December 3rd never existed
Our trip was a complete success!
When we arrived at Los Angeles Airport, we only had 2 hours to catch our next plane. The worst part was having to carry our very heavy bags all around the airport. First we took the elevator and went upstairs. We discovered that we were in the wrong terminal — we should have been in terminal B.
“Take the free airport shuttle,” we were told several times. One friendly gentleman explained to us that the shuttle only arrives every 10-15 minutes, and we were better off just running to the terminal, which was only 5 minutes away — if you walk fast!
We eventually made it to the right terminal and got in line, behind 1,000 other people most of which were East Asian flying to Philippines, Korea, Taiwan, China, or another similar destination.
Flying to Nadi, Fiji was the longest leg, taking nearly 10 hours to get there. Fortunately the meals were pleasant, my ear plugs and eye covers helped me to get about 6 hours of sleep.
A 4 hours stop over in Fiji, and we were on our way to Brisbane. The very mind-boggling thing about crossing the dateline is vanishing days. We departed Toronto at 5:30pm December 2, and we arrived in Brisbane at 11:00AM December 4th. December 3rd never existed.
It is a large, bustling metropolis with zoos, heavy traffic, throngs of shoppers, and stifling heat. Like most tropical places which I have visited, there are tropical plants and animals everywhere. Yvonne’s Auntie Ding has palm trees completely surrounding the sides and back of their large, comfortable ‘Westernised” home.
After settling in, and calling home to report I arrived in one piece, we left in their SUV to the city centre. Brisbane is cut up into suburbs, small village like places with different landscapes and sceneries. Toowong is one of them, and Auntie Ding drove us into the heart of this busy commercial hub. We walked into Westpac Bank and opened our first Australian bank accounts. $3/mth doesn’t seem to be too much, but I will keep my eyes open for a fee-free bank that requires no extra money for the small useful features to which I have grown accustomed in Canada.
After that, we walked into the nearest Mall to buy some milk, cereals and a few other necessities. Because automobile traffic drives on the left side of the road, one observes that same mentality when walking through the mall. Yvonne almost bumped into a woman who was trying to keep to the right. But like a good North American, Yvonne tried to go the right and almost bumped into the woman!
At night, we made rice, chicken, vegetables and eggs. Went to bed around 10:00 — wait, earlier! Woke up at 6am, and finished this post at 6:40 AM December 5th — 15 hours ahead of time
Hello : Nice to be in another country discovering such wonderful experiences. Enjoy the weather! Thanks for all the sharing. It seems that with Auntie Ding’s help you and Yvonne have managed to do a few things. Good for you. Our regards to Yvonne. Take care and until next time you write again.