Vancouver - The Tour

I arrived at Vancouver airport at about 5pm on the 27th and have been staying with Alvin and his family since. So far we have covered pretty much the whole city fairly comprehensively, on teh 28th we took the seabus over to North vancouver and had brunch, followed up by a look around downtown, including the library and Gas Town and a quick peek at Vancouver Tower, which I will go up later some time around sunset to get some good pics of the city.

From Gas Town we headed to SFU - Simon Fraser University which is situated on a massive hill to the North East of downtown and we spent most of the time there hunting for the best photo opportunity! We caught the bus back into town then the skytrain (Canadaian public transport seems to be names in a similar manner to theire towns - Seabus, Skytrain, Bline Bus, its all very very pragmatic, very similar to the town called, Smashed-in-head-buffalo-jump, or Moosejaw, or Swiftcurrent...) Anyway, we visited a big mall called suprisingly, Metrotown! Hehe, I'm sorry toa ll the Canadians for making fun of their awesome place names, but I only just realised exactly how obvious it is!



Today we did a bit of a loop around downtown, visiting UBC first because it has some wonderful views of the city and out towards Vancouver Island, then into Chinatown for lunch (They sell dried lizards! Apparently Chinatown in Vancouver is older then Vancouver!) and Stanley Park on a roundabout way home. Stanley park is beautiful, everything is very green, their is moss everywhere and ferns and dampness and cold unfortunately. Stanley park would be a great place to be able to jog, ride, kayak around anytime of the year.

Got some pics of some Racoons which where pretty tame, then finaly got my phone unlocked! (Screw you Rogers! I'm free!), before we headed for home via an asian bakery so I could shout dessert... Japanese Cheescake - which i'm about to go eat, so toodleloo!

Mum - the gladiator Librarian?

Have been doing some touring of vancouver city with Alvin recently (He has dragged me all around the city, at my request!) and one of the fascinating places we came across was the Vancouver city library! Its built as a replica of the colloseum! Too bad Barooga Library is probably already finnished, mum you could have been the Sparticus of the Berrigan Shire, braking free of the shackles of small town government beuracracy!

Alvin & Myself in North Vancouver - everything is wet and green here!

Crazy Travel Hours

I'm at Alvins now after spending a crazy 32hrs traveling.

Left Calgary at 12:00 noon on the 26th, arrived Regina 1:00am. Couldn't get a taxi to the university so got a lift with some random people! Got my gear from Storage and packed it all down into my new Backpack (Present to self!). Booked a cab for 3:30am and was done packing by 3:00am - Was woried the taxi wasn't going to show, so asked a friend (John) who has just getting into party mode if he could give me a lift to the airport, but the taxi came just as we where leaving so thought it best I went in the taxi.

Flight left Regina for minniapolis at 7am, so got a little bit of sleep at the airport, plus a little on the bus to Regina (2 seats to myself luckily!), arrived in Minniapolis and jumped straight on the plane for Seattle, arrived at Seattle at 1:30pm saskatchewan time, but had to put clock back two hours! anyways, waited around Seattle until 3:30pm vancouver time then flew here and Alvin picked me up! Haven't slept properly for about 36+ hours and considering I went to bed at 6am on boxing day morning and 5am on christmas day morning it has been a long long time without adequate sleep!

I guess it was this lack of sleep that added to my appearance as somethign less then socially acceptable, because I was harrassed by a security gurard at the bus station when she observed me packing some small bottles of alcohol into my bag, stating that if I drank on the bus I would be kicked off - Ia ssurred her they where going under the bus. Anyway, come time to show my ticket and board, the bus driver says "I understand you have been drinking?" Waht am i supposed to say - its christmas, I've been drinking for the last two days! So of course I say "Nope - just packed away some christmas presents." So he informs security and trhey leave me alone.

On arrival back into Canada from Seattle, I ge the third degree from the customs officer. "Where have you come from today?" With dread I go into explaining how I have come from Canada, only to re-enter Canada. Yes I know my student visa is expired I explained - I'm here as a tourist now. So that lead to delays and a trip to the immigration office, where they couldn't understand what the fuss was about. Also - the US customs officer told me I didn't need a US visa at all - I don't think any of these people know what they are doing!

Top it off - One of my bags has had oil of some description spilled on it, so I have to fill out forms etc etc in regards to that! Consider I have only covered a distance of a 3 hour flight in 32Hrs of travel... I'm suprised I was in sucha good mood!

Fiji's next - gurantee more things will go wrong! Anybody know if you need a visa for Fiji? Whoops! Update on the awesoem christmas coming as soon as I have some photos to explain...

Policing Policy:

Thanks to Susy for uncovering this article which is very interesting in light of recent events. I like the approach of this detective and I think any claims that he is a racist would be a case of the pot calling the kettly black. I have infamously claimed that everybody is a racist TO A DEGREE, and I stick by that, b I certainly think this chap has some good points.

Read the article here.

News! Apologies for Late update!

Well, a lot has happened since my last post, and I promise i will get around to adressing the comments which make this blog so much more interesting! In fact - I plan to make a whole blog post in relation to the discussion contributed by the members of The Agora.

However, personal news:

• Flashback: Some time in October? I collided heads with Reid playing Dodge Pong. I tried to equalise my ears by pinching my nose and blowing, suspicously air came out my ear!
• Exams Finnished 15th December 12 Noon.
• Bus to Banff via Calgary on 15th December 7:45 pm.
• Arrive Banff 16th December 9:oo am-ish.
• Greyhound has a wierd bus policy - no guarantee you will get a seat unless you pay extra $. If you don't get a seat, you have to wait for the next bus! We got a seat.
• 16/12: Checked out Banff Caves and Sulphur Cavern, Banff Town.
• 17/12: Snowboarding @ Norque, Magda impressed herself by remembering how to Ski! Awesome cook-your-own dinner at Japanese restaurant. Visited Banff Hotsprings that night - only to get water in my ear. Spent the night in agony.
• 18/12: Woke up (7am) to find blood on Pillow. Informed no GP's in town, so had to checkinto emergency at Banff Hospital. Result, Punctured Ear drum and infected Middle Ear. $700.
• Still managed to Go up the Banff Gondola that day for an awesome view of Bow Valley, and went Ice Skating on the Bow River, caught the bus back to Calgary, got a bum steer from a taxi driver and walk around downtown Calgary for an Hour before we found our old fashioned Hotel. Sleep: 11pm.
• 19/12: Sightseeing in Calgary, Calgary Olympic park and Calgary Tower at Night (Awesome).
• 20/12: More sightseeing & Shopping, arrange accomodation and see Magda off at airport 9pm.
• 21/12: Organise! I have no money left, so no more sightseeing!

Sorry for the boring, Diary style update! i still dunno what my results are and may not find out until January - More philospohy as soon as I knowwhat I'm doing! Alvin has kindly offered me a place to stay fora while in Vancouver so I need to save some money for the snowboarding we have planned there, which will be awesome!
Hope everybody is having a awesome time and looking forward to Christmas.
Damian.