Journey Home from Vancouver

We had been keeping an eye on the volcano and two or three days before we were due to come home, it did start playing up again, but on the day we were due to travel, all was fine and we got to the airport and onto the plane without any hitches. This time it was the proper plane we were given, which had a tad more leg room than the one we flew to Canada on. However, that one plus crew, had all been arranged at the last minute, so we can’t complaint about that as at least we got our holiday (although some people DID complain!!).

The entertainment on board wasn’t brilliant however. Although we had our own mini screens in front of us, it wasn’t really all ‘on demand’ as the scheduled aircraft are, so thank goodness for tins of pear cider and the iPod!!

It was strange watching the sun set on the way home, then rising again a few minutes later in the same place – it was all very weird indeed.

On landing at Glasgow Airport there was a delay in getting through passport control – probably because about three planes landed at the same time. However, we thought that this would mean our luggage would be whirling round the carousel waiting for us – we couldn’t have been more wrong!!! Not much luggage at all to speak of, then another flight landed and their luggage came off before ours. Then we noticed people at the baggage enquiries desk being handed out forms. We were told that our luggage hadn’t been put on at Vancouver, which we thought was odd because you can’t have a full plane load of people and no luggage apart from just a few cases – honestly, there was almost a riot with hundreds of tired people just wanting to get home!! Then, came an announcement – lo and behold, they had found three containers full of our luggage!! Some dipstick of a baggage handler had obviously lost them, put them in the wrong place or had gone for his coffee break. Come back John Smeaton, the Glasgow baggage handlers need you to knock them into shape!!

We eventually got home safely, unpacked and got the washing on. I tried to stay awake as long as I could to avoid the jet lag and only had a quick hour’s catnap. I think I'm almost back to normal now – roll on the next holiday!!