On Parole

So Linda suggested i start this post with pour yourself a glass of wine and make yourself comfortable. I'm going with strap yourself in, hold on tight and start screaming.

Linda ended her 'surprise, something went wrong with the bus' post by telling you that's where the next story begins. Sadly that story leaves me as persona non grata, stranded in Canada with nothing of value besides my friendship with my trusty travel companion.

We celebrated our long awaited freedom from the dreaded bus by ditching off the compensatory dinner, checking in to our hotel and heading for the on site 'best steakhouse in Richmond'for dinner. As we had no safe in the room and a couple of our tour counterparts had already experienced thefts during the tour I packed all of my valuable belongings into my handbag and took it with me. Some of you already know where this is heading...

After many days of hugging bags close to our respective persons as we exited and entered buses, hotels, other varied establishments and random pit stops I may have relaxed slightly on entering the relatively plush surrounds of Carvers Steakhouse. Once we were allocated a table I hung my bag over my seat, put my jacket over my bag and sat down to enjoy what Carvers had to offer. We ate, drank and laughed with abandon, congratulating ourselves on surviving Nexus. I never left my seat once. Then I reached for my bag in readiness for the bill. And it was gone.

We turned the restaurant upside down. Nobody else had seen anything suspicious or had any inkling where my bag could be. On the off chance I just thought I'd brought it with me we took turns going up to the room to check if it was there. 3 times. Nothing.

So we spent the next few hours until 2am reporting the theft and cancelling credit cards and the like. Bit of a sleep, up the next morning and on the phone to the consulate. Because, of course, besides nearly $1500 in cash, my camera and lenses, 1 gopro and all of my credit cards they'd also made off with my passport. So there's talk of the possibility I might not be let back into the U.S. on a replacement passport and instructions on how to go about getting an emergency passport issued. 

There was also much talk by a range of people involved in arranging new master cards, insurance claims, travel arrangements etc about a police report being a must. So I call RCMP, to whom I'd reported the theft, and ask for a copy of the police report. 'We don't give that out, it's the property of the police' came the response. 'So how do I satisfy all these people?' I ask. 'Fill out a freedom of information request and wait it out' was essentially the answer.

After a face to face visit with the consulate to arrange a new passport I met up with Linda who had checked in to her lovely new hotel for her stay in Vancouver. After wings and beers and a successful follow up phone call with the RCMP via the Vancouver police, I receive a phone call from the wonderful Jonathan from FedEx. Someone has dumped my bag in the FedEx box at the international airport. No cash or cameras, but credit cards, passport and, at this stage most importantly, SD cards intact. Strangely they have taken my cheap prescription glasses.

Of course the CCs and passport are now cancelled so of no use. Luckily the scoundrel who took my bag has left the SIM card information for my local sim and that's how Jonathan has tracked me down. Thank goodness Linda is here as it has made accessing a range of things including cash much easier than trying to do so with nothing left, no conduit for transferring money and no one to rely on. She is also prepared to take possession of my emergency CC and passport so I don't have to change my plans to go to the Great Bear Chalet. Excellent friend.

I have a wonderful time in the Great Bear Rainforest punctuated by frustrating events such as UPS not delivering my emergency CC and the possibility of not regaining entry to the US hanging over my head. I feel I am on the proverbial emotional roller coaster, veering from the highs of close encounters with incredible grizzly bears to the lows of trying to navigate bureaucracy over a long weekend. 

The fabulous Linda and Joan meet me at Vancouver airport on my return from Bella Coola and drive me to the border to explain my situation. After a bit of uncertainty we're directed to a wonderful customs officer who arranges for me to have a waiver from needing a visa waiver and explains that I am effectively paroled into the U.S. until my flight out. I am allowed to proceed to Seattle with Joan and Linda. Major bonus - he divulges the previously unknown information that there is a $585 fee involved in this process and advises he has waived it for me. I can't express the full extent of my appreciation forUS Customs and their compassion on this occasion.