Mexico, Canada, Alaska
15.07-12.08.2024
Vienna
Austria
Elevation 190 metres
Population 1,91 million
15.07.2024
The first day of my EPIC TRIP has finally arrived!!!
Left my dogchild to my most wonderful relatives and departed for the wide world. Was at the airport 3 hours prior to departure (has never happened before, and who knows, if it‘ll ever happen again 😅😂), got my check-in issues fixed and paid ONLY 57.-€ for my big bag. So I‘m already saving money 🤭 (was supposedly going to be about 70.-€).
First stop is London.
LONDON
United Kingdom
Elevation 24 metres
Population 8.87 million
London Heathrow greeted me with a bit of rain and a tiny change in flight schedule, but the way to Maris was quite enjoyable with the Piccadilly line – I had to ride it for 36 Minutes though. In Vienna that would be the equivalent of a whole metro route.. and she lives on the SAME side of town as the airport..
16.07.2024
Staying at Maris‘ and Aivar‘s place was the best idea ever. Maris also went to the same school as me so OF COURSE she is a proud owner of a piano – which made my practicing for the concert in Toronto way easier. She is also a proud owner of a printer – which enhanced my life even more.
The way back to Heathrow was uneventful and easy – I was at the airport very early – even had time to meditate. And then had to run of course, because I noticed only then that the sign said: Gate E81 15 Minutes walk.. 🤦♀️🤷♀️
So I walked. Very fast.
It seems that this year London Heathrow Terminal 2 is enjoying its‘ 10th birthday! Felicitaciones, Heathrow!
My first flight with Air Canada was very enjoyable. I sat next to a nice Indian woman called Rani, who is a first generation Canadian and comes from Punjab – and she warmly suggested I‘d travel there. After my last 3-week-trip to India in 2015 I haven‘t felt ready to go back, but slowly the invitations are gathering… Pradeep‘s Pyramide, Kalamata, now Punjab.. let‘s see 😉
On the way out of the plane we caught a glimpse of the seats of the „better people“… that must‘ve been comfy..
TORONTO
Ontario, Canada
Elevation 76 metres
Population 2.79 million
When I was about to leave London I took contact with Liivi, who I was staying with in Toronto, to make sure that I will get picked up at the airport. Also I had no idea, whether the internet was going to work anywhere. My Austrian telecom provider is not the cheapest… 😅
Thank God for Free WiFi. 🥰
I had been wondering why Air Canada had written me an email that my flight might be affected by thunderstorms.. Liivi explained that Toronto had been super flooded that day. Afterwards we found out that it had rained for 10 cm on the one day… that‘s more than whole of July usually… and in the evening we watched swimming cars of tv and water goshing out of the Union Station 😅
Toronto Airport was looking at its‘ best, the customs was easy-peasy.. you just fill out some questions and then you give them the piece of paper – e voilá! Bienvenue au Canada!
Liivi & Toomas picked me up in a beautiful white SUV and I felt like a star being taken to the most beautiful house that had the most comfortable bed waiting for me 🥰
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
17.07.2024
The morning of the concert day was early and comfy. It’s easy to get up early when moving in time with the sun, because the old time zone is earlier – so the „early mornings“ don’t exist 😁 this is very good for singers, who have had the crazy and/or ingenious idea of singing a concert between two long flights – the voice is still quite happy, as the jetlag hits a few days later.
As is the North American Style – we grabbed our coffees in to go cups and off we were with Liivi, into the morning traffic – taking buses and trains to the other side of Toronto, where she works in the beautiful Ehatare – the „dusk cottage“ – a home for the elderly Estonians, that has many (!!!) over 100 years old residents, where I was to give my matinée at 10 am.
When we got off the bus, the crossing looked a little bleak (except for the amazing chicken sign of course 🤪), but then we walked on and reached this lovely house!
This beautiful house was built only a year after I was born – and it has held through the times quite well. Suitable and beautiful interiors, happy people… what a nice visit!
