Richard slept like a baby snored his box off after taking a sleeping pill, me I was restless my mind was racing (doing a Mother thing) knowing we had to be up in three hours I think I got a little bit of sleep. We both just sank into the comfy bed plus you couldn't really hear the planes landing or taking off must have good sound proofing or there aren't many flights between 2.00am and 5.00am. The wake up call at 5.00am made us both jump we did feel a little refreshed after having a shower but still have red eyes.

Quick pack and bags back on the trolley booked out with the same lady at Reception we saw when we first arrived told her she must have the Graveyard Shift (don't know if she understood what we meant). Not many people around at 5.30am in the morning checked our suitcase in and confirmed our seating before going through Customs for the second time in two days. At least this time there were more Customs Officers on than there were in Toronto and we got through quickly. I wonder when Australia will get like America and have your photo taken as well as fingerprints when you go through Customs I think this is good but probably the Do Gooders will think it is an invasion of your privacy. If it keeps the criminals and terrorists out it is okay by me.

With security you nearly have to take everything off (anything with metal like shoes, belts, jewellery) all electronic equipment separate then you go through the xray machine and I now know why I always get frisked I have zips in my trousers. Had a good pat down this time even the soles of my feet were checked and this time Richard had a swab for drugs his first for the entire trip. Richard said I have that guilty look and that is why I have pat downs or swabs for drugs, me I think I am the unlucky one who is always randomly picked out.

No money Exchanges open so will have to change Canadian dollars when we get home. No need to hang around went straight through to Departures to find somewhere that was open for breakfast. Found a Tim Horton's and had a bacon, sausage and egg wrap with coffee and muffin for breakfast spent the first $10.00 food voucher and the wrap was very tiny filled the spot. Seeing you have to buy your food and extra drinks on WestJet with the other $10.00 voucher we bought a lunch combo of two wraps, small container of sliced mandarins with coleslaw.

Looked at all the shops bought two neck support pillows so we could sleep on the planes. Went to the Departure Lounge to wait for our flight only to find a cafe where we could have had a decent breakfast for $20.00 but then we wouldn't have had a snack on the plane before getting to LA. Looks like it is going to be a full plane to LA so we were quick to get on board and have the above space for our hand luggage. Have window seats (10E and F) tried to get some sleep on the short flight of just under three hours the turbulence was bad again this morning. Had cross
winds so the landing was a bit bumpy added some excitement to the flight. Took some videos of California as we flying to and over LA before landing.

So far we have been on three flights totaling over 10 hours flying time not to mention time waiting at the Airports in-between flights so we are very tired now. Followed everyone down to the Baggage Claim for our suitcase, boy is it packed here at the LA Airport and this is the Domestic side. We now have to walk all the way to the Tom Badley International Airport, which is next door to the Domestic Airport. It is quite warm in LA and it doesn't help lugging a heavy suitcase and hand luggage security here is unbelievable after yesterday there are police officers and TSA
(Airport security) everywhere.

Well it is 12 noon and our plane to Sydney doesn't leave till 10.20pm tonight so we have ten hours to kill. Went to the Information Desk and there are no facilities to shower and change nor is there a secure area to store your luggage (too many idiots shooting or planting bombs) so we can't leave the Airport unless we book a hotel room for the day. Looks like we won't be going to Venice Beach or touring LA now. Found a trolley (you have to pay $5.00 for one with no refund) and loaded all our bags on and spent the day walking around the International Airport looking at the very few shops had coffees, large muffin cut in two (no Tim Horton's) and Chinese meal for lunch. Did quite a bit of people watching as there were a lot of people checking in at Departures either going on holidays or returning home from holidays.

Found out from different people working at the Airport what happened at Terminal Three when a young disturbed man with a letter from the government came to the airport with the intention of killing as many TSA Officers as he could. He managed to kill one guard who had a young family, seriously wound four other as well as himself and a couple of other civilians with minor injuries. So now we feel very safe with so many police and TSA officers in the building everywhere you turn there is an officer. People we spoke too said we were very lucky missing our flight because the Airport was closed, planes were diverted and the ones that landed had to stay on the tarmac passengers were in planes waiting over five hours to get off.

