Robbed!

There are worse things than being delayed in Miami, enroute to Suriname, chillin' in the business lounge, Arturo O'farrill jazzing up my mood, and free munchies.  I spent a frigid couple of days in Toronto visiting family and checking out the ever impressive Niagara Falls in one of the coldest winters on record.  It's been an eventful trip so far.  Enroute to the airport in Halifax I stopped to get my mail, and after checking in, I read through my VISA bill at the airport lounge to find over $6000 in charges I did not recognize.  One large purchase was to Air Canada with the ticket number!  Being in an Air Canada lounge I asked them to check the ticket number, and some lady that I don't know bought herself a return ticket to Barbados with my VISA, plus a month at a resort with some travel service I had never heard of.  Of course I immediately cancelled the card, Air Canada notified their security department, and I wondered what kind of person would purchase a ticket that required their name and passport with a stolen VISA?  Not hard to track her down, but I'm carrying the credit until there's a full investigation.  And I needed a new card for my trip to Suriname.  That kept me busy.

I managed to score business class upgrades all the way to Miami with my travel points, so that was a serious treat, as the company doesn't fork out for them.   With the amount of miles I cover in any given year, business class is EXTREMELY appreciated.  The plane was delayed in YYZ for over an hour due to a faulty toilet, but you get used to that sort of thing, and with a four hour connection in Miami I wasn't concerned.  Now in Miami my next flight is delayed a few hours as well, so I wandered into a Tommy Bahama store and scored more shirts than I need....but I'll be stylin' in Suriname!

To be honest, I love winter in Canada.  But here I am, escaping the frigid temperatures, and I must admit the warmth and humidity is welcome.  My Patagonia down jacket is stuffed into my bag and won't see the light of day for a good long while.  Warmed up and enroute, I'm itching to get airborne in Suriname!