Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Eastern Canada Trip 2013 Day 15 Thursday September 26 Toronto to Victoria

UPDATED: February 10, 2021

This is the 15th and final of a series of posts dealing with my third trip to Eastern Canada. I’ve made minor corrections to these reports. Also, I’ve added additional thoughts with the hindsight of a year later or to add further clarification.  These are indicated by “NOW”.

No word yet from H-I Jail about the journal.  All transportation today before the airport Toronto Transit.

[NOW: The above Ottawa hostel was unable to locate the missing journal.]

Slept more or less okay at the hostel; woke up for a bit but managed to get back to sleep. Walked to Yonge-Dundas Square by way of Queen St, then walked to Union construction site, er, Station and bought a daypass. I had to pay cash; there was an Inter-ac machine but the dealer said it was only for monthly passes. I returned to the hostel via Canada's Walk of Fame, which I took more photos of, then had breakfast and checked out, storing my bags in the basement storage area.

[NOW: The hostel, Global Village Backpackers is now closed.]

I walked then took a streetcar to St. Andrew Station where I got on the Yonge-University-Spadina subway line. It was delayed at Bloor due to some sort of emergency in the next station.  I got off at Sheppard-Yonge station, having decided to continue my walk along Yonge from the previous week. I walked north to the point where Toronto becomes Vaughan (and Markham across the street). I got a pop at Galeria (a Korean grocery store), walked a little further north, then crossed the street and headed south on Markham then Toronto until I was back at Sheppard-Yonge. I took the Yonge-University-Spadina line to Bloor station and then transferred to Yonge Station, Bloor-Danforth line and went west to Bathurst Station.

[NOW: All Toronto area transportation this day Toronto Transit Commission. The Yonge-University-Spadina Line is now officially the 1 Line, the Bloor-Danforth Line the 2 Line.]

I ordered a medium pizza at Pizza Pizza again and crossed the street to Honest Ed's, still one of the most fun places to shop.  I also visited Suspect Video before taking more Honest Ed's exterior photos in case the sale goes through before my next visit. I grabbed the pizza and ate it close to Queen Video.  I walked to Spadina Station and took an eastbound Bloor-Danforth train to Woodbine Station. I lucked out: the 92 bus I wanted to catch was hourly service but arrived soon after. I took it south to Kew Beach and relaxed on the hot sand a while, eventually reluctantly dragging myself away to continue on.
 
[NOW: Honest Ed's, Suspect Video, and Queen Video are now closed.]

I took a streetcar to Yonge St and visited Yonge-Dundas Square one more time; at the info both I pointed out the typo I'd noticed the night before. I visited the World's Biggest Bookstore one more time as it'll probably be closed down before my next visit, then BMV beside it. Back to the Square, I took the Yonge-University-Spadina line to Union Station, and from there walked to CBC. I visited their museum (they finally have a Hockey Night in Canada poster in the museum, but a very generic one) and the Ivar Harris wing outside the museum proper but still in the CBC building.

[NOW: The World’s Biggest Bookstore is indeed now closed.]

I made it back to the hostel at 3:30, half an hour before I'd planned. I decided to cut my trip short in case anything went from. I retrieved my stuff from the hostel and headed north on a streetcar to Spadina Station, where I took a Bloor-Danforth train to Dufferin Station. I walked along Bloor and got more photos of a cat from that one window. I grabbed my other bag from Aidan's place, doing a bit of repacking in the process. I bought a Vanilla Coke from Three Star Variety, and returned to Dufferin Station, inadvertently missing the cat window this time. I took one more Bloor-Danforth train to Kipling Station and then took the 192 Rocket bus to Pearson International Airport.
 
[NOW: The 192 Rocket is now the 900 Airport Express.]

I checked in and paid my VISA for the extra bag check-in. I asked about changing my seat beside mine was too close to the window and the guy said I'd have to check with the gate because the plane was full. I noticed him putting stand-by tags on my luggage.  I wanted to use the light rail that goes to different airport sections but it was out of commission. There was a very long line getting through security.

[NOW: This was an Air Canada flight.]

I made it to the gate and expressed my concern that my ticket didn't have my seat number on it. At first the woman said to just wait until everything was set up but I reiterated that I was concerned that the guy might have taken away my seat. She asked if I'd paid in advance for a seat and I said yes. She tapped on the computer and soon had an "Oh s--t he's right" look on her face. She said that another woman would set me up and when asked agreed there was time to grab dinner.

I ate at A&W and returned just as then other woman was giving a guy the last window seat, at the back. I had a bad feeling and asked about the ticket; she'd given me an aisle seat. I pressed the matter politely but firmly, insisting that I should have a window seat because I paid for one in advance. She managed to get the other guy (who I think was less keen about sitting in the very back anyway) to trade with me.

The seat turned out to be one normally used for staff only. It was now dark but I still managed to get some great take-off and landing photos, and even the occasionally decent period of lit up cities mid-way. At one might I had to fight sleep but eventually recovered. Anyway, I got enough good night aerial photos I was glad that I had the leverage from paying in advance and that I pressed the matter.

In Victoria International Airport it was getting late and I didn't want to have to deal with BC Transit, so I paid for the Akal Airporter home.

[Akal Airport lost their license and airport shuttles are now run by the similar YYJ Airporter.]

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