Vancouver Monday Morning

Arriving in Vancouver Harbor, we watched the sun glint off the skyline of a beautiful city early on a Monday morning. Debarkation is never an enjoyment; after all, vacation is over and this is a travel day. We got through the lines well enough, were loaded onto a bus, and taken out to the airport.

On the way through downtown, I mentioned that the streets were strangely empty at 9:00 AM. Only when we were in the Customs line at the airport did we discover that it was a major holiday in Vancouver, and no one was at work unless they worked at the airport. It was a pleasure to go through U.S. Customs in the Vancouver airport. That's right, the cooperation between countries is so great that we went through customs BEFORE boarding the aircraft. That meant that we flew in and deplaned one heck of a lot more quickly than we would have from any other foreign port.

This blog has brought the trip to life for me nearly every day for several weeks. Hoping that people have seen the photos and enjoyed the trip, I now look for another topic to organize photos for a period of time. When I get the final idea, the next post will follow. Meanwhile, one more Alaska poem:

HOMEWARD BOUND

It has often been said that we leave a bit of ourselves
Wherever we happen to visit, wherever we happen to learn
It has also been said that we take a bit of those places
Home with us, tucked deeply in our hearts.
Those of us who love to travel must grow big hearts
To handle all these inputs, and those headed for Alaska
Better prepare themselves for the extra weight they will bear.
I wonder how speakers of Inuktitut, the Aleut language, would say
Things like "Thanks for everything" and "See you again."