We didn't take long to finish several cups of instant coffee and the packets of Quaker oatmeal. We repacked everything into our two large suitcases and two backpacks. I opened Uber and I tried entering our apartment's address directly. The dreaded 'NO VEHICLES AVAILABLE' notice appeared near the bottom of the app. As we have only used Uber in urban places, seeing that notification was scary. I kept letting the app try.
I continued with the tasks and after about 10 minutes, a driver accepted. Neat! Going all the way from the hotel meant we didn't have to roll our luggage through the entire International Peace Park between the border stations for the US and Canada. I knew this would mean a bit of wait time for the driver while were taking yet another COVID-19 test upon entry to our country.
The drive is only about 35 kilometers, so the price came to under $50 in the app. We were so grateful for the ease of this morning's return. It did take nearly twenty minutes to undergo today's COVID-19 test as we had to enter data into the tracking system.
Daniel was an older gentleman who held dual US / Canadian citizenship. His app info mentioned being a grandfather and enjoying fishing. His Nexus card and access as an essential-service worker helped today too. We had a nice chat during our ride and it was a spectacular day in the Lower Mainland. Coming back towards the mountains over the huge Alex Fraser Bridge sort of left me in awe. It's good to change one's perspective, as when travelling, to keep one appreciative of things big and small. Daniel's Honda Accord Hybrid was a nice vehicle. We happily gave him an extra US$60 tip to thank him for the great service.
We were surely happy entering the door, switching on the electricity, turning on the water, lighting the gas fireplace, and the thousands of chores to ready for the summer and fall here. It is nice to be home!
