Just under a week ago I waved farewell to the last member of my family and headed back on the new skytrain route to reality. As of Saturday I have been back at work, something that I've enjoyed greatly, catching up with friends there, having more structure to my days and earning back the money shelled out in August. Straight back into the deep end as Meika is off next week so I'll be doing tons of overtime (and a good thing too says my bank account). Although, I have just discovered the joys of delayed pay schedules and vacation pay meaning that I had two cheques waiting for me on my return so wasn't quite as broke as I thought I was.
It's good to be back to normal. The room is tidy, a routine is gradually coming back. The inches lost all that time ago shivering on a beach in Tofino are hinting of a return, although budgeting on food might send them dropping off again. I'm running with workmates in a charity 5km race in a few weeks so am training for that - and will head out in a few minutes for a rainy jog.
Times, they are a changing. The sun is appearing less and less and the rain has taken it's place. The housemates are going their separate ways in November. Off to travel, move to different parts of Canada, return home to Germany, or find new housemates. Chris has already moved in with his girlfriend, Christine. Q and I are planning a trip to Chicago to see his friends Kurt and Jenny and then I'm heading to Toronto, Montreal and New York with some friends from home. The future's up in the air a bit, but no more so than it has been for the rest of the year at different points. So watch this space for news - with a bit more happenening, hopefully I will be more active in relaying it here!
A bientot, mes amis!
Wednesday 16 September 2009
Taking the Rocky Road
Nathen, sitting on our veranda, waved hello to someone walking up our steps. I turned round in time to see a familiar hat rising up followed by my Dad's head and the rest of him. My dad who should have been on a bus at Cambie Street. Hello!! And so began the parents' visit. Dad, Q and I headed back to the cafe where Mum was guarding the bags for a very cheerful and chatty brunch. There followed a day of exploring Vancouver and dinner at ours - although by the time this came around, jet lag had set in so we entertained a couple of very dazed parents in our somewhat madcap house. The word you're looking for is: interesting. I think the model breasts someone found on a night out were not the living room ornaments/art work they had anticipated.
The next few days were better. Tofino, at a lovely BnB for whale watching (saw humpbacks very close up), hiking - although the steep Indiana Jones trail we took them down didn't prove quite so much fun when wet and slippy (Q saw all his built up brownie points rapidly sliding away down the hill), exploring remote beaches and sea kayaking. Then it was back to Vancouver to meet Dave at the airport and head up to Jasper.
First stop: Hope. Set in stunning surroundings, this is pretty much all Hope has going for it. Trying to find any food for the evening was hopeless (pun intended as example of the many Q and Dave had fun inventing). The drive to Jasper was, as you would expect, stunning. And Jasper itself was beautiful. Busy and lively, but not unbearably touristy, with plenty to do, and constant views of skyscraping peaks. First on the agenda was white water rafting, early in the morning before the sun had had time to vaguely warm the glacial river we'd be rafting down. I remembered what it was like in Toronto to not be able to feel my fingers. But constant beauty, fresh clean air, incredible light more than made up for the cold. The rest of the day was spent at a nearby lake, walking and swimming, where I saw a near bear (cough..dog - in my defense it was shaggy and a long way off).
The next day, we went to Maligne Lake, another incredibly beautiful drive away. It's not really possible to do justice to the rockies' beauty, except to say that everywhere you looked, the mountains were immense - tall, wide, just immense. With forests at the bottom, filtered sun, flowers, clear water, bright blue mineral lakes, the lot. Wildlife tally started with Q seeing a moose at the side of the road, and from that point, our eyes were peeled. From Maligne Lake, we did a few hikes, the best one being a steep climb up to a mountain-top meadow, possibly one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever found myself in. Wide, open, green, rolling with many different scents of pine mingling around, snow peaks to the top, mountain ranges across and the lake below. Stunning! But possibly the most exciting bit of the day happened on the drive home. Up ahead were several cars parked and people out looking at something down the side of the road. We pulled up and went over, and sure enough: BEAR!! A black bear was quite contentedly eating and snuffling around in the grasses not 10 meters from us! We stood and watched until it went away. Q, ever the adventurous, jumped over the fence (after checking there was no mummy bear around) to get a better photo. He came away with cuts and scrapes - not bear inflicted, but as the result of a quite spectacular trip over the road barrier that flipped him neatly upside down landing at Dave's feet.
