I'm home from Edmonton. It was an amazing experience, one I wouldn't trade for the world. Now I'm back in the full swing of things and back to my old blogosphere at www.lauraadventure.blogspot.com, so visit me there.
-Laur
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Almost the End
I'm back in Edmonton, and I'm happy to be here. I slept in a quiet, comfortable room in a quiet, comfortable bed, and showered in a clean, well-lit bathroom. It may sound like I'm complaining about the conditions at the Samesun Backpackers Lodge in Vancouver, but really I can sum up my experiences in Vancouver in one simple word: fantastic.
Right now I have so much to do and take care of that I don't have time to write a really great travel post on my VanCity adventures, so instead I'll tell you this:
- I took over a thousand pictures during my 9-day stay
- I cycled around Stanley Park on a rented bike
- I ran into Robin Williams in the bike shop as I was returning said rental bike
- I revelled in the splendour of 3 different professional gardens
- I cooed to a 2.5 month old baby beluga whale, regardless of how ridiculous I sounded
- I ate won ton soup with noodles and bbq pork at a legendary Chinatown restaurant
- I went out for all-u-can-eat sushi and diner-style milkshakes with an old friend and 2 new ones
- I gave a loonie to a homeless guy who held the door for me at 7-Eleven
- I saw the Vancouver skyline from 350 feet above the city in the sun and after dark
- I wouldn't have done a single thing differently
-Laur
Right now I have so much to do and take care of that I don't have time to write a really great travel post on my VanCity adventures, so instead I'll tell you this:
- I took over a thousand pictures during my 9-day stay
- I cycled around Stanley Park on a rented bike
- I ran into Robin Williams in the bike shop as I was returning said rental bike
- I revelled in the splendour of 3 different professional gardens
- I cooed to a 2.5 month old baby beluga whale, regardless of how ridiculous I sounded
- I ate won ton soup with noodles and bbq pork at a legendary Chinatown restaurant
- I went out for all-u-can-eat sushi and diner-style milkshakes with an old friend and 2 new ones
- I gave a loonie to a homeless guy who held the door for me at 7-Eleven
- I saw the Vancouver skyline from 350 feet above the city in the sun and after dark
- I wouldn't have done a single thing differently
-Laur
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Farewell Vancouver Island...
Until we meet again.
I'll be leaving the island on the 12:55 ferry from Departure Bay, and while I'm sad to go because this place is so amazing, I'm very excited to hit VanCity and see what it's all about.
Yesterday Jim made 17 jars of dill pickles from scratch while I did various things around the house and took Maggie on a walk; after lunch we headed to Parksville where we saw some fantastic sand castles, and then got back in the car and took Maggie to Little Qualicum Falls. It was AMAZING there, so gorgeous and rain-foresty, and even though it was raining it was warm and gorgeous. On our way back from the Falls we stopped in Coombs again to see the goats on the roof and look around a bit; I found a thank-you tee shirt for Reta with some illustrated Cathedral Grove trees on the front, and conversed with the lady who owned the fudge shop, who was originally from Hamilton.
In the evening after dinner Reta and I went 2 doors down to Doreen and Howard's house; they're two older people who have been friends to Jim and Reta since they arrived on the island. They have two cats, Pumpkin who was abused in her first home and rarely greets guests, and Holly who is deliciously tubby and pure black, not to mention very cuddly. We had a chat and some tea with Doreen, who is delightfully British, and then came back to the house. It rained pretty hard so it was cool and not so cheerful, but it was good to experience both ends of Vancouver Island weather instead of being duped into thinking that it's gorgeous and sunny there all the time.
Now I'm waiting for my clothes to dry, and soon we'll head out the door and I'll be gone from this place until the next time I have enough money to visit.
Such experiences!!
-Laur
I'll be leaving the island on the 12:55 ferry from Departure Bay, and while I'm sad to go because this place is so amazing, I'm very excited to hit VanCity and see what it's all about.
Yesterday Jim made 17 jars of dill pickles from scratch while I did various things around the house and took Maggie on a walk; after lunch we headed to Parksville where we saw some fantastic sand castles, and then got back in the car and took Maggie to Little Qualicum Falls. It was AMAZING there, so gorgeous and rain-foresty, and even though it was raining it was warm and gorgeous. On our way back from the Falls we stopped in Coombs again to see the goats on the roof and look around a bit; I found a thank-you tee shirt for Reta with some illustrated Cathedral Grove trees on the front, and conversed with the lady who owned the fudge shop, who was originally from Hamilton.
