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So..... after a 9 and a half hour flight to Vancouver (and making our first Canadian friend on the plane over a glass of wine... to help pass the time of course!) we have arrived in Vancouver and what a great place this is. We haven't really stopped since we arrived as there is so much to do here. Having arrived at 2pm Canadian time (10pm UK time), we decided to battle on through and not sleep until Canadian bedtime. We checked into our hostel and had a wander around Vancouver and got used to the funny accents. What struck us straight away was how friendly everybody is here. If you stop for 1 minute to look at a map, you can guarantee that someone will come over and ask you if you need directions. It couldn't be more different from London in that regard! Whilst there appears to be a lot of money in Vancouver, there seem to be many homeless people here. It really upsets me to see them rummaging through the bins to find something to eat/drink.

After a very long sleep and armed with a list of "must sees" from our Canadian friend, we decided to go for a hike up Grouse mountain in North Vancouver. What we hadn't realised was that this 1 and a half hour climb was pretty steep and hard work. However, Ben and I being the competitive types, we could not admit defeat and ploughed on up without too many rest breaks. However, all of the hard work was worth it when we reached the top. The views were simply breathtaking and we could see over the whole of Vancouver ranging from the mountains and beaches to the city buildings. It must look stunning in the winter when everywhere is covered in snow. Ben and I have made a pact to return to Vancouver to go skiing one day. After the climb, we treated ourselves to a beer and burger and enjoyed the numerous activities which were going on at the summit. From grizzly bears to a lumberjack show, we managed to entertain ourselves for the whole afternoon.

The next day, we went to a place called Stanley Park, which can only be described as wonderous forest by the sea. We hired a couple of bikes for 5 hours and cycled all the way around the sea wall. The views were amazing and we came across several beaches along the way. The weather has been so good since we have arrived, that we have picked up a bit of sunburn already! There were water parks, cafes, a golf course, an aquarium... so we were certainly not short of things to see and do. After our 5 hour bike ride, we walked home on jelly legs and treated ourselves to a huge lasagne on the way back. What we have noticed here is how expensive everything is. A simple sandwich and coffee works out to be about 8 pounds each. We have therefore been making the most of the free breakfasts at our hostel (consisting of a muffin and a coffee!) and are being rather inventive with our money. The aim is to eat modestly for the next few days so that we can go for a nice meal at the revolving restaurant on the last night. The views are supposed to be amazing up there!

We are just having a chill out day today to rest the legs. We are headed to Seattle tomorrow morning and we are going to be staying with the sister of Ben's boss. Bring on the US of A!

Our next blog entry update will be coming soon! Miss you all lots and lots xx

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