Clearwater Suite Hotel Fort McMurray

We made it home safely. The -21 C temperature coming off the plane last night was a little bit of a shock to the system. We were delayed by the snow in Toronto but luckily the held our flight from Edmonton to Fort Mac for us. We look forward to seeing everyone again and sharing a few pictures with you. André & Gina

Alright, so after spending most of the night watching the Broncos get blown out, I am pretty much done packing. Follow along with our trip as Gina and I head out to the long lost continent of Madagascar. I'll try to keep the blog up to date as best as I can based on internet availability. The cab comes at 4:30am...time for bed. André

Still at work in Fort McMurray, just counting down the days. The days are already getting noticeably shorter. The days of 24 daylight are over. The mornings are getting crisper. Fall is definitely on it's way. I think Chase has lost his mind up at Diavik. We're ready for a vacation!!

As we pack our bags, check our lists and get things in order it is only a week before we leave. This entry is to serve only as a test that this blog and the address book is working. We hope to be able to do some entries once we leave on our journey. Downloading pictures may be a bit hopeful but we will try!! The countdown is on L

Ft. Mcmurray is about 4 hours north of edmonton. The only reason anyone is there is because there is about 5x the oil of saudi up there. There are really good steak houses and seafood, yes seafood this far from the ocean. Plan an evening if you need donuts, the line at tim horton's has been about a 30-60 min wait for 6 years at least now.

... will travel through the majority of Africa on an "Overland Tour" which is basically an organized tour in a big huge truck with a group of people. Your guides take you to all of the highlights and you get to experience the "real" Africa without a lot of the dangers. We've come to a decision on a tour, which lasts 40 weeks, taking us through 24 African countries! I can't even begin to say what the most exciting thing about travelling through Africa will be! I think ...

... I considered the idea ludicrous, but the more I thought on it (through a delightfully boring class) the more realistic the idea became until, three weeks later and after several intense conversations with my parents, I decided to make the trip a reality. Eastern Europe seemed like a decent place to start my trip. The weather's nice in September and I'm hoping it won't get too terribly cold by December. The region is stable, transportation is ...

... The remaining three have a little more mystery surrounding them. Still, they are undoubtedly a result of being up here. <br> I know this entry has little to do with my personal experience up here, but it does reveal what's been on my mind the last little bit. I hope it atleast adds another brushstroke to the painting if what life entails when going up north to work. When I told a friend I was working up here, he asked, "isn't that dangerous?" What can I tell you?<br ...

... up by a lady almost as soon as I hit the highway. It went a little less smooth after that. Turns out she was only going as far as timberly, so left me on the highway at that turn off. Perhaps a more experienced hitcher might have found this out before getting in. So now I was too far from anything to get anywhere. Drunk and alone late at night on Highway 63. I tried at one point to cross over to the other side, but I fell in the ditch and actually cut ...

... I went home was about a week and a half ago. The roads were insane. It was so cold and the roads were icy. The snow was blowing and when it got dark visibility was ridiculous. We couldn't pass anyone because if anyone was coming, we would not be able to see their headlights until they were as close as the car in front. Risky stuffs. We ended up Stopping in Wandering River for the night. Side note: I have a passenger. Dave, one of the journeymen, is a ...