After that, Jasper was complete. And so we moved on. We travelled down the Icefields Parkway towards the Columbia Icefield. Again, too much indescribable beauty on all sides of us. But then came the glaciers, and our mouths dropped open just a few milimetres more. Stopping at the icefield centre, we had spectacular views of the Athabasca glacier and walked up to the edge of it. It was huge. And cold. And windy. But amazing. However, we decided to press on southwards and not do another hike. So we drank it in, and headed back to the car.
And so to Lake Louise. Now, forgive me, but I'm going to go out on a limb and commit Rockies heresy here and say that I was a little underwhelmed. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I anticipated, and wanted, that big expanse of shocking opaque blue stretching out ahead of me (photoshop I'm sure has a lot of let-downs to answer for) but the reality was quite different. The lake that day was a pale jade, which of course, in the sun shows all the reflections and shadows. Surrounded by cliffs and forests, it was smaller than expected and full to the brim with tourists. I think that was it. I don't want to detract from the beauty of the place. Walking round the lake (we declined the most expensive canoe in history at $40 for 30mins), it's clear that actually, it really is quite stunning. The green really hits you at different places, especially if the sun goes behind a cloud, and the reflections and colours of the rocks and trees combine to make it really lovely, and worthy of the name, Emerald Lake that it was given on discovery.
We carried on to our hostel in Yoho National Park. This was awesome. A small wooden building in the middle of the forest, across the road from the Takakkaw Falls - one of the most impressive waterfall's I've ever seen. The hostel had no electricity, ran completely off gas and was closed during the day so you had no choice to get out and explore. Which we did - a 17km hike up the mountain we were at the foot of, walking along the glacier line - more spectacular views of other glaciers and icefields before descending, once again into the pine trees. After the rocky, brown/beige wilderness of the iceline, it was beautiful to be down in the trees. Butterflies and scents combined on the warm air - several different types of pine, all contributing something different; citrus, honey, floral. We followed the glacier stream down the mountain to the valley bottom and walked back to the falls and our hostel for a very welcome dinner and card games and scrabble.
And all of a sudden we were homeward bound. First, a couple of days in Kelowna, one of Canada's top wine-producing regions. Kelowna itself I didn't think much of. Maybe because we didn't get to all of the good stuff, but after Jasper and Yoho, well, anything was going to have a hard time living up to it. Except our BnB. Set in the orchard grounds of a house, our apartment was beautifully furnished, complete with outdoor hot tub. Not to mention fresh apples and cherries straight off the tree. Our last stop was the desert region of Osoyoos before driving back through Hope and in to Vancouver. The parents deposited myself, Q and Dave at home before scuttling off to their posh waterfront hotel. The next day, we had lunch and then Mum and Dad set off for the airport before the three of us collapsed in front of the US Open on TV where we stayed put for approximately 48 hrs, moving only to go see Inglourious Basterds and get food.
The rest of the week was spend doing chill things around Vancouver - pitch n putt, the aquarium, eating proper pancakes with syrup and bacon, doing the Grouse Grind - and discovering the Grizzlies up there - massive bears, you do not want to meet one of those in the wild! All in all had a very relaxed week, hanging out with Dave and coming back down to earth from the adventures of the previous month.
The next few days were better. Tofino, at a lovely BnB for whale watching (saw humpbacks very close up), hiking - although the steep Indiana Jones trail we took them down didn't prove quite so much fun when wet and slippy (Q saw all his built up brownie points rapidly sliding away down the hill), exploring remote beaches and sea kayaking. Then it was back to Vancouver to meet Dave at the airport and head up to Jasper.
First stop: Hope. Set in stunning surroundings, this is pretty much all Hope has going for it. Trying to find any food for the evening was hopeless (pun intended as example of the many Q and Dave had fun inventing). The drive to Jasper was, as you would expect, stunning. And Jasper itself was beautiful. Busy and lively, but not unbearably touristy, with plenty to do, and constant views of skyscraping peaks. First on the agenda was white water rafting, early in the morning before the sun had had time to vaguely warm the glacial river we'd be rafting down. I remembered what it was like in Toronto to not be able to feel my fingers. But constant beauty, fresh clean air, incredible light more than made up for the cold. The rest of the day was spent at a nearby lake, walking and swimming, where I saw a near bear (cough..dog - in my defense it was shaggy and a long way off).