In the evening after dinner Reta and I went 2 doors down to Doreen and Howard's house; they're two older people who have been friends to Jim and Reta since they arrived on the island. They have two cats, Pumpkin who was abused in her first home and rarely greets guests, and Holly who is deliciously tubby and pure black, not to mention very cuddly. We had a chat and some tea with Doreen, who is delightfully British, and then came back to the house. It rained pretty hard so it was cool and not so cheerful, but it was good to experience both ends of Vancouver Island weather instead of being duped into thinking that it's gorgeous and sunny there all the time.
Now I'm waiting for my clothes to dry, and soon we'll head out the door and I'll be gone from this place until the next time I have enough money to visit.
Such experiences!!
-Laur
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Tofino Rollercoaster
I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Yesterday Jim and Maggie and I drove to Tofino, which is a resort town on the other side of the island. We left at 9:45 and arrived at 3...it's a 2+ hour drive. We stopped 4 times in between, once in Coombs at a shop and restaurant that boasted goats on the roof; once at Sproat Lake Provincial Park to stretch Maggie's legs and see some awesome petroglyphs; once at some crazy rocks we found that people were climbing all over; and lastly at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park. When we finally got to Tofino we only stayed long enough to eat an excellent ice cream cone and wander around for a while, taking in some local sights and asking about whale watching tours.
On the way back we stopped in Cathedral Grove, an area of the rain forest that boasts Red cedar trees that are over 300 years old. By the time we got home we were exhausted, but it was an excellent day.
Highlights of the day:
- jumping around on rocks that had been shaped by the flow of water over thousands of years
- walking down a mysterious and dramatic Long Beach with my shoes and socks off
- watching Maggie chase sandpipers on said mysterious beach
- Moose Tracks ice cream cone in Tofino
- standing inside a 300+ year old cedar tree in Cathedral Grove
- taking a picture of a young black bear from 2.5 feet away, window OPEN
- the Pacific Ocean
- golden retrievers
Lowlights:
- carsickness
Almost 6 more days to go and I haven't even hit Vancouver yet. MADNESS.
-Laur
Yesterday Jim and Maggie and I drove to Tofino, which is a resort town on the other side of the island. We left at 9:45 and arrived at 3...it's a 2+ hour drive. We stopped 4 times in between, once in Coombs at a shop and restaurant that boasted goats on the roof; once at Sproat Lake Provincial Park to stretch Maggie's legs and see some awesome petroglyphs; once at some crazy rocks we found that people were climbing all over; and lastly at Long Beach in Pacific Rim National Park. When we finally got to Tofino we only stayed long enough to eat an excellent ice cream cone and wander around for a while, taking in some local sights and asking about whale watching tours.
On the way back we stopped in Cathedral Grove, an area of the rain forest that boasts Red cedar trees that are over 300 years old. By the time we got home we were exhausted, but it was an excellent day.
Highlights of the day:
- jumping around on rocks that had been shaped by the flow of water over thousands of years
- walking down a mysterious and dramatic Long Beach with my shoes and socks off
- watching Maggie chase sandpipers on said mysterious beach
- Moose Tracks ice cream cone in Tofino
- standing inside a 300+ year old cedar tree in Cathedral Grove
- taking a picture of a young black bear from 2.5 feet away, window OPEN
- the Pacific Ocean
- golden retrievers
Lowlights:
- carsickness
Almost 6 more days to go and I haven't even hit Vancouver yet. MADNESS.
-Laur
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Tremendous...exhilarating...super, natural British Columbia
If I had words to describe to you the profound and unbelievable beauty of Lantzville, Vancouver Island, British Columbia...I wouldn't even write them. I would show you through a series of lovingly taken photos, which are currently trapped within the confines of my camera.
Spectacular.
-Laur
Spectacular.
-Laur
Friday, August 15, 2008
So soon...
The Muamar family returned from Egypt on Wednesday, and on Thursday morning Rachael was kind enough to have us over for tea to celebrate their return.
