SURROUNDED BY CANADIAN TOTEM POLES IN STANLEY PARK.
We leave New Zealand on a fine sunny day, probably one of the best since we have been here. The 18th December was going to be the longest day of our lives so far, our twelve hour direct flight to Canada crosses the international date line, meaning that after leaving Auckland at 2100 hours we actually land in Canada at midday still on the same day, taking us from being thirteen hours in front of the UK, to being some eight hours behind the UK. The flight itself was pretty good apart from a very bumpy patch just as the wine was served with the dinner, but good news neither of us spilt any of the wine and once Jan had finished squeezing the life out of the armrest we settled down to a few hours of shut eye before landing at Vancouver. Only immigration to get through which was a bit of a concern as the information we got from the Canadian embassy in Wellington, conflicted with the Canadian government’s website. The embassy told us that we had to have an onward flight booked, to prove that you wouldn’t overstay the six months that all UK residents are allowed to stay in Canada. Whereas on the website, you didn’t necessarily have to have a flight booked, just be able to prove that you could support yourself and you wouldn’t be over staying the six month period. We didn’t want to book a flight because we will be driving back across Canada and then flying home from somewhere on the east coast, but as yet we are still not sure as where, we haven’t even set a definite date yet, apart from the fact that it must be no later than June 18th, which is the last day of our six months in Canada. We print off our bank account details and the rental agreement for our ski lodge, ready for the grilling from the border staff, but after only a few questions, on where we were actually going to spend Xmas in Canada, we didn’t dare tell them we were actually going to spend Xmas in the states, it would have made it much too complicated, we were allowed to enter, what an anti climax, oh well at least we were prepared. We were met by my relatives Jack & Frankie who live in Vancouver but also have a place down on Lummi Island in the states which is where we are going to be spending Xmas with them.
MT BAKER FROM THE LOUNGE WINDOW
So after landing in Vancouver at midday we arrive at the USA border some two hours later, ready to be photographed, fingerprinted and recorded onto the American database, complete with twenty questions on why we are entering the country, all for the costly fee of £7.00 for the two of us. So there we have it December 18th turned out to be a day which was 45 hours long, in which we spent time in both the southern and northern hemisphere, taking in three countries, before finally sleeping soundly, in a cabin on an Island, overlooking Mount Baker in the states.
PART OF THE FAMILY RACOON'S ON THE DECK
MT BAKER SUNRISE, TAKEN BY JACK, BECAUSE WE WEREN'T UP IN TIME AGAIN!!
We make the most of being in the states and go shopping in Bellingham for some cheap warm clothes to supplement the shorts & T shirts that our wardrobe presently consists of. I get one other pair of trousers and Jan gets, trousers, jeans, tops, shoes, jumpers, can she now say I have nothing to wear, you bet!! Xmas day is spent at my cousin Jackie’s place, with a traditional turkey dinner with all the family, slightly different to our last Xmas which was up in the Blue mountains with John and his family and a BBQ, both very nice and both very different.
A CANADIAN/USA/UK, FAMILY GATHERING FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER
Making our way back into Canada for New Year, it’s time to look for a vehicle, we need something that’s going to get us about for the next five months through snow, rain & perhaps even some sun, taking us all the way across Canada for our final flight from the east coast, so it would be handy if it was also possible to be able to sleep in it as well for the odd nights when the bears might be about!!! Bearing in mind we have to sell this vehicle on the east coast where we know nobody, we opt for something a bit cheaper so that it is in the backpacker price range and easier to get rid of later on. After spending three days of looking at several vehicles that turn out to be a complete waste of time and dealers that won’t let you take them for a test drive unless you’re definitely going to buy it, “HUH” how will I know if I am going to buy it until I have driven it!!!! We eventually find a very clean Ford Explorer 4wd that fits the bill perfectly, after doing the deal for $3000, with Kevin the owner it’s the simple job of registering and insuring the vehicle in my name, did I just say simple!!
BACK ON THE ROAD AGAIN
All countries have their own different ways of creating paperwork on vehicle ownership and Canada is no exception. All car insurance in British Columbia has to be through the local government so it’s one price and that is never cheap, coupled with the fact that Melissa our agent didn’t read her computer screen properly means that we spend the next couple of hours trying to get suitable proof of I.D to register the vehicle in my name, Melissa wanted a Canadian passport or birth certificate which just wasn’t going to happen. After calls to the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia, and the Canadian governments immigration dept they finally take my British passport and English drivers licence as proof of ID, so after a couple of hours, and a fee of £680 for six months insurance, I am now the proud new owner of a Canadian vehicle. Vancouver, well what a wet city this is turning out to be, Wales has nothing on this, we didn’t even see this much rain when we were travelling through Asia during the monsoon season. Not one day goes by without a heavy downpour, at least we have put the wipers through their paces on our new car.
