TravelStream™ news feed for member joetroop on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/joetroop en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:41:00 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1217556600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1217556600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1217556600/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:41:00 -0400 A travel blogging debut entitled - Canada and that.

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Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada

Where to start? I have done lots and lots since I last blogged, the length of time cause in part by lack of chance to get on the internet and in part because of ridiculous $8 per hour fees for getting on the internet. Anyway, here I am, sat in a hostel in Victoria on Vancouver Island on a very rainy day. I last blogged on Saturday, so I'll start from the sunday, as this seems the best place to begin my tale.

We woke up early to catch the Greyhound to Pemberton. No problems there, but we have since been told that the Greyhound is quite a dangerous way to travel. Just today on the radio on the way here we heard a report about a bloke who had been stabbed and, wait for it, BEHEADED, on a Greyhound in Edmonton. Unbelievable! No such troubles on our bus though, just many a festival goer, sans alcohol, which was confiscated as we got on the bus. Interestingly, the bloke doing the confiscating, on hearing our accents, asked where we were from and it turned that he had grown up in Old Trafford on Kings Road!!! For those of you not familiar with the geography of my house - it is just off Kings road, so this bloke had grown up literally round the corner from me. This was the first of two encounters that day that proved it is a small world we live in. Not literally of course, earth is massive, but you know, in a metaphorical, sentimental sort of way.

We arrived in Pemberton to be greeted by the sort of friendly locals you only really encounter in very small towns, and the "small world" moment number two was just about to arrive. We had to call a taxi to get to the hostel we were booked into that night, and when the driver also enquired about where we were from in England it turned out that he had family in Chorlton-cum-Hardy, where I went to high school an lived from 2/3 years! It was a measure of how small a town Pemberton really was when he started to ask if I knew the Cross family or other families he knew. Pemberton was the sort of place where everybody knew each other by their first name and I think he assumed it would be the same where I was from. Still, what are the odds?!

When we arrived at the Holly Park Hostel we were greeted by Holly, who whilst we stayed there lost two sets of keys and was constantly drifting around and half finishing sentences, like the scatty mum character you always see in hollywood films. I mean the fact that she owned six cats speaks volumes. She was very nice though and the hostel itself semed to be her family home which she had converted. Our room still had karate medals and posters hung on the walls, apparently the previous inhabitant was her son Colter. The atmosphere in the hostel was slightly odd, but very friendly. Holly had an awesome dog, called Rufus, scary looking, but a big softie. Not sure what breed he was, but I did get some photos. We checked in at the same time as two Irish lads both called Connor. You couldn't make that up really could you? I was sorely tempted to tell them I thought they should be travelling seperately because as a package they were doing nothing for stereotypes. Nice lads though.

Once checked into the hostel we walked the mile or so to the festival site in time to catch the abyssmal Vampire Weekend. Rather than subject my ear drums to their piss weak offerings, we had a wander around the site, I ate a burrito and bought the sort of things you can only buy at festivals, some badges and an anklet, from aging hippies who predictably smelt a bit musty. Turned out that one of them used to be a lecturer at Nottingham Trent Uni though, incredible really given the mans appearance. We also tried some Funnel cake, basically a big waffle, which was pretty good but not worth the $5 I had to cross the venders palm with to purchase one.

Next on the mainstage were N.E.R.D who were really good, as long as you ignore the sexist undertones and the sexist overtones. They had two drummers who were both incredible, at one point in a song they traded off amazing fills for a couple of bars. Credit where credit's due, they put on a good show. After N.E.R.D were Death Cab For Cutie, the main attraction for us and we managed to get an elevated standing position to watch them. They were again really good and it didn't feel boring watching them again only a week and a half after the first time. All in all, the festival was really cool. I am running out of minutes now, so next time I will blog about Tofino, bears and whale watching. Hope everyone is well!

x
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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

just a very quick entry, not really much to write about, but I don't know if I'll have access to the internet the next couple of days. Had a quick mooch about Vancouver today, went down to Gastown, which was quite nice, got a photo taken next to the steam powered clock. On the whole though, not greatly impressed with Vancouver. When we went down to Pacific Central Station today to pick up our greyhound tickets to Pemberton there were more skagheads than buses. Still, off to Pemberton festival tomorrow, really looking forward to seeing Death Cab again, and also Coldplay actually!

