Vancouver Ramblings

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July 13th 2005

Published: October 26th 2005

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Pippi

Me in Chinatown

We've managed to fit a few bits and pieces of sightseeing in amidst our preparations to move the first load of stuff over to Bamfield - a feat we shall attempt tomorrow. Hmm, so what have we been up to over the last fortnight? Highlights have included foraging in the Lonsdale Quay and Granville markets and continuing our tireless search for the best Nanaimo Bars in B.C., which basically involves sampling any and every example we come across. We have also explored Vancouver's Chinatown (which is pretty impressive given Vancouver's large Chinese population) and wandered around Stanley Park, which is full of cheeky squirrels and raccoons. We are lucky enough to also have squirrels living in our back garden - we've been giving them a few nuts which they promptly bury in random holes all over the lawn - goodness knows how they ever find them again. Another resident of our back garden is a very elderly Mrs Skunk - she's quite shy but , a couple of times, I've caught her ambling out of her burrow in the middle of the night on her way to the raspberry patch. Which reminds me, the whole garden is full of fruiting raspberry

Some Typical Vancouver Weather

bushes, with literally more berries than we can possibly eat. I have been doing my bit, though - they are absolutely delicious ;-). And free. To think, in Brisbane, our nightly 4-bowlfuls would be setting us back about $40.

The one bad culinary thing about Canada so far is the cheese. Normally I love cheese, but I would not call this stuff cheese - most of it is dyed a ridiculous bright orange colour and has the texture (and, arguably, the taste) of playdough.

The only other thing of note that we've done since my last entry is visit Vancouver Aquarium, thanks to the generosity of Quin's friend who is currently working there. They had some really cool animals (especially the sea otters!) but I couldn't help but feel kind of bad for them because they were in such small tanks. I guess I've always been uncomfortable with the whole animal in captivity thing - I'd much rather see them free in the wild.

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Pippi

The time had come to break free from the clutches of gainful employment and suburban bliss *cough*, and plunge headlong into a haphazard adventure across the world. So, along with my fellow inmate Quin and a small but deceptively heavy backpack, I have started my journey of journeys in the promised land that is Canada - which we plan to explore for a year, if my limbs don't freeze off before then (a process which has, unfortunately, already commenced, despite it being 'summer'). After that, Europe, and then, after that, who knows? Hopefully never to return to suburban bliss again!... full info