The next day, we went to Maligne Lake, another incredibly beautiful drive away. It's not really possible to do justice to the rockies' beauty, except to say that everywhere you looked, the mountains were immense - tall, wide, just immense. With forests at the bottom, filtered sun, flowers, clear water, bright blue mineral lakes, the lot. Wildlife tally started with Q seeing a moose at the side of the road, and from that point, our eyes were peeled. From Maligne Lake, we did a few hikes, the best one being a steep climb up to a mountain-top meadow, possibly one of the most beautiful landscapes I've ever found myself in. Wide, open, green, rolling with many different scents of pine mingling around, snow peaks to the top, mountain ranges across and the lake below. Stunning! But possibly the most exciting bit of the day happened on the drive home. Up ahead were several cars parked and people out looking at something down the side of the road. We pulled up and went over, and sure enough: BEAR!! A black bear was quite contentedly eating and snuffling around in the grasses not 10 meters from us! We stood and watched until it went away. Q, ever the adventurous, jumped over the fence (after checking there was no mummy bear around) to get a better photo. He came away with cuts and scrapes - not bear inflicted, but as the result of a quite spectacular trip over the road barrier that flipped him neatly upside down landing at Dave's feet.
After that, Jasper was complete. And so we moved on. We travelled down the Icefields Parkway towards the Columbia Icefield. Again, too much indescribable beauty on all sides of us. But then came the glaciers, and our mouths dropped open just a few milimetres more. Stopping at the icefield centre, we had spectacular views of the Athabasca glacier and walked up to the edge of it. It was huge. And cold. And windy. But amazing. However, we decided to press on southwards and not do another hike. So we drank it in, and headed back to the car.
And so to Lake Louise. Now, forgive me, but I'm going to go out on a limb and commit Rockies heresy here and say that I was a little underwhelmed. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I anticipated, and wanted, that big expanse of shocking opaque blue stretching out ahead of me (photoshop I'm sure has a lot of let-downs to answer for) but the reality was quite different. The lake that day was a pale jade, which of course, in the sun shows all the reflections and shadows. Surrounded by cliffs and forests, it was smaller than expected and full to the brim with tourists. I think that was it. I don't want to detract from the beauty of the place. Walking round the lake (we declined the most expensive canoe in history at $40 for 30mins), it's clear that actually, it really is quite stunning. The green really hits you at different places, especially if the sun goes behind a cloud, and the reflections and colours of the rocks and trees combine to make it really lovely, and worthy of the name, Emerald Lake that it was given on discovery.
We carried on to our hostel in Yoho National Park. This was awesome. A small wooden building in the middle of the forest, across the road from the Takakkaw Falls - one of the most impressive waterfall's I've ever seen. The hostel had no electricity, ran completely off gas and was closed during the day so you had no choice to get out and explore. Which we did - a 17km hike up the mountain we were at the foot of, walking along the glacier line - more spectacular views of other glaciers and icefields before descending, once again into the pine trees. After the rocky, brown/beige wilderness of the iceline, it was beautiful to be down in the trees. Butterflies and scents combined on the warm air - several different types of pine, all contributing something different; citrus, honey, floral. We followed the glacier stream down the mountain to the valley bottom and walked back to the falls and our hostel for a very welcome dinner and card games and scrabble.
And all of a sudden we were homeward bound. First, a couple of days in Kelowna, one of Canada's top wine-producing regions. Kelowna itself I didn't think much of. Maybe because we didn't get to all of the good stuff, but after Jasper and Yoho, well, anything was going to have a hard time living up to it. Except our BnB. Set in the orchard grounds of a house, our apartment was beautifully furnished, complete with outdoor hot tub. Not to mention fresh apples and cherries straight off the tree. Our last stop was the desert region of Osoyoos before driving back through Hope and in to Vancouver. The parents deposited myself, Q and Dave at home before scuttling off to their posh waterfront hotel. The next day, we had lunch and then Mum and Dad set off for the airport before the three of us collapsed in front of the US Open on TV where we stayed put for approximately 48 hrs, moving only to go see Inglourious Basterds and get food.
