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The Cuba Caper Day 1& 2

Sooo our flight from Hamilton to Cayo Coco Cuba is Friday the 24th of February at 5:45 PM. Daughter in law Tracy has offered to take us to John Munro Airport.

We love John Munro Airport, it is small, not much walking and handy to Burlington...... on most days it is great.... but not on this day.

As we climb Hamilton mountain the fog is rolling in. As we exit for the airport it is even thicker. Tracy drops us off and we get our boarding passes, go through security, the lounge is packed. John Munro has 6 gates but only 1 lounge.

I survey the passengers in search of Sharon and Howie. I don't know Sharon and Howie but our son Brad works with Sharon and she and Howie are on their way to Cayo Coco too. The only description I have is that Sharon is about 60 with short white blond hair.

Do you know how many white blond women about 60 go to Cayo Coco? I'll tell you.... "It's a hell of a lot".

I see a white blond haired woman and ask if she is Sharon. Nope. Off to the next woman. Yup but her husband is not Howie, by now the fellow sitting next to me is shouting "Your like the Walmart greeter", I am not deterred and keep trying.... stiil no Sharon and Howie.

As I'm surveying the crowd announcements begin "Fights are delayed due to fog". As time goes by they begin busing people to London, then they cancel some flights. Our plane has landed in London to pick up passengers, they are on the tarmac awaiting news that the fog has cleared.

It doesn't but as night falls they announce that the plane is circling the airport..... then they announce he is on the ground, our flight crew walks through the loung and loud cheers and clapping greet them. They walk out to the aircraft..... we have hope.

The gate door opens and in walks our flight crew. By now the Airtransat agents are terrified of the passengers, the pilot grabs the microphone and announces we are not able to leave.... Cayo Coco airport closes at 12 midnight and we won't be able to land.

The good news is Airtransat will pay taxis or rooms. The bad news... nobody has a clue what the plans are..... NADA, NOTHING, we are in limbo then finally a plan..... we are to go home by cab (140 $ return) on Airtransats dime ...... but .... we have to be back at Hamilton airport by 5: AM Saturday so we can be loaded on buses, all 189 of us, and transported to Toronto's Pearson airport because ..... get this Airtransat cannot fly that route out of Hamilton on Saturday's.

Soooo, home by 10:30 PM, Barb, Pat and I down a couple of rum, hit the sack. awake at 3:00 AM, cabby arrives at 4:00 AM and arrive at the airport before 5 .... no buses, we wait, still no buses, FINALLY ...... arrive in TO around 8 AM, book in and board an aircraft, as I am walking down the aisle in search of our seat I spot a woman on the other side of the plane, could that be Sharon? Nope. By now Pat doesn't find me funny, I give up my quest for Sharon and Howie..

As the plane careens down the runway and we have liftoff there is a loud cheer and applause..... after all we are Canadian, we complain politely and ee the brighter side of disappointment :3

Oh yes, and there is more