Aloha- Welcome to America!

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Despite the fact that my visit to Hawaii was a brief transit stop it definitely deserves a special mention. My visit to the land of the free was very memorable.
The plane trip to Honolulu was uneventful but very long. We were entertained by quality films such as 'The fantastic four' and yet another Adam Sandler movie that was just like all the other ones! We arrived in Honolulu at 1am because the plane was running late and were informed that everyone had to leave the plane with their carry-on bags and go through American customs and immigration. We were led into the arrivals terminal, downstairs and outside, into an elevator and back inside to the main part of the terminal. The first thing I noticed on exiting the lift into the airport was an American flag and a big framed photo of George Bush (just what I wanted to see at that hour!)
We then walked through to immigration where we had to fill out forms to get green cards. Passing through there we were fingerprinted, photographed and questioned. We then had to go through customs. Before customs they were conducting 'random' bag searches. Three customs officers were blocking the entry checking all passports and then deciding who could go straight to customs. Everyone else around me was waved through but when the guy looked in my passport, he saw that I had Indonesia and Thailand stamped. He bailed me up and sent me to have my bag searched. For 10 minutes I was questioned about where I had been, when and why. Meanwhile, everyone else passed straight through. He searched my bag and checked all my prescription medication before typing notes into his computer, which I found particularly disturbing (along with the fingerprinting and digital photograph). Finally they let me through and I got through customs.
We then had to go through a security check. This involved taking our shoes off and putting them through xray with our bags and coats. I went through but got sent back because my boarding pass was in my bag. I had to get it out and go through security again!
All of this to get back on board the plane and fly out again. Goodbye America!
I must add that when I got to Vancouver I went straight from the plane to immigration. There was no queue. The guy asked what I was planning to do, stamped by passport and that was it. I walked over, picked my bag straight up and walked out of the airport. Oh Canada...

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Comments

[Melanie]

That's very funny
So my sister's a suspected drug mule, huh? Sounds like quite an ordeal. Guess you won't be trying to visit the US of A again anytime soon. Sent you an e-mail. Hope this trip provides the inspiration you're looking for!

[Darwin Chiong]

Drug Smuggler
Hey Nattie! All those Asian countries must have raised your suspect level to the highest. He he he he. It's funny. I travelled last week domestically to Cebu for Advertising Congress and me and my office mates were surprised when we were asked by an airport personnel to remove our belts in public and to put it through the x-ray machine along with our mobile phones and all our hand carry bags. But you guys had to remove your shoes. So my belt experience wasn't that bad after all. Ha ha ha! Only in America! Enjoy Canada! Love yah!