The rest of the week was spend doing chill things around Vancouver - pitch n putt, the aquarium, eating proper pancakes with syrup and bacon, doing the Grouse Grind - and discovering the Grizzlies up there - massive bears, you do not want to meet one of those in the wild! All in all had a very relaxed week, hanging out with Dave and coming back down to earth from the adventures of the previous month.
Heaven is a place called Hawaii
The Hawaii decision proved to be a good one. After an interminable journey through the more remote areas of BC, a long wait in Seattle and an even longer flight (thank goodness for Shogun, last minute purchase in terminal book store) we landed in a warm, pleasingly humid Honolulu evening. Our hostel was in the middle of Waikiki, minutes from the beach, and contained some friendly travelers with which we had a few drinks and went out to explore the local night life.
Despite being weary travelers subjecting ourselves to an unneeded late night, we woke up early - well before 8am. Downed breakfast and headed to Waikiki beach. As did the rest of America. The sea was a beautiful, beautiful sight - all clear turquoise water that was a welcome respite from the heat. We found our square foot of sand space and got down to the very important job of swimming, boarding and then reading. Unfortunately sun cream SPF30 application only made its way onto the list a couple of hours later - too late! SPF 15 may as well be SPF -15. Later that day, we climbed up Diamond Head, the volcanic crater just east of Honolulu for spectacular views over the east and south sides of the island.
Our second day in Honolulu, we escaped Waikiki and headed over to Hanauma Bay, a protected wildlife beach with a huge coral reef, which makes for excellent snorkelling. I saw so many fish, although it was mighty hard to not touch the reef, as we'd been instructed as at some points it came up to only a foot underneath the surface. I had a few cuts and scrapes trying dutifully to avoid it. Q also did a little snorkelling, confronting what appears to be his only fear - that of unknown deeps and spaces and creatures underwater. I managed to get him so far out, only just about keeping the circulation in my hand (never has it been held so tight!) before a swirl of sand clouded the way in front of us and that was it, a splash of limbs and I was left to my own devices to explore. Which I did so for quite some time, before the mask's tightness became too unbearable and I remembered that my back could do with more suncream or being covered up, and preferably both.
As lively as Waikiki was, I was keen to get away from the hordes of Americans on holiday, so we headed up to the north shore. Hurray for Oahu buses that let you travel the island on one $2 ticket! Our hostel on the other side was truly idyllic. A series of small cabins in lush greenery - mango/papaya trees, flowering bushes - set across a small road from the most beautiful beaches. We swam, read, hired bikes and cycled up and down the coast. I was eager to see some more of the green side of the island, as well as the beach, so we snuck into Waimea Falls park to see some lovely botanical gardens - huges trees everywhere, more Lei flower bushes and the waterfalls at the end. The slightly dodgy route in was more than made up for by the gorgeous swim pool of the falls and the falls themselves which were much more impressive than their reports. After more beach time and chilling out in the cabin with other travelers, books and the sound of crickets chirping away we dragged ourselves back to Waikiki, and more importantly the waves.
Because if you don't surf when you're there, what else are you going to do? Now, I've surfed once before down in South Africa but not since then. Q attempted giving me a lesson but that was so categorically unsuccessful that we gave in for the afternoon and I sought out an actual lesson the next day. Which was the polar opposite. If you were stranded at sea, you could survive for days floating on the monster of a board I was given. It was truly Titanic. And, bien sur, my first wave, I was up and riding it all the way to the beach. And again. And again! Suddenly I was liking this, rather than getting bored of all the waiting for failed waves. I got adventurous. I tried turning(I can snowboard, how different can it be). BIG mistake. These boards are not designed for manouvering. In fact, it was about as effective as the Titanic at changing course. Instantly I was off the board. But straight back up again for the next one :-)
Waikiki grew on me, the more time I stayed there. It's aesthetically pleasing, and lively at night, with torches and lights all over the place. We splashed out on our last night and had dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top of one of the taller buildings, and then walked on the beach. My one cocktail had its predicted effect and I found a very comfortable boat to snooze in before a beach guard moved me on. At this point, Q decided it was bed time for me, with an early start the next day to fly back to Seattle, so home to my dorm it was. And a good thing too, because it would be a very long time before we were back home in Vancouver. A long flight, a long wait for a Greyhound and a long journey back meant we finally collapsed on the sofa at about 2am, a mere 9 hours to get all sprightly ready to meet my parents....