Last night we successfully booked onto a couple of tours of the surrounding areas, both run by a company called the moose travel network. On Tuesday we set off on a four day tour of Vancouver island, although it is a hop on, hop off tour, so you can spend an extra day in any of the places should you want to and jump back on the bus the next day. The tour includes whale watching, hot springs and a 2 night stay on a beach resort that I can't remember the name of but that has been highly recommended to us by a Swiss bloke. Mind you, he probably wouldn't have slagged it off regardless, in case it got him into some sort of conflict. When we get back, we are then going on a 7 day tour of Whistler, Banff, Jasper and the Rockies, all beautiful ski resort areas with lots of mountains and lakes and shit like that. The Bill Oddie within me will be loving it.\

One amusing incident of note, from which this particular blog entry has derived it's title from, occured last night when I went for a shower. Just after I went in, another bloke entered, all bronzed and mediterranean looking he was (I later found out he was Italian) and there was the awkward realisation that at some point, somehow, I was going to have remove my shorts in front of this gentlemen - preferably without him seeing naturally. In preparation, I decided to turn on the shower, but could not get it to run hot water. Being English, stubborn and a bloke, I persevered for a minute or two, internally cursing myslef and vowing to do it myself without any assistance but eventually had to require assistance from the Italian Stallion, not realising he had already removed his shorts. Anyway, round he comes from behind my open cubicle door, which until this point had been shielding him from view, naked as the day he was born, genitalia all over the place. He sort of casually tweaked my knob - the shower knob, I should hasten to add - and then sauntered off as if being naked in front of another bloke was the most natural thing in the world. It is at times like this I thank the lord I am not European.

That is all. Goodbye.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1217026200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1217026200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1217026200/tpod.html Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:01:54 -0400 A travel blogging debut entitled - Canada and that.

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Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

After a 5 hour flight from Toronto, arrived in Vancouver at 9am local time, thats another 3 hours lost on top of the five that went AWOL in Toronto. I am now 8 hours behind my beloved Greenwich Mean Time. Staying in a bit of a rubbish hostel, but only here for 2 nights, then off to pemberton festival on the sunday to see Death Cab For Cutie, N.E.R.D, Coldplay and Jay-Z. Back in the hostel in vancouver for one night on the monday and then off on a tour of whistler, banff, jasper and the rockies on tuesday which will last about 7-9 daysish. Fingers crossed anyway, we're going to book that tonight. not really done much since the last blog in all honesty, but did finish reading my booky wook by russel brand and have already devoured the lions share of bill brysons shakespeare. My Booky Wook was awesome, I generally hold a fairly high regard for Mr. Brand and this opinion has not been diminished 'pon finishing his autobiography. I am even starting to speak a little bit like him. Shakespeare is pretty fascinating too. I do like reading on holiday. That is all for now, ta ra.
I finished Harry Potter after a week and now i don't know what to do with myself on the long journeys when Joe is reading although i have become addicted to Tim Bits which i believe are the holes punched out of doughnuts, love from Sadie x
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1216947240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1216947240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1216947240/tpod.html Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:18:31 -0400 A travel blogging debut entitled - Canada and that.

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Today we went to Niagra Falls and it was amazing. We got up early to make a packed lunch, have a quick shower and then jump onto the coach, which was being driven by a thoroughly nice chap named Ian. He was giving a running commentary of landmarks we passed on the way and running through the itinerary of the trip with us, but also just vocalising thoughts he was having and announcing them to us through his microphone, such as "This lane must be closed, that's why they all moving." His best observation, when driving back into Toronto, was that at a certain point on the freeway, from a certain angle, it looks like the top of the CN tower is sitting on top of another building and that he had always wanted to take a photo of this and send it into the local paper asking when they had moved the top of the CN tower.

