Bannf - the solution to all of the world's problems, really...

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Well now, where to begin?!
after being spoilt rotten for the last 6 or 7 weeks or so one the ranch on van island i ventured off into the, er, i guess "known" (i'd say unknown, but i've been both places before, so, hey...)
Started off in vancouver with the fabby barbara - yey for travel buds! She has an awesome place in kitsilano disrtict and is sharing with an, erm, rather interesting (yawn!) bike-obsesssed dude from NZ... The area is SO totally lovely tho! Thought i'd maybe be a bit too used to island life and the whole laidback, "do nowt if possibve an if needs be move as little as you can when doing what ya really really can't put off till 2moro" attitude, but it seeems that certain parts of vancouver i had yet to discover follow that very same regimen... I feckin love this country!
Have now become re-enamoured with good old van city...Think the skinny is that the west an north are VERY pricey; the city centre is funky but fulla wee hobos tryin to get yer cash (don't get me wrong, some just ask but others do quite interesting streetside activities for it, too, those i do give to, especially the " i'm so not homeless but can play a drum like an aboriginal, gimme some money" artsy types, actually, he was quite hot, too... is it wrong to fancy street guys? they're all big an hairy here... what a quandary i have had!); the shopping district is, well, full of shops, yawn!; Davie street an english bay, aka the gay district, has THE best cafes, restaurants, bars an fun stalls EVER! AND ya get no hassle from crazy "oh where are you from?... Really! My gran, great great uncle, dog's owner's mother, last banana i ate.. is from scotland..." chat-up lines, apart from the few hobos, but as i said, kinda cute... 😉 the beaches there are lovely, too, and oh my god, fab city plus good beaches an amazing views, how cool?!
HOWEVER without a doubt, the best bit is just over the Granville street bridge: Welcome to coolville... Funky galleries, cute wee kerbside displays, art stores, little old bookstores run by teeny chinese folks, totally darlin wee houses an crazy mad-lookin flat buildings...then, there's Granville island , now that bit is totally cool! Funky wee market stalls an shops - bought a new purse (yep, sadly ladybug has officially fallen to bits) in a hammock shop, I mean, come on! you ever heard of a hammock shop before in your life?! They sell hammocks and purses, and that is it, just had to get my new purse from there... Fabby wee brewery where, of course, ya can do the tour, or (SO the better plan!) ya can sit in the bar at the bottom, not be bored by some swaety dude explainin about how ya brew beer - like you do not know that by now?! - before ya get your free samples, and pay 4 bucks for four minibeer samples insted of 10 bucks for the boring bit too, and me oh my, cute surfy aussie boys behind the bar alert! Nice touch! And i strongly recommend the Amber beer, its well the nicest! Honey beer's not too bad either... There's a cute wee theatrey bit there, too and it just has that, "we're a bit different here, and we may take a while toi get around to stuff but we will eventually - like it or leave"ness to it that the super best parts of this super good country tend to...Love it! Yeah, so after a few days checkin thaty out, FINALLY gettin my now rather wibbly (oops!) ass back to the gym for a blast, a coupla crazy nights oot wi baraba's buds from the old emerald isle, hello colin, by the way, sorry i didn't make sunday...! and a few well yummy dindins with barbara it was off to the next bit, and oh my, the next bit, the long anticipated arrival yet slightly concerned anticiapted (18hr bus!) journey to ...Banff! Woohoo! Bring on the rockies!

The bus journey actually turned out to be totally manageable, and in some ways, a well needed enforced "just do nothing and chill" headspace type time... Got chattin to a gal from Japan who was off to Edmonton, god love her! I thought i was on for a while, but right to the miofddle o the country?! - sack that for a game o soldiers!
Managed to blag a double seat to myself for most pof the trip - such a necessity, adn the redeye overnighter is so the way to go! Ended up sleepin the first few dark hours, drowsily wanderin into gas station at a breal and then lookin at the stunning views that are the roickies duringf the day - not a bad way to spend one day outta yer life, really. Now, don't get me wrong, it ain't no moose tour, but then, nothing will be... 😉

Therefore, I am now back in my spriritual home! Was it the people, the sun, the scenery and a combination of factors in July? Nope, it was just the banfness as it turned out... The sun is shining the birds are (feckin freezin! but still) singing, the people are friendly and of course the views are beyond any truly justifying description... Been here for 4 days now and have slightly knackered myself in somewhat... oops! Hace a gammy foot, bloddy thing! an a slightlky fecked back, stuill, they'll go in a while! Guess its the crazy mad need to see as much as i can therefore must hike somehting each day attitude, actual;y i think its being in real shoes an not fliflops as in the last 3 months... Porbably a combo of both, anyway, yawn!, sorry... Went up Sulphur again the first day - blooddee hell, i was either superfit last time or i am officially in need of some severe cardio now! Practically passed out by the time i got to the top! Not so bad, you may think, most folk are kinda outta breath an red-faced by the top, however being overtaken by a group of fremch dudes - including one that MUST have been at least 60, now THAT is a brasser! Still, views are amazing, the feeling of being up there is like nothing on earth and the coffee is warm, praise all that is praiseable! once my wee beetrootesque face had cooled down and i realised it is FECKIN FREEZIN up there in fall, i put on all my layers including 2 hoodies, raincoat and woolly hat - ah scotland, thanks to the weather and the need to pack layers, i didn't die after all! Managed to have my lips return to pink (rather than the blue they had become, seriously, i so didn't realise they actually do go blue - it was a bit scary!) by the time i got back to the bottom and had a well earned hot shower. Perfect!
I did the sundance canyon the next day, lovely walk along the marshlands with panoramic views of the mountains in the valley, then a hike up by a creek to an amazing viewpoint - ya can even see Mt Edith - SO the best bit of the Moose tour! - totally recommend it! I went up tunnel mt yesterday, which is a quick, but still kinda steep climb, and due to my "you're an idiot, ya know yer not that fit!" stylee injuries afore-mentioned i kinda hobbled back down, again being overtaken bvy the geriatric members of banff town, oh me oh my!
Claire an I headed to Wild Bill's last night for their (totsally yummy and yet bargainous!) Peyto burger and checked out the Brent Lee band - well yeeha Banff, it was so much fun! All the crazy copwboy dudes wi theire hats were there, along wi the crazy cowgirls in their boots an all doin the rrotin tootin danjce moves! What a fab night! So love the "we dopn't care if we'rte cool or not" country vibe, it rocks! (That said, some of the cowboys sure are of the alternative looking vairety, jeeso!). Gonna hi t the rock bar in a few dasys, oh aye, like i could fall in love with this place any more? If the bar's good I'll never ever leave! 😉
Decided to take it easy today and have a wander around, being kinda toursity and kinda local in equal measure... one minute nearly walkin into lampposts cos i'm lookin at the mountains, next minute giving directions to germans (an i think i actually sent them the right way, too!) 2moro i'm off on an 8 mile river walky thingy... cool!
So, to sum up this very long and TOTally incorrectly punctuated little schpiell, Still adoring the canaian ways, attitudes and scenery, and as for this place? just generally falling in love with itthe more time i spend here...
Hope all is well with you guys
hugs
em
Oh yeah, an i got pics up, but only on the facebook thingy, so if ya can check them out, some of them are hilarious!

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