TRAVEL HELL

Our trip started out very badly. Our whole flt to Canada was canceled the night before we left. AirCanada put us all on Different times and flts, which was NOT going to work, so we scrambled to get the next flt, so we could hook with our AirFrance to Paris. It would be cutting closer, but we felt we could do it. NOT!.our small flt from SeaTac was instructed to sit out on the tarmac for 45 min, while the big jets were taking off. Already we were worried a bit. I had packed only a carry on, but my 3 cousins went full on big suitcase style. Finally getting to Vancouver, discovered about 3000 people jamming the passport room, and it was pretty disconcerting. I ran around asking agents if there was an expedited line for people who had to catch connecting flights.  Our plane to Paris was leaving at 1:30 and it was already almost noon! We got in the snaking line...and were nervous. Most of the people in line were going on cruise ships the next day, so they weren’t in any hurry. After an hour in line, we still weren’t close to the automated passport section. What a joke. Most people could not figure out how to work the machines, or the machines didn’t work anyway, so people, including me...were waiting for help, and there were not enough helpers...so it was a slow process...Finally, when I got my passport slip..THEY FUNNELED US INTO YET  ANOTHER LONG LINE. I had inched ahead of my cousins and saw it was already 1 pm, and boarding had started at 12:30 pm!  Finally was thru about 1:00pm and I grabbed my bag and started running, except I had no idea where the AIRFrance desks were located. After a couple of wrong turns and escalators, I reached the AF desks except they were closed! There was one woman gabbing on a phone and I implored her to help me make the flt. First she said it was too late..duh! Then she said I could reschedule. I held on and begged and pulled the pity card...and finally she called the gate. First they said no, then they said if I could get thru security quickly, I might make it. But once they shut the door, I would be SOL. Then the woman finally got activated in my favor and printed out a boarding pass, and escorted me to security where she begged people to let me go ahead of them. some don’t get it, I know, but swearing helped. I was literally running to the gate, which was like doing a 5k. I got to gate D80 as they were shutting the door....and squeezed my little ass thru it. In all the rushing, I lost my travel companions, because now it was Everyman for himself! They ended missing the flight, and some of their luggage was missing. They had to reschedule, spend the night in a hotel, and pay big bucks for reschedule fee. And my cousins luggage had been grabbed y the cruise ship crew and was on Holland America sailing to Alaska!

As of now, they still are not in Beirut, but I am, and nursing a terrible cold that sprang in me as I was leaving home. It was a very stressful day, and I guess things can only get better. I was picked up by a wonderful driver, named Ali...and I just want to say that everything I  have read about Beruit traffic is completely true! I took some meds, climbed into bed about 7 pm, and slept 12 hours!  Now, I am waiting for the cuzes to hear the rest of their adventures.