Actually, we would have thought that after arriving at the hotel the day before, we fell straight into bed, so we would surely sleep a little longer on the first day. But we didn't!
Apparently, our inner clock ran a little faster despite everything and so we were awake quite early and at 6 am already with the first guests at the breakfast buffet. After all, it was a really sunny morning.
Initially still somewhat unsure of the entire C*** rules, how we would have to behave here, we found out quite quickly how similar the situation between Canada and Austria was or is. Masks are compulsory in public buildings and means of transport. In the catering trade: at the table no mask, everywhere else already! So as usual with mask to the buffet.
First look at the buffet: juice machine, various cereals and yogurt, a bit of fruit, freezer with funny things inside, two microwaves, two funny waffle irons, again a machine - in front of it various sauces. That's right: a freezer, too!
After an exchange of puzzled and questioning looks between us, a lady from the service staff also came rushing over right away. She explained to us that the freezer contains, for example, omelets with and without cheese, various hamburgers, scrambled eggs with bacon and boiled eggs. And if we want to eat them: just take them, peel them out of the package, put them in the microwave and, depending on the type of food, press a button on the microwave with the appropriate seconds selection! Only with the cooked eggs we would like to be careful: these should remain in the package, because there is a slight risk of explosion!
On this advice we decided quite simply NOT to take cooked eggs, so that the buffet would remain to us also still a little longer. From our table we could observe that the other guests also did not dare to warm up one of the boiled eggs.
After a hearty breakfast, our top priority was to finally see our motorcycles again. From the room we tried by phone to reach a customs agent from Lufthansa Cargo. In vain, because we had received our waybills and also the necessary contact numbers. In the meantime, however, there had apparently been changes in the procedure: in order to contact an employee by telephone, you now also need the three digits of an extension number for each city or airport. After some research, we gave up. We couldn't find the extension for Montreal anywhere.
Since our hotel was rather close to the airport and we had received an office address in addition to the phone number, we decided to just walk there. The 5km walk was really pleasant, especially after such a flight the day before. The sun was shining, a light wind was blowing - and we had fun slowly getting a picture of the traffic and the road users (everything is just bigger in Canada) and also of the partly funny traffic signs and rules.
Arrived at the office/warehouse building we found the office of Lufthansa Cargo Montreal on the 2nd floor in an infinitely long corridor: closed!
On the door a few nice notes: "We are in the home office and can not be reached by phone, only by e-mail! If you want to pick up something, please go to door no. XXX in building XYZ!"
Fotos above: 1.) endless corridors and everywhere it looks the same! 2.) Finally found the right office: closed and everyone is in home-office!
A bit unsure where this building "XYZ" should actually be, we went back down to the first floor - at least we had seen that there was an office open.
And we were lucky again: it was even the right office with the warehouse workers from the bonded warehouse. There we had to fill out some papers, pay the customs warehouse fees and then we got another pile of papers and the info: "Please take it to the second floor to the right customs office!"
No sooner said than done. So up to the second floor again. There a customs officer in uniform received us with a strict look. Why we would have got such a long visa and why we imported our motorcycles here to Canada. We decided to use the same answer we had already used at the airport when we entered Canada: "Canada is so big and it takes so long to travel with the bikes! ("Canada is so big and it takes so long to travel with the bikes!") - And again, our explanation had the desired effect: just like at the airport, the official started laughing and explained everything to us very precisely and friendly, what we had to fill out and where! Real service!
After we had filled out everything dutifully, we got the longed-for stamp on our papers and the official devoted himself again enthusiastically to the ice hockey match on his cell phone (there were also no other people present).
With the stamps on the papers, we looked at them more closely for the first time: two motorcycles were listed as cargo on the invoice as well as on the new waybill from Lufthansa Cargo (so everything was correct) and 1,121 kg as the weight! We swallowed for the first time.
What had happened to our crates? Because if you roughly calculated: about 250 kg per bike including luggage and about 100 kg per box gives a maximum of 350 kg. Times two, that should be a maximum of 700 kg for two crates!
