2016-04-13

20:15: Edmonton, AB.

Crossed the border into Canada today. That experience shook me up way more than I expected.

Not that I’ve done a lot of entry into foreign countries, but I’ve:

• Run from cops looking for a shakedown in Mexico.
• Done land-based border crossings surrounded by well-armed soldiers between two nations in which I did not speak the language
• Had an immigration official yell at me in a language I did not speak

None of that compared to the grilling I got trying to get into Canada. Makes me wonder:

• Are there that many Americans trying to sneak into Canada and never leave? What for?
• What are Canadians hiding that is so amazing?

Seriously…seems a little suspect. I’m going to be on the lookout for streets made of chocolate and gold.

Or, maybe Linda was just having a bad day.

Or, maybe they have just have weird bureaucratic idiosyncracies. They are still a monarchy, afterall.

I feel worse for the guy that was in front of me. English wasn’t his first language and he was a victim of one of those really dumb technicalities. He had all his paperwork in order, but the letter of the law required that he:

1. Get back in his car and drive the 8 feet to the U.S.A. border and get rejected with the full intent that he would and should be rejected
2. Turn his car around and proceed back through the Canadian checkpoint at which point he would be allowed in (he was).

The simplest explanation really is: they have streets of chocolate and gold

Also, due to the low oil prices, Alberta just passed an historical budget that will ensure their grandchildren will never get out of debt. So, maybe a lot of the people here are feeling frustated and that the boat just can’t hold any more people.

Either way, it was a strange and unexpected vibe / experience at the Candian border.