Booked Aknew and Lost Baggage

7 am....Whipped up whiteness above Ottawa. We’ve taken off an hour late, almost to the minute.  The word from the Air Canada “greeter” is this: “It’s not hopeful that anyone will get out of Toronto today,” she says with raised brows; an odd kind of excitement percolating behind sleepy wide eyes. “And there aren’t any hotels available.”

I find it hard to believe that every bed in Toronto is booked. She makes TO sound like a “destination” of someone’s choosing. If the Miami connection at 8:30am is a no-go and there’s no bed at the Inn, they’ll fly us back to Ottawa. Tomorrow is another day.

Liz and Jim, two of our Stove Project work mates, were planning to fly from TO through Chicago but Chicago is shut down. They are on their way to Montreal, on a hairy journey I’m sure, rebooked to go south on a warmer route. Fingers crossed .

And so the adventure begins…

We slid into Toronto around 8am. Missed our 8:30 connection to Miami. And than Marg misplaced her carry-on. Stay calm stay calm. The lesson: always have your name on your bags, even the carry-on variety. If you're a real keener also put your info inside your bags. Thankfully, a baggage handler found it, saw her name and checked it through to Miami.

10 am...We're waiting now for our our rebooked Toronto to Miami flight departing at 11:30 am. It's unlikely that we'll make our Miami to Guatemala City plane at 3:05pm. They are trying to get us on the 6pm flight. All in all a good day...(Marg is a great travel companion. But she isn't following my no make-up rule. She is wearing lipstick and mascarra. I left all my beauty equipment at home, replaced with bug spray and sunscreen and polysporin and immodium. The family-sized pack of immodium, super-sized.)

PS. Sarah...2 more tips...when you get to TO you have to claim your luggage at "US destination sign" not at regular baggage check, and recheck it. When you get here you will need to pick up and fill in a blue form called a "customs declaration". They will want this when you recheck your baggage. Make sure they are checking your bags through to Guatemala. (one of Marg's bags is only checked to Miami.)