Hello From Canada
Trip went pretty well. I got an aisle seat a good distance from the film screen on the plane, so I got to see Shall We Dance (starring Richard Gere and Jennifer Lopez's Butt) clearly. For the record Jennifer Lopez's Butt out-acted Gere. I sat next to Mrs Fidgety Elbow-Room - who was nice enough but couldn't relax or share an arm rest.
The first leg took 9 1/2 hours. We stopped in Honolulu long enough to go through customs and get back on the plane. I regret not getting a new passport since I had to answer a few additional q's in customs after a couple of double-takes at my photo (I have a shaved head and a goatee in the photo - plus mum reckons the photo makes me look middle-eastern).
Second leg took 6 hours and wasn't so bad. Then I got off the plane went through immigration and caught the right bus (the 99) in the wrong direction, so I got see a bit more of Vancouver than I'd planned for the first day. I also sat across from a crack head, which concerned me at the time but in retrospect wasn't that bad considering the location of my hostel.
The Cambie Hostel (henceforth known as the Firetrap) is in historic Gastown, right next to Cracktown. There are hundreds of homeless people in Vancouver. Lots of beggars, junkies and crack heads. It's still pretty safe as long as you stick to main roads. My room in the Firetrap is very basic and the bathrooms even more basic. The common room is nice though. I'm sitting in it now - looking out at the massive mountains that stand across the harbour.
The weather is beautiful. Nice spring days with cool air and the pollution isn't so bad today so the mountains are in clear view.
Tonight I see the Weakerthans for the first time...
Anyway, better get out and amongst it.
The first leg took 9 1/2 hours. We stopped in Honolulu long enough to go through customs and get back on the plane. I regret not getting a new passport since I had to answer a few additional q's in customs after a couple of double-takes at my photo (I have a shaved head and a goatee in the photo - plus mum reckons the photo makes me look middle-eastern).
Second leg took 6 hours and wasn't so bad. Then I got off the plane went through immigration and caught the right bus (the 99) in the wrong direction, so I got see a bit more of Vancouver than I'd planned for the first day. I also sat across from a crack head, which concerned me at the time but in retrospect wasn't that bad considering the location of my hostel.
The Cambie Hostel (henceforth known as the Firetrap) is in historic Gastown, right next to Cracktown. There are hundreds of homeless people in Vancouver. Lots of beggars, junkies and crack heads. It's still pretty safe as long as you stick to main roads. My room in the Firetrap is very basic and the bathrooms even more basic. The common room is nice though. I'm sitting in it now - looking out at the massive mountains that stand across the harbour.
The weather is beautiful. Nice spring days with cool air and the pollution isn't so bad today so the mountains are in clear view.
Tonight I see the Weakerthans for the first time...
Anyway, better get out and amongst it.
posted by woden pete @ 12:00 PM
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