So, we are back from our Canada trip, one that we had been planning for the last couple of months. And now that we are back, one that makes me wish we had planned it for later in the summer (you know, just in the vein of saving the best part for later).
We got off to a really good start for our early Wednesday morning flight from O'Hare to Toronto. The train got us to the airport on time, security was a breeze with no lines and our departure gate was the first one as soon as we crossed security. As we waited for our flight to be called, we had the added good fortune of watching a guy strutting about talking on his phone with his trouser fly open. We probably should have said something but the entertainment value was too high to end this free show ;)
The 120ish-seat plane had about 25 people on board, which made me feel sorry for Air Canada's business. I have since learned from more regular travellers on this route that our experience was an anomaly and that Air Canada doesn't need my sympathy just yet. We landed in Toronto after an uneventful flight and breezed through customs and immigration. I think the airport was fine except they really need to have a bathroom closer to the arrivals gates!
Just as I was beginning to think that this was probably going to be a super-easy and fun trip, we realized that the car rental we had pre-booked at (obviously because of super-low rates) was not at the airport. We managed to find the Link bus, which was substituting for the Link monorail temporarily, and got to the Viscount station (pronounced Vycount) for the car rental agency pickup. Using one of the courtesy phones, we called Ace car rental twice and waited for 45 minutes before another rental agency offered to give us a ride.
When we reached Routes Truck and Car rental, a Punjabi operation, we were basically told to forget about it. No apologies but we did get an upgrade. After Papa reminded me (over the phone) that the distances and more importantly, the speed limits would be in kilometres, we set off to our first destination, Port Maitland, Ontario on Lake Erie.
We got off to a really good start for our early Wednesday morning flight from O'Hare to Toronto. The train got us to the airport on time, security was a breeze with no lines and our departure gate was the first one as soon as we crossed security. As we waited for our flight to be called, we had the added good fortune of watching a guy strutting about talking on his phone with his trouser fly open. We probably should have said something but the entertainment value was too high to end this free show ;)
The 120ish-seat plane had about 25 people on board, which made me feel sorry for Air Canada's business. I have since learned from more regular travellers on this route that our experience was an anomaly and that Air Canada doesn't need my sympathy just yet. We landed in Toronto after an uneventful flight and breezed through customs and immigration. I think the airport was fine except they really need to have a bathroom closer to the arrivals gates!
Just as I was beginning to think that this was probably going to be a super-easy and fun trip, we realized that the car rental we had pre-booked at (obviously because of super-low rates) was not at the airport. We managed to find the Link bus, which was substituting for the Link monorail temporarily, and got to the Viscount station (pronounced Vycount) for the car rental agency pickup. Using one of the courtesy phones, we called Ace car rental twice and waited for 45 minutes before another rental agency offered to give us a ride.
When we reached Routes Truck and Car rental, a Punjabi operation, we were basically told to forget about it. No apologies but we did get an upgrade. After Papa reminded me (over the phone) that the distances and more importantly, the speed limits would be in kilometres, we set off to our first destination, Port Maitland, Ontario on Lake Erie.
