($56 I think, maybe $58; regardless, much cheaper than rescheduling another time). She mentioned that this would skip Vancouver and I replied I wasn't worried about that. I still got a window seat, only instead of the last row on the left it was the first row on the left, which is actually better because you still avoid the wing and you have more leg room. While waiting for the flight after calling my friend, I heard and later saw a confused sparrow that had gotten inside the airport
At the Edmonton airport I got off brief and bought lunch at a Chinese food place. Westjet was good at offering some complimentary refreshments. The first part of the flight was pretty cloudy but the clouds most parted mid-way into Saskatchewan and when there were clouds they were the type that make for decent photos. At times especially when taking off or landing I'd set my camera to Sport mode so I could hold the button down and have it take photo after photo.
The sun was coming down as I arrived into Pearson airport and I got some nice sundown photos including peach fluffy clouds. Terminal 3 at the airport was perhaps not as welcoming as it could be. The baggage area resembled a dungeon and the bathrooms were of the one at a time variety. I took the 192 Rocket bus to Kipling Station and then took a subway train to my friends' place.
I went to the Westjet terminal and explained my situation. As it turns out I was able to get a 9:15 flight from there to Edmonton and Edmonton to Toronto by paying a fee ($56 I think, maybe $58; regardless, much cheaper than rescheduling another time). She mentioned that this would skip Vancouver and I replied I wasn't worried about that. I still got a window seat, only instead of the last row on the left it was the first row on the left, which is actually better because you still avoid the wing and you have more leg room. While waiting for the flight after calling my friend, I heard and later saw a confused sparrow that had gotten inside the airport
At the Edmonton airport I got off brief and bought lunch at a Chinese food place. Westjet was good at offering some complimentary refreshments. The first part of the flight was pretty cloudy but the clouds most parted mid-way into Saskatchewan and when there were clouds they were the type that make for decent photos. At times especially when taking off or landing I'd set my camera to Sport mode so I could hold the button down and have it take photo after photo.
The sun was coming down as I arrived into Pearson airport and I got some nice sundown photos including peach fluffy clouds. Terminal 3 at the airport was perhaps not as welcoming as it could be. The baggage area resembled a dungeon and the bathrooms were of the one at a time variety. I took the 192 Rocket bus to Kipling Station and then took a subway train to my friends' place.
[Pearson International Airport is in Mississauga. Kipling Station is in Toronto. All transportation starting from Pearson was Toronto Transit Commission. The 192 Rocket bus is now 900 Airport Express but otherwise it's the same bus.]
I wanted to treat my friends for letting me stay with then so we went to a pub with a great rooftop view overlooking the University of Toronto and, yes, drank outside in sub-zero weather. But I got some great photos. I brought my debit card only to the pub; they didn't take cash but luckily a bank machine was the right bank. On the way back to the subway back to their place we encountered a bunch of amazing ice sculptures so I took photos of them for posterity as they're not going to be around much longer. Then I returned back to their place, which has two cats.
I wanted to treat my friends for letting me stay with then so we went to a pub with a great rooftop view overlooking the University of Toronto and, yes, drank outside in sub-zero weather. But I got some great photos. I brought my debit card only to the pub; they didn't take cash but luckily a bank machine was the right bank. On the way back to the subway back to their place we encountered a bunch of amazing ice sculptures so I took photos of them for posterity as they're not going to be around much longer. Then I returned back to their place, which has two cats.
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