Despite being weary travelers subjecting ourselves to an unneeded late night, we woke up early - well before 8am. Downed breakfast and headed to Waikiki beach. As did the rest of America. The sea was a beautiful, beautiful sight - all clear turquoise water that was a welcome respite from the heat. We found our square foot of sand space and got down to the very important job of swimming, boarding and then reading. Unfortunately sun cream SPF30 application only made its way onto the list a couple of hours later - too late! SPF 15 may as well be SPF -15. Later that day, we climbed up Diamond Head, the volcanic crater just east of Honolulu for spectacular views over the east and south sides of the island.
Our second day in Honolulu, we escaped Waikiki and headed over to Hanauma Bay, a protected wildlife beach with a huge coral reef, which makes for excellent snorkelling. I saw so many fish, although it was mighty hard to not touch the reef, as we'd been instructed as at some points it came up to only a foot underneath the surface. I had a few cuts and scrapes trying dutifully to avoid it. Q also did a little snorkelling, confronting what appears to be his only fear - that of unknown deeps and spaces and creatures underwater. I managed to get him so far out, only just about keeping the circulation in my hand (never has it been held so tight!) before a swirl of sand clouded the way in front of us and that was it, a splash of limbs and I was left to my own devices to explore. Which I did so for quite some time, before the mask's tightness became too unbearable and I remembered that my back could do with more suncream or being covered up, and preferably both.
As lively as Waikiki was, I was keen to get away from the hordes of Americans on holiday, so we headed up to the north shore. Hurray for Oahu buses that let you travel the island on one $2 ticket! Our hostel on the other side was truly idyllic. A series of small cabins in lush greenery - mango/papaya trees, flowering bushes - set across a small road from the most beautiful beaches. We swam, read, hired bikes and cycled up and down the coast. I was eager to see some more of the green side of the island, as well as the beach, so we snuck into Waimea Falls park to see some lovely botanical gardens - huges trees everywhere, more Lei flower bushes and the waterfalls at the end. The slightly dodgy route in was more than made up for by the gorgeous swim pool of the falls and the falls themselves which were much more impressive than their reports. After more beach time and chilling out in the cabin with other travelers, books and the sound of crickets chirping away we dragged ourselves back to Waikiki, and more importantly the waves.
Because if you don't surf when you're there, what else are you going to do? Now, I've surfed once before down in South Africa but not since then. Q attempted giving me a lesson but that was so categorically unsuccessful that we gave in for the afternoon and I sought out an actual lesson the next day. Which was the polar opposite. If you were stranded at sea, you could survive for days floating on the monster of a board I was given. It was truly Titanic. And, bien sur, my first wave, I was up and riding it all the way to the beach. And again. And again! Suddenly I was liking this, rather than getting bored of all the waiting for failed waves. I got adventurous. I tried turning(I can snowboard, how different can it be). BIG mistake. These boards are not designed for manouvering. In fact, it was about as effective as the Titanic at changing course. Instantly I was off the board. But straight back up again for the next one :-)
Waikiki grew on me, the more time I stayed there. It's aesthetically pleasing, and lively at night, with torches and lights all over the place. We splashed out on our last night and had dinner at the revolving restaurant at the top of one of the taller buildings, and then walked on the beach. My one cocktail had its predicted effect and I found a very comfortable boat to snooze in before a beach guard moved me on. At this point, Q decided it was bed time for me, with an early start the next day to fly back to Seattle, so home to my dorm it was. And a good thing too, because it would be a very long time before we were back home in Vancouver. A long flight, a long wait for a Greyhound and a long journey back meant we finally collapsed on the sofa at about 2am, a mere 9 hours to get all sprightly ready to meet my parents....
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