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Getting there.
Pride and a fall.
There was a long queue at security at Glasgow airport. Susan occupied the time by pointing out how well she had organised her clothing for the occasion. Only a plastic belt for her whilst I had stupidly worn a belt with a metal buckle which would have to be removed causing further delays and potential embarrassment. Anyway, I unpacked the computer and put it in a tray with my belt, small change,watch and bag. I then walked through the metal detector and all was well. Immediately behind me a klaxon went off. A full bank of red lights across the metal detector. Maximum activation! Guess who! The head of security was called and Susan explained that it wasn't her fault because she was wearing a plastic belt. She took off her watch and went through again. Same result. Next time she took off her bangles. Same result. Shoes next. All in all she went through the detector 5 times before activation fell to acceptable levels. A huge queue had now formed but were entertained by the proceedings while they waited.
Wow!!!
The reason why Greenland is white on maps is because it is white - except for a narrow band along the coast which is incredible. As you approach the coast you can pick out the icebergs which have broken off the glaciers as they creep towards the Atlantic coast. The coastal mountains are black and between the peaks huge glaciers snake their way to the water. Inland, the glaciers merge together into a massive ice field which extends for many hundreds of miles. Near the Labrador Sea there are more glaciers, each with a river flowing down the middle. In places there are sapphire lakes of melt water. From 40,000 ft the view was spectacular. Over Hudson Bay we could see the ice breaking off the ice sheet and floating away to disrupt shipping.
Vancouver airport.
We had arrived late in Vancouver and, since several planes had arrived shortly before us, there was an enormous queue at immigration. There was a bit of concern that we might be delayed long enough to miss our connection to Calgary. However, the line moved quickly and we were through in about twenty minutes. Enough time to check in our bags and buy a health fruit drink on our march to the gate. Regular turned out to be enormous and its temperature was 1 degree centigrade. Brain freeze ensued. It really can be quite sore.
Our new friend
There was a guy wearing a green kilt, a jacobite shirt and green and brown camouflage boots in the duty free shop at Glasgow airport. He wouldn't have been less conspicuous if he had worn an orange puffa jacket at Parkhead. Ho! Ho! What does he think he looks like? There he was again getting on our plane. And again at the Westjet checkin desk at Vancouver. And again sitting next to Susan on our flight to Calgary. Isn't is strange that they put all three Scots together? Maybe they thought that we would feel more comfortable if we were wistfully crooning a song about how much we were missing our homeland. Or maybe they thought that we would be easier to control if we burst into a raucous chorus of the tragic/comic song about great matricide on public transport. (Small prize of a bear bell for the first correct name of the song!)
His name is Iain, he comes from Perth and he was touring Alberta and British Columbia at the expense of his long lost cousins. Coincidentally he is returning to Glasgow on the same flight as us.
Snake oil salesman
After our first meal in Calgary we set out to walk our dinner down with an evening stroll through the airport. Suddenly, I noticed that Susan was no longer by my side. I retraced my steps a little way to find her deep in conversation with a guy in a cosmetics shop. I hung back, this being dangerous territory for a young man. Soon she was up on a chair and he was poking her face with what looked like a syringe. Time to find out what was going on. It wasn't Botox - only a serum containing the secret of eternal youth. Sold to the lady with jet lag!
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