Shireen managed to get even more gorgeous while they were away. It astounds me. I couldn't catch Hanna, as she was too fast for me. She's also gorgeous, and I think she had a good time.
This picture is on the way home from my WEM adventure with Nicole. We were both tired and a bit sore from crashing through the waves for 2 hours, but it was definitely worth it.An update:
My possible accomodation plans in Vancouver fell through so I've booked 4 nights at the SameSun Backpacker Lodge in downtown Vancouver, at 1018 Granville Street near Nelson. It's in a co-ed dorm, but the price was right and I could get all 4 nights there without a fuss.
I've never done anything like this before, but seeing as I'm staying with Uncle Jim, a world-class budget traveler, for 4 days before I head back to VanCity, I know I'll get lots of awesome tips and tricks to help make my stay famous.
I should be asleep right now but I'm just too excited! When I couldn't buzz around anymore I watched the extended version of Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous, a DVD I wisely brought with me. It helped calm me down, and now at 1:30 am, I'm ready for sleep. In 5.5 hours I'm going to get up, shower, vacuum the basement, pack some lunch and snacks into my trusty red MEC backpack, and head to the airport. My boarding pass is printed, my bag is full to bursting, and I am so excited for the adventure that awaits me.
I'll blog, possibly with photos, if I can. Otherwise, talk to y'all on the 24th :D
-Laur
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Musk-rat?
Nicole and I went to the Servus Heritage Festival in Hawrelak Park a few weeks ago and we had a blast. One of the most fun moments was chilling by the river and feeding Honey Bunches of Oats to overeager ducks AND dun dun duuuuun...a muskrat. Why is it called a muskrat? We didn't smell anything musky when it came near us. It looked more like a beaver with the wrong tail. And it was a fast swimmer; I wasn't fast enough to whip out my camera and take a picture of it swimming across the river with a mouth full of a river grass for its nest. Very cute.
Then in front of the Scandinavian pavillion there were these trolls. If I were a child, like the one in the picture, I would be running for my life from those warty giants. As a 21 year old woman I almost ran screaming. I got close enough to take this picture, get a few explanations about the trolls' presence at the fest, and then booked it back to the Vietnam pavillion for some DELICIOUS beef skewer and hot pork spring rolls.
I love this face. Honestly. Already missing you, babe.
Here I am, in all my squinty glory, picking rhubarb in the backyard. It was HOT that week. I loved every second of it.I'm just taking a break from packing because tomorrow night I have to clean the bathroom and vacuum in order to be ready for Friday morning. SO EXCITED!
-Laur
Monday, August 11, 2008
No sleep
So it's 12:25 am, I've got a summer cold, and I can't sleep. I burned a CD of pictures for Keerti so I can finally give them to her and beg forgiveness for putting it off so long, and then I surfed around the web for a while, and now I'm blogging.
I'm obsessing, actually, about my current living non-arrangements for while I'm in Vancouver. The Nanaimo part is easy because Uncle Jim is there, but VanCity? Not so much. It's starting to get to me, this not-knowing business. Sometimes I like to fool myself into thinking that I'm a spontaneous, exciting woman, but I have to tell you, it's not happening. I need to know how everything works and if the plan is up to date or not. The plan is stalled. I'm anxious. Good times.
Meanwhile, my departure date is getting closer and closer, and I have everything planned right up to how I'm getting back to Vancouver from Nanaimo. That can be solved by buying a Greyhound ticket, but if y'all haven't been living under a rock lately, the Greyhound has recently collected a few no-so-legendy urban tales. About beheadings and dismemberments. I'm not a silly girl, but that kind of thing shakes me up a little bit. I guess I just won't sleep on the bus.
On a lighter note, Rebecca, Sami, Hannah and Shireen get back from Egypt on Wednesday! I'm so glad I get to see them before I leave. Gramma and I are invited to tea at Rachael's house on Thursday morning so we can hear of adventures and the like. I can't wait!
I also have to report that I spent a lovely evening with my manager at the floral department, Connie, on Friday. We went to her new house on her acreage in Sherwood Park and had iced tea on the back deck, and then we went for sushi and a movie at South Common. We saw Mamma Mia and ate too much popcorn. It was fantastic. I'm really going to miss her.
