Here I am, back in China. ‘All’ it took this time was : 25 min taxi from home to Seatac airport, 2hrs wait, 40 min- prop plane ride (picture taken at Vancouver airport after arrival), 30 mins in Canada passport line, 1 hr detained at Canada customs, 1 hr wait for boarding, 13 hours in Cathay Pacific 747 business class, 20 mins in Hong Kong passport line, 30 mins drive in van to China border, 20 mins in China mainland passport line, 2 hrs in Shenzhen Monday evening traffic.
Yes, Canada customs had an icy reception for me – shunting me into a waiting room with 30 other passport offenders. The reason (I was told only after a 1 hr wait) : I was refused entry into Canada in 1995 on my South African passport. I recalled the incident only after I was finally allowed to go through : a group of us working for Spearhead Consultants in Rochester NY at the time, drove down to Niagara Falls, then thought we’d try to look at it from the Canadian side. When I presented my South African passport was told I need a visa, and I just turned around. That’s a reason to stop me from setting foot in Vancouver 15 years later on my US passport? Keep in mind I had come in and out of Canada multiple times on my South African passport after 1995 ! And was that customs agent RUDE. I think it’s time we made Canada a Special Administrative Region of the United States, the way Hong Kong is of China.
The laser picture is taken from my back balcony. I think a laser show is part of the close-of-day show at Outside China Town park which is close by.
Well if you ever are able to get to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, you’ll find the view is much prettier from there! Glad to hear you made it ok. It’s too bad those laser beams cant just beam you back and forth from here to there. It would be so much more convenient 🙂
Yes! And no Canadian customs agents. Beam me up Scottie! Beam me back!