First Class To Toronto ...

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16 - 01 - 08

The flight over was excellent. Arrived at the gate where they told me that my seat had been changed; I got put in 14G, a club class seat. I was quite happy with this since I was knackered and I got onboard had an orange juice and read a paper. The CSD came down and asked me to follow him; I knew exactly what was coming next - an upgrade into first class! I made myself comfortable; there was a slight slot delay so I had plenty of champagne. We took off, I fell asleep, woke up had a curry and then dozed back asleep.

We landed and I was the first off the aircraft. The journey to the hostel was loooooong to say the least, an hour bus journey followed by 1/2 hour of the subway getting lost! I haven’t figured out how the Canadian transport system works. Anyway got off the subway and found the hostel pretty easy!

Checked in, unpacked and got talking to this American guy from Pennsylvania; he was quite random but he reminded me that the Raptors (Toronto) were playing the Kings (Sacramento) in the NBA so I dumped off the remaining stuff and ran down to Air Canada Centre and paid $40 to a tout for a ticket. I found my seat and no word of a lie it was like being a god; I was that high up. Got chatting to a guy called Zak who was sitting next to me; he was pretty cool, and after we got chatting he was pretty disgusted that I was a Kings fan and when I told him that the kings were going to win he just laughed at me; I did try to convince him that the Kings would pull back 23 points in 7 minutes at the end of the 4th quarter. They couldn’t; in the end the Raptors won pretty convincingly. I walked back to the hostel, where a couple of the Brazilian guys were trying to get me to head out but I was just too tired; instead we had a couple of games of pool which were drawn 2-2

17 - 01 - 08

Woke up, took my time getting ready, left at 10 O'clock, wondered down to the CN tower. I asked these people to take a picture of me with a giant stuffed moose; we started chatting and then hung out with them for the rest of the day, I took pictures for them, they took pictures for me. There was Whatru from Japan and Maria and Tereza; they were both from Brazil. They asked me if I had been to Niagara Falls yet, I told them no but I was planning to go on Saturday but I had nothing organized! Anyways, we left the CN tower and walked towards the Ice Hockey Hall Of Fame; they left me at Union station saying that we would meet here at 1930 to go to a tequila bar and then go ice skating. Now I can’t ice skate at the best of times but when I’m drunk?!?!?!

I wondered around Toronto until 6pm when I decided to chill at my hostel for a bit; at 1930 took the short walk down to Union station. Wataru and the gang were slightly late, we wondered down to the Loose Moose for something to eat and drink. We ordered a burger and a couple pitchers of beer, we got treated to some table side magic as well for good measure. We left the Moose and wondered around looking for the ice skating rink; we never found it as it started to rain and we abandoned our search ...

Anyway, upon failing to find the ice skating rink we decided to go to another bar called the Fox & fiddle, they had a live band playing; a few cocktails we consumed and when I left I wasn’t impressed as it was still raining ... why does it always rain where i go? The guys left me to walk a couple of blocks to the hostel as they jumped onto the subway to get home. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow!

18 - 01 - 08

Woke up in a bit of a panic as I thought it was later then it was; I was meeting Cecilia and Wataru by Eaton mall to go shopping. The day, i have to say was quite boring; I mean I had no attention of buying anything. We went into Chinatown and had lunch in a Chinese restaurant where the old guy was quite weird and to be honest really didn’t understand a single word he was on about! Wondered around Kensington market and found shops that were selling exactly the same things second hand clothes and to be honest they were exactly the same second hand clothes. Whilst there we wondered into a Mexican supermarket and I saw a cake called Bimbo - made me chuckle! The highlight of my day!

Went back to the hostel, I called Wataru to arrange where to meet up for a drink - St. George subway station at 8pm; waited there for ages, waited and waited - he didn’t show! I called him up and he kept on telling me to go outside and I wondered up and down the street then it dawned on me I was at the wrong station!! - DUH!!!!

Anyway, we eventually met up and finally got to the bar, it was called Reposade; a tequila bar, so for my first drink what do I go and order? Vodka coke! There was a really good jazz band on, I got talking to Tim, he was the trumpet player. Born in England, family moved to Africa then Toronto. Really interesting guy, we chatted about travelling, the UK, Canada to mention a few things.

Teresza arrived later on in the evening and as the night went on it felt like a United Nations meeting - 2 Brazilian girls, 1 girl from Venezuela, a Japanese guy, another bloke from Paris and a couple of people from Toronto and me; from England! The night faded away don’t remember too much ... listened to great jazz and drunk shit loads of tequila.

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