Friday 17 October 2008

Hiking in the rain!

Today it is raining in Vancouver. I also have a cold (for the first time since March 2007). I blame my mum for this, plus the boiling hot plane on Tuesday, plus the lack of sleep. Every morning so far, I wake up at around 3am, my body reluctant to let me sleep any later than mid-morning UK time. And because we've been so busy during the days, I am exhausted.

Today we went hiking! We went on a tour with the hostel, to Capilano suspension bridge and the rainforest around it. It was pouring with rain, so it was actually really cool, because we saw all this mist over the dam. We saw eagles, salmon jumping over the dams, and baby squirrels. Honestly, I'm in my element here, the amount of wildlife around. The walk was really good, we walked on the world's longest trail (it goes all along Canada). We didn't walk all of it though. We hiked up trails and it was slippy and difficult, but I didn't fall until we got back to the city centre, when I fell on my bum down some shopping centre steps. The suspension bridge was very cool, if a little Santa's grotto-esque.

Yesterday we went to sort our social security numbers. We went to the orientation for new BUNAC people and got completely confused by banks (they charge you to have an account) and mobiles (they charge you to receive calls). We have not yet made progress with either matter. Seamus also realised his visa (stapled into his passport) says he was born in Scotland. I realised how many people have trouble pronouncing 'Seamus'.

Tomorrow we're heading to Vancouver Island to stay in Victoria for a couple of days, then coming back to Vancouver for a week to wait for our social security numbers and see some more sights. On the 28th, we're taking a bus to Shuswap Lake, and staying there for a night, then continuing our bus journey onto Banff. Day after, we'll travel from Banff to Calgary, stay there about eleven hours, before finally arriving in Waterton Lakes National Park on 31st October. This will (hopefully) be where we remain until April. We have jobs for a hotel there, it looks really beautiful, and should have lots of snow and skiing and walking, we have an apartment there for while we're working. So if anyone wants to come stay in the middle of nowhere, you'd be welcome....there may be bears. Waterton Park is joined with Glacier Park, in Montana - the two meet at the US-Canada border, it's seen as a peace union thing.

Ok so we're going out for dinner soon. We ate at two great restaurants yesterday, so I'm hoping we find somewhere good tonight too.

3 comments:

Marcus Cyganiak said...

As a fellow Vancouverite, I'm glad to see the both of you enjoying your time here. The hiking and wilderness sure is awesome here.

It's too bad you won't get to experience the entertainment aspect of our city though when it comes to hockey. Going to a Vancouver Canucks game is one of the best experiences. I always take my relatives, who visit from Italy, to a Canucks game if it's their first time in Canada. It's our version of your soccer (football).

Hope you have a great time during the rest of your travels in Canada.

http://marcuscyganiak.blogspot.com/

Katy said...

We're actually going to the game next Saturday before we leave! Thanks for the comment x

vikki said...

Hello Katy, Vikki and I are in an internet cafe in London! We thought we would catch up on your adventures, plus it is raining really heavily outside.. Love the photos, hope your bum doesn't hurt too much from falling down the steps (Vikki genuinely "lol"ed at that!). Miss your cute face, and say hello to Seamus from us! Does the fact that his visa is wrong now mean he's living outside the law?! Lots of love, Cragge & Vikki xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx