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June 14, 2007
Awww Glasgow
Well I have made it to Scotland, however, the trip over was not my smoothest travelling to date.
Getting my bike packed into the box was surprisingly easy this time. Getting my bike, by panniers and me to the Victoria bus station was fairly painless - thanks to the employee who broke the rules and let me store my stuff in the back room while I did a car drop. Riding the ferry was easy, and debatably amusing. The entire ride I had my ears filled with tales from Tim the Fire Protection Technologist. The thing is I had nothing better to do, so when he approached me just off Swartz Bay and asked about my knowledge of Land's End I cordially continued conversing with him. By the time we reached Active Pass he was convinced that if this was an American ferry route they would have blown up a couple islands to make it a more direct passage. I was slightly intrigued although I informed him that the Washington State Ferries did in fact go around the islands. He went on to tell me about how when all the glaciers melt in a couple years there will be no more islands, (he had just watched An Inconvenient Truth and felt himself an expert on global warming).
Still smooth sailing, (excuse the pun), the fun actually started upon my arrival at the Vancouver Airport...
I arrived at the Air Transat counter 4 hours early to pick up my ticket, (I was planning to check the luggage and hit up beers and dinner with some friends at the Flying Beaver).
"Nope, your ticket is not here," said the lady behind the counter after returning my passport and looking past me to the next person in line.
"What do you mean?" I tried to get her attention back as I felt my heart start beating. I had looked at my emailed itinerary just prior to leaving my house and was ensured the date and time were right, not to mention there was a note at the bottom that had read Pick up ticket at YVR.
Looking at me like I was trying to pull a fast one she was as unhelpful as possible, and suggested I go get my tickets... HUH??? After she helped the person behind me in line she then turned back to me and suggested I call someone, (I am not sure who I would call at this point).
This carried on for an hour and a half, it felt like pulling teeth to get any kind of answer from her. My name was on the seat register, I showed her my confirmation email, and together we even read the Pick up ticket at YVR note. She held firm though, "No ticket, no flight", and although I was suppose to pick up the ticket there, she could not help.
In the end I had a choice; I could purchase a new ticket and file a LOST TICKET FORM for a refund or wait until tomorrow and contact Air Transat's office in Quebec.
I did option 1 and received a new ticket at the cost of $188, (taxes included). I now am over here in the UK and have no ticket for the route home, supposeably a refund is coming my way... Anyways, to say the least I have some phone calls to make.
Less that Scotland is pretty neat. I spent yesterday afternoon and today visiting museums and riding around Glasgow. The weather is about 15 degrees, and not raining, albeit overcast. I am hitting the road tomorrow morning and am still debating which direction I will actually go. I am thinking that I will take the bike route Northwest and end up in Inverness in 3-4 days.
Hopefully I will soon get the hang of this right-hand drive thing. I keep finding myself looking in the wrong direction for on coming traffic and ending up on the wrong side of the roadways-ERP. It probably will come naturally after a few more Guinness and Bellehaven pints.
Posted by jmclean at June 14, 2007 09:21 AM
Comments
oh god! Jenny, that sucks about the Ticket, but now you are in a very neat spot.If you are going up to inverness via the western coast you will want to hit up Ft. William(?) and then on up to Malaig,ferry over to Armdale, Isle of Skye...And then it is a beautiful trip into Inverness via Lock Ness. Make sure you get into Edinburgh..but skip Aberdeen. If you need any thing on my end just give me a ring, I'm home Friday.
Cheers!
Jon
Posted by: Jon at June 14, 2007 01:54 PM
Glad that you at least made it in one piece - pisser about the Air Transat fiasco tho.
Posted by: Kat at June 17, 2007 11:08 PM