Concert was a bit difficult for me as I played and sang at the same time – which I rarely agree to do – but it went well enough, ar least people were happy afterwards 🥰🥳
Liivi‘s sister Janne works there too! How sweet ❤️
Liivi‘s lovely sister Janne took me to the train station, where from I could take a straight train to Union station – and then a straight train to the airport. Everything VEERY comfortable. My only regret was that I missed one good photo on the way of a house with a Canadian flag.. i guess i‘ll just have to remember it for real 🙂
It seems that the Toronto metro is not a very safe place – or maybe it is just the safest place? 🙂
And some houses were more memorable than others
And then I made it to the beautiful Union Station. I would actually have had time to have lunch, but I thought I was in a hurry, so I scurried to the train to the airport.
There was this beautiful exhibition there too.
And just check out the architecture…
Super fast I made it back to the Toronto Airport, the train ticket to Union Station was 7,70 and Airport Express was only 17,39 Eur.
Toronto Airport is freakin’ awesome. There is even a pet relief area 🙂
My flight to Cancún was delayed by a little bit, so I decided to grab something to eat, while getting air kisses from Mariana & Aurora, who had made it there already.
The wait at the airport wasn’t too bad.. and the salad was definitely very good!
While I was busy eating the horribly tasting chocolate wafer, Dobby was busy overseeing Paabu’s work.
Finally the flight took off and slowly the day turned into the night. I really enjoyed the sundown photos.
Cancún
Quintana Roo, Yucatán Peninsula/Caribbean Sea, México
Elevation 10 metres
Population 628.31 thousand
In Cancún my baggage arrived as the first bag of the second load, making me a happy little camper.
I wondered out to the “wide scary world of México”, where I was met by my driver – who arrived just a tiny bit too late 🙂
Later I found out that it is quite customary to México – everything works just a bit later to the given schedule.. It can be just a bit chaotic to a “german” mind – but everything gets done and buses and transports and planes leave nevertheless quite “on time” and are very comfortable.
My driver took me to the hotel Mariana had booked for us: Grand Oasis Palm.
Well – at least we thought that was the hotel we were staying in. Turns out it was the other hotel – it’s “brother” – the Sens. We got lucky – the Sens people were allowed to hang out on the Oasis beaches, pools and restaurants, while the Oasis people were not allowed on Sens premises.
Finally I made my way to our room – which were actually two rooms adjoined. How wonderful! This way we had a suite and I had a huge bathroom all to myself.
My room was VERY full of furniture though.
18.07.2024
Good morning, Cancun!
Beautiful blue waters, the air is very moist (so moist that all of the pictures look a bit as if my camera lens is full of steam..), the hotel is quite wonderful indeed 🙂
The view from my hotel window was breathtaking. A riviera with palms and water.
After waking up I checked out the offer of activities in the hotel (of which almost none were happening in the given time..), and decided to go do the yoga lesson and then maybe the aquaerobics, that were to take place in the grand pool of the Oasis. None of that happened, but I made it to the bar though.
The birds seemed not afraid of people at all and kept coming really near. They were also singing very loud.
This one seemed to be extra into posing.
Mariana was getting some “real food” somewhere else, so we decided to try the local Hot Dog / Burger Cuisine with Aurora.
It was delicious. Especially the jalapenitos!
When we had finished eating, the local entertainment host showed up with some bingo cards. That was a lot of fun! Especially the part where I wasn’t paying attention to what we were looking for and thought I had gotten bingo 🙂
Mariana came back eventually too.
To pass the time and in order to look like real vacationers, we went to lay by the big pool (where the aquaerobics were to take place, and where they DID take place – just at a different time than advertised).
After we had been there for a while, the two entertainers came back, whom we had already noticed before dressed as Rastas – but now they were there “for our protection” as they said. Later we also saw them walking around at lunch time dressed as chefs, carrying around a human size fork and spoon. Hilarious.