Okay, time for another go at this sleep thing!
-Laur
I'm obsessing, actually, about my current living non-arrangements for while I'm in Vancouver. The Nanaimo part is easy because Uncle Jim is there, but VanCity? Not so much. It's starting to get to me, this not-knowing business. Sometimes I like to fool myself into thinking that I'm a spontaneous, exciting woman, but I have to tell you, it's not happening. I need to know how everything works and if the plan is up to date or not. The plan is stalled. I'm anxious. Good times.
Meanwhile, my departure date is getting closer and closer, and I have everything planned right up to how I'm getting back to Vancouver from Nanaimo. That can be solved by buying a Greyhound ticket, but if y'all haven't been living under a rock lately, the Greyhound has recently collected a few no-so-legendy urban tales. About beheadings and dismemberments. I'm not a silly girl, but that kind of thing shakes me up a little bit. I guess I just won't sleep on the bus.
On a lighter note, Rebecca, Sami, Hannah and Shireen get back from Egypt on Wednesday! I'm so glad I get to see them before I leave. Gramma and I are invited to tea at Rachael's house on Thursday morning so we can hear of adventures and the like. I can't wait!
I also have to report that I spent a lovely evening with my manager at the floral department, Connie, on Friday. We went to her new house on her acreage in Sherwood Park and had iced tea on the back deck, and then we went for sushi and a movie at South Common. We saw Mamma Mia and ate too much popcorn. It was fantastic. I'm really going to miss her.
Okay, time for another go at this sleep thing!
-Laur
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Trepidation
Wow, I am getting SO BAD AT THIS! I really don't mean to leave so long between posts, but I'm so darn busy all the time, and dun dun duuuuuun...my laptop is giving me some serious trouble. It seems about time to get a new one. Oh boy.
So in the last 10 days I have...seen the Dark Knight with Uncle Jim, gone shopping with Auntie Brenda, played with three cats who were not mine (boohoo, miss my babies) at Leslie's house, gone to Calgary to see Janie, driven Auntie Bren to the airport while trying not to be insanely jealous of the fact that she was going to the cottage when she got to Toronto, gone to Heritage Fest with Nicole Nicole Nicoleeeee and last but not lease, booked my flight to Vancouver!
Now comes the tricky part: I have no where to stay in Vancouver. At least no where free. Hmmm. I'm going to Nanaimo first to kind of put off not having a place to stay in Vancouver, but I don't even leave until the 15th so I really need to get my act together and make some sort of plan. Does anyone have any ideas? Keep in mind I'm on a budget and I really don't want this trip to cost as much as, let's say, Cancun for 7 days.
When I get back from BC I'll have about a day to turn around, pack my stuff up and get ready to go home on the 26th. I simply cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was walking into Safeway and interviewing for my job in the floral department. In a few short days I will have been working there for 3 months.
Oh the stories I'll tell when I'm back in T.O.
Hope everyone there is having a delightful Caribana weekend. It's frickin' cold over here.
-Laur
So in the last 10 days I have...seen the Dark Knight with Uncle Jim, gone shopping with Auntie Brenda, played with three cats who were not mine (boohoo, miss my babies) at Leslie's house, gone to Calgary to see Janie, driven Auntie Bren to the airport while trying not to be insanely jealous of the fact that she was going to the cottage when she got to Toronto, gone to Heritage Fest with Nicole Nicole Nicoleeeee and last but not lease, booked my flight to Vancouver!
Now comes the tricky part: I have no where to stay in Vancouver. At least no where free. Hmmm. I'm going to Nanaimo first to kind of put off not having a place to stay in Vancouver, but I don't even leave until the 15th so I really need to get my act together and make some sort of plan. Does anyone have any ideas? Keep in mind I'm on a budget and I really don't want this trip to cost as much as, let's say, Cancun for 7 days.
When I get back from BC I'll have about a day to turn around, pack my stuff up and get ready to go home on the 26th. I simply cannot believe how fast this summer has flown by. It seems like only yesterday I was walking into Safeway and interviewing for my job in the floral department. In a few short days I will have been working there for 3 months.
Oh the stories I'll tell when I'm back in T.O.
Hope everyone there is having a delightful Caribana weekend. It's frickin' cold over here.
-Laur
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