HOME SAFE ON MARCH 3, MARCH 3, AND MARCH 3

Hard to believe but we had had enough of southeast Asia's heat, humidity, and poor diet after 70 days on the road. The friendly folks at our hovel made banana pancake for our last breakfast (did they know Pancake Tuesday was coming up??). And we took one last walk around Sanur Bali, especially along the extended bricked walking/cycling path. A wedding gazebo was being set up for a "mixed marriage" --- Moslem groom from neighbouring Java, Hindu bride from Bali. The volcano that dominates this island was extra visible today, but had only puffs of smoke at the top. A treat for me was seeing an unfamiliar classic car in the palms; I guessed Japanese or early Brit. But it turned out to be a 1962 Holden built by GM Australia. Must be a story behind that one.

Bleary-eyed, we taxied to the Bali airport for our first flight, at 4:40 am on March 3. We landed at Shanghai and transferred to the second flight, at about 1pm on March 3. After 10 hours on great-service China Eastern Airlines, we crossed the International Date Line and landed at Vancouver on March 3. Our Aussie friend  Alaia met us for the hour layover and trading session --- we brought her shells and frangipani blossoms, she brought us jackets and gloves for the cold back home. The 5-hour poor-serviceWestJet flight took off at about 10:30 on March 3, and we got to Toronto and home sweet home by 8pm on --- you guessed it --- March 3!! March third was about 36 hours long. Go figure.

The Great Lakes were indeed frozen over as we had heard --- this picture is at the bottom of Lake Huron where it narrows into the St. Clair River; see the Sarnia bridge?? But the snow at home was not that bad; the icicles were more obvious. The bad news is that the garage door was iced at the bottom and had to be chiseled free. Worse, the van's rear brakes had seized up during our absence. Oh-oh, expen$$ive brake job. Otherwise, all is well at the apartment. We're jet-lagged weary but it's great to be home. Now, where's my parka?