He genuinely was really lovely though and made the trip alot of fun, also, it is so true about Canadians saying oot, and aboot, instead of out, and about. It's great! On the way to the falls we stopped at a winery owned by Dan Akroyd and tried some wines, including Canadian Ice Wine, which is a very rare wine we were told! At the falls, we went on the maid of the mist, a boat which sails right inside the horseshoe falls. It is like sailing into a storm, but is really incredible! My favourite fact about the falls was that they have moved 70 miles from their original location, through erosion of the rocks. 70 miles!

On the way back we stopped at Niagra on the Lake, a really quaint quiet town. That just depressed me to be honest though, the pace of life was so slow those folks might as well have been dead. Most of them were well on the way.

Last night, and I apologise for the complete and utter disregard I am showing to chronology when writing this blog, but I now feel compelled to write about last night. Last night, we ate at the hostel Barbecue and sat with an Irish couple we'd met that day, Karen and Peter. After that we went to a comedy club called the second city where comedians like Mike Myers, John Candy and Catherine O'Hara had all started out. It was free in and we watched an improv set, some of which was funny, some of which wasn't, but it was a good night! We'd been to Central Island during the day and just had a wander about. I bought a memory card for my camera too so that I could take photos of Niagra today, which I did, lots thereof. Other purchases so far include a hat (sorry that I stole your O'Neill hat William, you can have it back when I get home, my new one is better!)((Until then, you can wear any hat in my room, except the bobble hat, hands off the bobble hat!)) and I bought some sweet sunglasses, I look the bomb.

Tonight we are going to have an early night as we have a ridiculously early flight to get on to Vancouver tomorrow. Toronto has been good to me, and I feel it has benefitted from my visit too. Next, Vancouver.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1216823820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1216823820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/joetroop/1/1216823820/tpod.html Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:53:04 -0400 A travel blogging debut entitled - Canada and that.

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada

After a slight delay in take off, apparently an emergency pilot had to be found given that the original pilot had been incapacitated somehow. In my head the scenario went something like this

JEFF: right I'm off, bloody knackered I am, can't wait for my head to hit the pillow!
AIRPORT OFFICIAL: You could do that, Jeff, you could do that, orrr, how about some overtime?
JEFF: Don't really fancy it to be honest mate...
AIRPORT OFFICIAL: What just like Steve didn't really fancy missing his kids birthday to fly your plane when you went AWOL after that bender in Vegas? Get in the cockpit!

Anyway, the flight was ok, the only hitch being that they'd forgotten to stow my vegetarian meal - not much room on those 757's apparently. Luckily I was sat next a lovely British couple who had packed some cheese and pickle sandwiches "just in case" so I didn't go hungry. The also told me all the places we were flying over, Greenland and the Great Lakes were beautiful.

I arrived and was picked up at the airport by Sadie and after we'd checked into the hostel, which is great, we had a really nice day wandering around Toronto and lounging about by the harbour. At night we went up the CN tower. The view is absolutely incredible and the city looked beautiful at night all lit up. We made out way back to the hostel and met 2 dutch lads who we were sharing a dorm with, David and Tim, who seem right proper gents. We've booked to do a trip to Niagra Falls on Thursday and they might be coming along with us. Today we are going to bisit Toronto Island, although the weather isn't great. There is a barbecue and comedy night at the hostel tonight which we are going to, and hopefully we will meet some more people. There seems to be a nice mix of nationalities and I've heard a couple of English accents knocking about. My minutes are running out now so this will have to suffice for my first blog. Having a really nice time though, hope everyone is ok!

Joe x
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