Finally at 4.00pm the Qantas Counter opened for early check-ins so we quickly joined other people to check in and get rid of our suitcase. It was nice to stand amongst Aussies in the queue but we had one American chap behind us who was telling us his life history of booked their Australian tour and cruise. Like us he has a problem with not having a boarding pass it shows he and his wife have tickets but he hasn't a seat on the plane. It is a full plane and we unfortunately are sitting right down the back of the plane. Next time we go overseas we will book our seats online to get window seats and not get the middle aisle or back of the plane you pay extra but I think it is worth it.

Seeing we had checked in we decided to go straight through departures onto Customs for the second time and through the tight security I got pulled aside again for a drug swab. Was quick getting through security had to go through the xray machine again and then we had another five hours to kill. There were a lot more Duty Free shops to wander through so that took some time. Bought some more Lancome face products seeing they are a lot cheaper in USA than home so will pick them up before we board the plane at the check-in counter.

There was another Panda Express in the Food Hall so we had the same Chinese meal for dinner. While Richard was on his ipad I took some photos on inside the Airport then got my laptop out to get all our receipts up to date when Phyllis Skyped. She and John were so pleased we were still alive and kicking I told her all about the shooting and us missing our flight to LA missing the drama. Beryl my other sister loves drama so she will enjoy the news when Phyllis phones her later to say we are okay.

The Qantas Departure Lounge is filling very quickly so looks like it is another packed flight and there are lots of kids and you know who will have them sitting close by US!!! Glad we bought the neck support pillows made it easier to have a little snoze in the Qantas waiting area.    there are a lot of Americans on the flight we talked to a couple and they are all doing a cruise from Sydney going to New Zealand and the Islands we also saw the chap from Florida so looks like he sorted out his seating on the plane. Seeing we were at the back of the plane we went boarded straight after 1^st Class and Business Class which was great all our hand luggage was above us. We were on the window side with a young chap next to the window thank heavens he was short like us and didn't move around a lot.

The plane we are on is a double jumbo over 550 passengers boarding was quick and the Cabin Crew were really great. Being a busy Airport the plane was in a queue for take off and once again the turbulence was bad even with take off and in the air. Lucky us had kids all around us the babies and two year olds were crying because of the air pressure and not knowing to swallow to unblock their ears. Plus we had a woman who was in Business or 1^st Class but her two kids and Mother were seated in front of us was standing in the aisle continually talking in a loud voice to them for I don't know how long. The Head Attendant knew her so we had the Cabin Crew also coming over and talking to her and the kids plus the other kids around us.

We were so tired we just wanted to sleep but there was so much noise with kids crying and the woman in front I had to see one of the Flight Attendants to get some paracetamol my head was splitting. We exchanged stories about the LA shooting (they were stuck on the tarmac for over five hours) and they were envious of Richard and I travelling across Canada for three months. Buying a car doing over 15,000kms and staying in cabins and cottages on our way.

Richard had a good talk with the young lad next to him, he worked in the family steel metal business plus played in a band. Said how the business had to change with the times as it was hard competing with other countries for business in China or anywhere else. Both of them got deeply involved with politics and how the world was going at least it passed the time.

The Head Flight Attendant gave us a pair of Business Head Sets which block out all the noise, so Richard and I took a sleeping pill and were out of it for part of our fifteen hour flight to Sydney. Woke for meals and refreshments plus walked around the plane the legs were seizing up. The turbulence during the flight was also pretty bad so that didn't help the kids. The young lad next to us was curled up in a ball and slept like the dead didn't wake till breakfast was being served. We drifted in and out of sleep watching movies and listening to music.

Thank heavens they don't spray inside the plane anymore when you fly into Australia, had a bumpy landing but it is great to be back on Australian soil.

To be continued on Monday 4^th November 2013 lost a day when you travel over the International Line.