Good day hey, Good evening from beautiful Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This city of over 1 million people is host to the Calgary Stampede next week (large rodeo) so I came through at just the right time. Also, Tuesday is Canada Day and a huge vacation holiday and everyone here heads to the mountains so I hope I can get a campground somewhere on my way to Jasper. A little about today...although is was not that exciting...just driving for almost 400 miles straight west of Moose Jaw where the lay of the land is either crops (wheat) or oil wells and refineries. [View Full Entry]

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Well ive been away around 9.5 weeks in 5 different countries. Calgary to Fiji via LAX with Air Canada and Air New Zealand (Air New Zealand flight i had 4 seats to myself) LUCKY ME FIJI: First full moon party. Just with a fraction of the amount of people then the Thailand full moon. Basically stayed in a bure (hut) on the beach on an island with 5 other people. Took my first 5 hour boat ride (not my last) and had my first sun burn of my trip (but my last). Had pretty much a beach to myself and stayed [View Full Entry]

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Chicago Fabulous city, pretty architecture, nice parks. One of those places where they've obviously made an effort to keep it looking nice, even with the curse of 70's concrete attacking the picture every now and then. Lots of daft shaped tower blocks surrounded by enough glass giving the city an occasionall bright shimmer. Millenium Park, near Lake Michigan was nicly sculpted, real artists given free reign over certain chunks, and included the bonus of a covered stage full of musicians practising for the following nights concert. Pleasant Classical music to amble and sunbathe by is always rather nice. Headphone had been [View Full Entry]

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Decided this place deserved a blog of it's own. The nicest bit of Canada I've seen. That includes all the spectacular snow capped peaks of the Rockies. May just be because the area is not well known so no one else goes. Wilderness much more fun when it's empty. Had Luxury acommodation (own room, practically empty hostel so bathroom, kitchen and lounge to ourselves) and amazing host. Took us on a tour of the area in his car, 3 hikes plus a fascinating visitors centre and art gallery. Stopped to look at a couple of moose by the side of the [View Full Entry]

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On Weds June 25th, 2008 there was live thoroughbred racing at the Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto Ontario. Because of an ongoing labor dispute between the casino security workers and the Ontario Lotteries and Gaming Commission, which has established a picket line at the gate, the evening was very poorly attended. My group sat together quietly making bets and perusing the menu in the final minutes before the first race. At 6:30 pm we had hurried upstairs to the popular Champions patio desperate to get what we assumed would be the last available outdoor seating... only to discover the well appointed patio [View Full Entry]

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Ok we have been in Canada for a while now and I have been slack in not updating... QUEBEC CITY So we did the big drive up from Boston to Quebec city on Wednesday... Except we made it bigger by getting lost getting out of Boston! We drove up via Maine which was absolutely gorgeous! The road followed the river for the most part which was really lovely and made a long drive better. Just out of portsmouth in Maine we had a stop to visit the life size chocolate moose, Lenny. He is made of solid chocolate and had some [View Full Entry]

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so my feelings about toronto where what i imagined life here to be i love the big city and the fact that everyone is uber friendly however i hate having to pay for wifi at starbucks because my hotel doesnt have any i spent yesterday travelling and arrived at my hotel almost 2 hours later than expected which left me enough time to get in a quick jog on the treadmill, eat some yummy subway and get to bed before midnight today im headed around downtown to the eaton center, waterfront, fashion district....etc... should be a good time. for me anyways [View Full Entry]

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After a long adventure well 9.5 weeks i'm back home in Calgary. A few days off now to enjoy Calgary before going back to work... [View Full Entry]

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It has been awhile since my last post. I guess you can tell that the news wasn't good. Unfortunately for me I was told I could spend 13 thousand dollars on my teeth getting veneers or I could get braces since I couldn't, as I originally thought, take Invisalign with me to Russia and continue merrily on with my life. So I opted to have my first lifelong dream rather than my second. The second will come in time.... Hopefully I will be done by next summer and if my teeth behave then that should happen. I change my plans daily. [View Full Entry]

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So were still in Canada eh absolutly loving it. Can completly understand why people stay here as long as they do, i don't want to leave myself! Well Whistler this is the case anyway, Vancouver not so much bit of a dirty hole if you ask me, kinda reminds me of a bad version of Northbridge , well actually just NB with a few more bums and junkies? We had a few days in Vancouver sussed the place out. The hostel we were staying in was nice, not much vibe though but clean rooms and air con! So we hit the [View Full Entry]

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