We were thankful. Who could attack us with such guards?
We had a GRRREAT time. Vacation pure.
Decided to book a table at the very fancy Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant called MakiTaco for dinner.
The food was delicious!
Later that night I decided to give my room a make-over as they only promised to take the one bed out and I had to almost break a maid to get the black table out, which was prohibiting me to “dance onto the balcony”. I mean, who wouldn’t understand that this is a REAL PROBLEM!
I think I did a real swell job and they should learn interior design from me 😀
oooops…
Refused to change rooms though – so they just came and cleaned it up and luckily no more fell down in the course of our stay.
After having relaxed a bit and being pleased at myself for fixing my room – to now be amazing – I went to the bathroom.. to find out that a piece of the ceiling had fallen down 😮
Then it was time to audition for the entertainment director, so we hiked down to the Karaoke in the next hotel over.
After some a-class singing, it was time for bed. Finally. Jetlag was starting to kick in.
19.07.2024
Got up really early, because we had our eyes on getting tickets to the pirate ship. They told us that they will start selling the tickets at 8 am, but we should be there a bit earlier. I was there at 6:30 and I was second after two nice American women – Danielle and her mother. After just a while the line started forming and by 7:15 there were already many people. I started the trend of waiting on beach chairs.
Breakfast was very tasty and big – had some enchiladas, I think. Yummy! The ones with the green sauce.
20.07.2024
21.07.2024
Mexico City
in Spanish:
Ciudad de México (CDMX)
Estado de México, México
Elevation 2,240 metres
Population 22.5 million
22.07.2024
PUEBLA
Capital of Puebla Estado
Founded in 1532 as:
Puebla de los Angeles
Elevation 2,135 metres
Population 6.58 million
23.07.2024
24.07.2024
25.07.2024
26.07.2024
27.07.2024
Puerto Vallarta
Jalisco, México
Elevation 7 metres
Population 224.17 thousand
Decided to get an Uber to town in Puerto Vallarta – which seemed almost small enough on the map, to walk the distance, but given my insane amount of baggage (how did it happen? there are only 25 kilos allowed on the plane….?) I thought it was best to go with an Uber. Oh boy, was I right. The way to the hostel would have been 7,8 kilometres (which would be no fun to walk with all the bags).
Got a nice Uber driver named Juan Manuel waited for me until I made it across the huge and idiotically high pedestrian bridge to get to the Uber meeting point and took me safely and very enjoyably to my hostel.
We passed many nice Resorts on the way to the hostel, like Sheraton etc..
Puerto Vallarta remains firmly on my “Visit Soon Again List”.
28.07.2024
Vancouver
British Columbia, CANADA
Elevation 2 metres
Population 662.25 thousand
29.07.2024
Met up with Emily (whose husband is a lovely Estonian man named Olar) and tiny Eleina (10 months). Such fun! Emily and Olar used to live in Vienna and it was so amazing to catch up after all these years! and of course WONDERFUL to meet little Eleina. Emily and Eleina showed me the Olympic Village and the Greenville Island – the “cultural kilometer” of Vancouver.
30.07.2024
Spent a wonderful morning with Destiny in Eline’s beautiful apartment.. finally packed the horrible explosion of things that had happened :D; then had an amazing lunch from the leftover Indian food and then Eline took me to the hotel downtown in her b e a u t i f u l Infinity.
Finally saw TARA! <3 <3 <3 About time!
Also met the others, EJ and Jeremy.
We had a beautiful room with very many beds – so I closed my bed immediately in order to be able to move around in the room. I didn’t realize before this trip that I am so into big empty spaces..
31.07.2024
Concert day! Excited to see the Estonian Church today.
Met Cathy and her daughter, haven’t seen Tara’s Mom or my roomie yet – I’m sure I’ll see them on the boat.
01.08.2024
Goooooood morning, world!
I was out of the hotel room by 11:45 and started waiting for Jeremy to pick me up after he had taken ET to the ship terminal.