EITHER THESE CANADIANS ARE TALL, OR I'M SHRINKING IN ALL THE RAIN!!
Leaving Vancouver on a very wet Wednesday 13th January, we catch the ferry across to Vancouver Island to meet up with our daughter, Charlotte & her boyfriend Jamie, who are managing a ski chalet up on Mt Washington.
A GREY DAY FOR A FERRY CROSSING TO VANCOUVER ISLAND
This will be the first time we have seen them since leaving home some 21 months ago, so expectations are high as we arrive at the mountain, unfortunately we can’t use the front door as guests are in the chalet, so it’s off to the trades mans entrance, around the back, which just happens to be under four foot of snow, after sinking up to our waist in soft snow we finally get to the door to be greeted by our daughter complete with some garbage bags that the people in the chalet upstairs asked us to get as we battled through the thigh deep snow, good job we turned up when we did then!
HOME SWEET HOME FOR TWO WEEKS
STEPS TO HELP IN THE SOFT SNOW BY THE BACK DOOR
After spending a day settling in and catching up on the past two year’s news, It’s time to try out our new skis that we brought online from a company in the states. Prices in the states are much cheaper than we have seen back in the UK, and as we are going to be skiing for some eight weeks over here, it works out cheaper to buy than to rent. The slopes are definitely much less crowded than back in Europe, and with the huge amounts of soft powder snow, it’s a whole new challenge to our skiing skills. After several falls, including a couple of spectacular front somersaults (must remember to keep those tips up on the turns) we are finally getting the hang of landing softly in three foot of soft snow!
THE SNOW IS QUITE DEEP HERE ISN'T IT ?
LOOKING GOOD, FIRST TIME ON A SNOWBOARD & STILL UPRIGHT!!!!!
SOME OF US WOULD JUST RATHER TAKE IT EASY ON THE SLOPES
Our vehicle is bearing up well in the snowy conditions; 4wd coupled with the winter tyres means we haven’t been stuck anywhere yet, even climbing through piles of snow left by the plough at the side of the road to get back to our parking spot,
THIS IS MORE LIKE IT
it’s looking good for getting us to & from the Big White resort in a couple of weeks time with our visitors from the UK, who hopefully won’t be having to push us out of any snow drifts! Although they should be pretty good at it by now, looking at the weather that you have had back in the UK since we have been gone. This two week stay with our daughter has just flown by, much like the two years that we have been travelling.
GUESS WHO'S GOT THE HEIGHT ADVANTAGE
We did get an opportunity to drive up Vancouver Island to visit Strathcona lodge, where Charlotte worked in the summer,
A ROSE BETWEEN TWO THORNS !!!
as it turned out they had one of the Olympic torches there that had been used in one of the legs across Canada. I thought these torches were carried by runners all the way from one Olympic venue to the next, but these torches are only used in the towns, and a runner only carries the flame for about 300 metres and then a new runner and torch takes over, each torch being sold off afterwards for some $3000 dollars, so it’s a great little earner for the mighty Olympic machine. Jan wasted no time in running a few hundred metres outside the lodge with the torch, just getting some practice in, in case she ever takes up running again on her return to England (Felixstowe half marathon has even been mentioned)!!
Well we have now been in Canada some six weeks, adjusting to walking around in the constant rain, I can now see the attraction for covered in shopping malls over here, saves on umbrellas. The winter Olympic games starts in two weeks, here in Vancouver. We are pleased that we are leaving the city as the road closures have already started having an impact on traffic chaos, and it will only get worse once the games begin, it will be interesting to see how London will cope in 2012, I think I can already guess! Tomorrow we leave Vancouver for Kelowna and Big White ski resort where we are looking forward to six weeks skiing, meeting up with friends and family who are flying out from the UK to join us during this time. After that it’s the long drive back along the world’s longest highway across Canada, looking forward to our return (I suppose) later in June and catching up with you all then. So until the next edition at the end of February, we’re saying cheerio from a damp & grey Vancouver city.
HAPPY DAYS
