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I return to my original comment - exit row seats are worth paying extra for!!! As we couldn't get any flights with Air Canada for under $12, 000 economy!!! , we went with Air New Zealand and paid $10 more to get legroom from Melbourne to Auckland return. Unfortunately, being last minute, there were none available for the long haul and we only managed to get 2 seats together at the back of the plane . The hostess to Auckland was really lovely when we chatted and told her our story. She made sure we got served meals first before choices ran out and suggested we go to the desk and try and get better seats when we got to Auckland. We did this and even though we weren't able to get legroom seats, or be upgraded boohoo, we were given 2 seats near the front with a spare seat in between which made a difference- if only the arm rests between were able to be raised completely!!!
Air NZ seriously has the most entertaining safety video, done entirely in hobbit!!- beats the Qantas one done entirely in cricket!!
After 21 hours of travel we arrived in Vancouver where we had to wait for 9 hours to catch an Air North plane to Whitehorse.
We were so tired, we went and found a seat to sleep on for a whole and then took our luggage trolley for a walk outside along a trail and back again. It was such a relief to board the Air North flight with its comfortable seats and entertaining crew who kept losing it as they gave the instructions and drills. Even better was being greeted at the airport by Lorne and Esther and driven home to a beautiful house and bed.
The next morning we rang Dennis' wife Margie who told us that the bison hunters had already left for the lake - about 1 ½ hours north of Whitehorse, to set up for the weekend hunt, so Lorne and Esther drove us out to the lake where we had to park our car at the side of the road and walk in 3 kms to the cabin, including walking across the frozen lake, to meet them. It was a gorgeous walk and the cabin was definitely not what one would expect of the word - sure it has no electricity, an outhouse which is definitely a loo with a view, and no shower, but what a beautiful cabin with a warm fire and an amazing location- the only cabin on Little Braeburn Lake.
Anyway we left him there and walked back to the car and drove home to Whitehorse for tea and to crash for the night.
The next day, Saturday, Esther took me into town to the Rendezvous Festival in town - a heritage festival with an international ice sculpture competition, dog sled pulling- where I saw a pit bull pulling 600 kg!!!, flour packing contests, music concerts- probably not my style of music but entertaining anyway, and the usual sideshows and food stalls. It was a great day and fun to be involved in a local festival. We then wandered back to the main street, had lunch, shopped- well wandered in shops, found the local op shops and returned home. I had a personal tour of Lorne's "shop" - the Nth American term for a man cave!!- compete with provision for a shower / toilet and bedroom etc!!!
We intended going back in the evening for the fireworks and Hey Oceans concert, but ended up going swimming at the sports centre- an amazing place with everything imaginable there- we went to see John-Paul who was lifeguarding there but the boss said he had left to go home and do papers!! Hmmm, we had just come from home and he wasn't there!!- guess who was partying in town!!!
Sunday was time to go to Riverdale Baptist where I saw Kevin- who had been at Dave and Doris' house in Invermere when we were there, - and they say Adelaide is a small place!!
In the afternoon, Esther took me to a wildlife park - open plain zoo type where we went snow shoeing through the park, seeing arctic fox, bison, lynx, hairy white goats, some kind of ox that look like mammoth, mountain sheep, and caribou. Go figure - I get to see all the things Sam wants to see in one afternoon!!!
Sam got back that evening - minus any bison sighting - oh well - the hunting success is proving to be very illusive. At least he has enjoyed the experiences.
The next couple of days involved showing Sam around Whitehorse, checking out the beautiful frozen river, seeing Lorne's workplace, shopping, lounging in hot springs while hoping to see the Northern Lights - unfortunately no success with that, checking out Dennis' new house that he is building, eating, drinking, talking and having what Austrings call "the Norm experience" This experience is the reason I cannot post this blog until we leave the Yukon!!!!
On Monday Sam and I went into Whitehorse shopping and of course we ended up in a hunting store- where else? As usual I was ready to leave in a few minutes, but no such luck! I found a seat and sat, taking photos of the moose head in front of me to prove how much I had to put up with, and then noticed a nice jacket on sale in front of me - the only one in the store that any normal person would want to wear!!! I tried it on….and it fitted..and was a good price….and matched my ski pants - bonus!!! Sam told me to but it- it makes him feel better about dragging me around boring places!!!!!- so I did.
That evening as we got ready to go to the hot springs, I proudly put my new, distinctive jacket on. Sam poked one of the many pockets and asked me what was in this pocket. When I opened it, there was a zip lock sandwich bag in it with 6 or 7 small glad wrapped parcels- about the size of a small marble or smaller - of white powder in there. - in a NEW jacket!!! What the? Lorne, the lawyer, immediately took the whole bag and went and flushed it down the toilet and off we went out to the hot springs. Esther , Sam and I were keen to keep the stuff and show it to the RCMP's who live over the road, but Lorne was adamant. We were thinking about going back to the shop the next day and reporting it, but Esther went to work in the morning and spoke to workmates about it - one of whom was a wife of a cop, and one who worked in a hospital as a volunteer and they said Lorne did the right thing!!! Evidently, at the hospital, they find such parcel regularly, taped under chairs, or in closets etc- people come in and stash them to return and get later when it is safe!!! Who knows why this jacket was used- unless it was because it was in the front of the shop, and on sale, and had probably been there for ever and so it was thought to be a safe bet!!! As one can imagine, I packed that jacket away in my bag, not to be taken out again until we are home - not safe to wear around the town in case the owner of the bag was out looking for it!!! What would have happened if we had not checked the pockets and I had tried to get through customs on the way home, doesn't even bear imagining!!! "Did you pack this bag yourself mam?,…no ….. are you carrying anything for anyone else? No…." AAAARRRGGGGGH
Anyway, the last day was a lovely day again - we had such beautiful warm weather- never below -20, visited Golden Horn school where Esther teaches, and finished off with Dennis and Margie over for dessert before packing sadly ready to catch the early flight in the morning.
Our Yukon experience was wonderful - a fabulous place- isolated, beautiful outdoors, great people, fun place to be. I would love to return in the summer or spring to see more - who knows?
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