LAX <-> YYZ

I've been to some of the downtowns in US as of now... & most look scary at night... LA downtown looks scary during day too :P

However, when I landed in Toronto, Canada, though I had ugly feelings about this downtown, everything ended up cool, at least while at downtown. Like the Market Street of SFO, which is Wall Street of the West or Dalal Street of India, almost all major financial institutions are located on this street. For that matter, streets of Toronto downtown are marked as distinct districts like entertainment district, finance district, fashion district, etc... Landing on 13th of Sep 2006, I took the shuttle to the hostel at Pembroke Street, whose reviews read that the street was filled with druggists & hookers. Well, nothing did I see when I went there for the first time, neither at any time of the day. I'm saved. Only while I was about to check-in, I learnt that my check-in time was 3 pm & I cannot check in at 8 am, which I was assuming TRAVELOCITY should have taken care. Fortuantely, the hostel guy accepted the request from travelocity to accomodate me immediately.

Next stop: American Consulate. "We are approving your Visa, but we are holding it since you are employed only for a day" was the answer from the lady behind the counter. CRAP!!! How can that be?? It was a typo that read date of employment is from 6-Sep-2006 to 6-Sep-2006... New Jersey guys cut the crap... Attorney replied to me stating that I can get the visa stamped the next day [Thursday] & if not possible to get it done on same day itself, get my passport back on Friday...This means I'll have to cancel my return ticket & get a new one for Friday sametime... Not just that book a hotel too for Thurday night. SCREWED!!!

Travelocity was of no use, they disowned my trip since I had started with it... And I learnt from the airlines that I will have to incur $250 extra for cancelling & rebooking the ticket. Shit...

Fortunately, I was able to get my visa on Thursday.. And a little relieved I went around downtown, and to CN Tower "Canada's wonder of the world"... I do not understand completely what that means... I checked-in my baggage with food I had foolishly, which I was supposed to consume as dinner before departing Toronto... Finally, while about to leave the airport on Thursday night, I find that the flight is delayed by 50 minutes, which means I will miss the connection flight from Vegas to LA, and ultimately miss the next day work... Oops!!! Well, fortunately I went to Vegas on time & took boarded the connecting flight to LA... Now the next thing, this flight took off 30 minutes later than the stipulated time & arrived at LA at 2:30 on Friday. I was waiting for the shuttle I reserved to reach my apartment, which did not turn up.... Finally, I had to take a cab at 3 in the morning & reached home at 3:30... Shit...It costed me 85 bucks.... Fuck the shuttle...