On our inquiry in the camp office, with which we had to show our papers again, we got a "simple" explanation for the 1,121 kg: All side lengths of the boxes are multiplied with one another and then divided again with a special divisor! The result is then this incredible weight figure! This weight figure should supposedly be essential for transport and invoicing. For us this did not appear really meaningful and/or logical, but "someone must have thought probably something thereby"!
For the warehouse workers at the bonded warehouse, our crates and our next task were a pleasant change from their daily routine. They brought us the boxes to the sunny forecourt right next to the garbage cans, since we had to unpack everything and also reassemble the bikes. They had even offered us their tools, but we then managed very well with our own things. What had happened to our crates? Because if you roughly calculated: about 250 kg per bike including luggage and about 100 kg per box gives a maximum of 350 kg. Times two, that should be a maximum of 700 kg for two crates!
On our inquiry in the warehouse office, where we had to show our papers again, we got a "simple" explanation for the 1,121 kg: All side lengths of the boxes are multiplied with each other and then divided again with a special divider! The result is then this incredible weight figure! This weight figure should supposedly be essential for transport and invoicing. For us this did not appear really meaningful and/or logical, but "someone must have thought probably something thereby"!
For the warehouse workers at the bonded warehouse, our crates and our next task were a pleasant change from their daily routine. They brought us the boxes to the sunny forecourt right next to the garbage cans, since we had to unpack everything and also reassemble the bikes. They had even offered us their tools, but we then managed very well with our own things.
When unpacking, we had a not too nice surprise. Our boxes had been opened by (presumably German) customs. We had expected that.
However, we had not reckoned with the several scratches that were (fortunately "only") caused on the camber and engine guards. Partially had been scratched in some places the entire paint there on several cm2 really large down. Why such a damage was necessary, we do not understand until today!
We had no choice but to add a few more things to our shopping list to protect the exposed areas from rusting too quickly.
Fotos above: 1.) crate was opened by customs! 2.) Andi's crate was only opened from above! 3.) damages by the customs 4.) Also Kerstin's crate was damaged by costums when they tried to open it!
At first we were afraid that we would have to turn every single screw out of the wood of the crates by hand. But although we had built the boxes quite stable and they had survived the flight without any problems (just not the customs!), it was a cinch to break the individual uprights with a little more momentum and thus finally get to our bikes.
1. Step: UNPACKING!
Fotos above: 1.) Crates waiting for us. 2.) The great unpacking! 3.) It's like Easter, Christmas and Birthday together! 4.) The packaging paper is gone! 5.) Screws about screws...
2. Step: ASSEMBLY!
So, with sunshine and ever-so-slight breezes, we reassembled our motorcycles at the forecourt. Our mood was good and after a day in the airplane and in airports, the work did us really good. Not only our mood was good - we also entertained the warehouse workers as well as the people in the office building.
Again and again some of them came up to us and asked where we were from and what our bikes looked like. One of them also said that he had been watching us curiously from the office all morning and now finally had lunch break and could come down! We got really good tips from all of them about the city and its surroundings. We also heard for the first time about the specialty in this area "Poutine".
After about 6 hours of work, the bikes were finally assembled and our luggage, which flew in the box with us, was ready to be loaded. With the leftover lashing straps, which we couldn't take any further, we made another trucker a huge joy. And then it was off to the next gas station, because with only 3 liters in the tank you do not really feel well!
Arrived at the hotel and the bikes well stored in the garage, we could finally take care of our physical well-being. In a restaurant nearby we treated ourselves to the first after-work beer, pizza and tried the recommended poutine. Basic recipe of a Poutine: French fries in gravy with melted cheese balls; depending on the location and restaurant there is still eg bacon, salmon, mushrooms, etc. in it.
Fotos above: 1.) Ready! 2.) First stop at the gasstation in Canada! 3.) Quitting Time! 4 .) Beer, Pizza & Poutine!
We still managed our meal and then already caught up with the time difference - after all, it had been a very long and busy day. So we were not really sad about the fact that rain was announced for the next days and we could "cure" our jetlag and Andi's sunburn a little bit before we finally started to discover Montreal!
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