Canada Part 1.

RIGHT ON!!! Greetings from Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia, Canada! After what Jen later dubbed an "emosh farewell" with mum and dad at the check in at Birmingham airport on Monday morning, Jen and myself departed the UK's familiar shores for Canada; home to the most friendly people I have ever encountered. However before we made it to the other side of the earth we had a ten hour flight to contend with. Personally, for me, the flight was top dollar: the complimentary beer was flowing, two tasty meals were served up, a wide variety of films to choose from and every epsiode of Man Vs Wild (Bear Grylls at his finest) to enjoy! Sadly Jen does not share the same enthusiasm for Delta airlines after the flight as I do. Due to her not feeling too great before the flight and a mix up on the dietary requirements list (Jen being a Coeliac), she had a pretty rotten expierence. She could only be served fruit to consume and she only touched alcohol in an attempt to go for a wine snooze. After touching down in Vancouver we had another lengthy journey  getting to our abode for the evening. What once looked like a relatively simple journey on google maps directions in merry herefordshire and after being reassured by many that Vancouver is similar in size to Hereford city, we were in for quite a shock. A piece of knowledge I can confidently say we have both ascertained is that Vancouver is definately not the same size as Hereford. Infact it is some thousand square kilometres bigger than Hereford. This, acommpanied with the fact that our cab driver 'Ahmed' seemed determined to drive us through the busiest roads in Vancouver at rush hour resulted in a rather dear fare, when we reached Abottsford over an hour later. Thankfully we got our moneys worth on our first night: two queen sized beds, swimming pool, jacuzzi and 'all you can eat' complimentary breakfast the following morning where we proceeded to stuff the limited free space in our rucksacks with loo roll and granny smith apples. Around noon the same day we set our eyes upon what would be our home and transportation for the next two weeks. Christining it 'Bill' , and with Jen behind the wheel and myself map reading, we set out to try and find a Walmart (a BIG american version of a UK supermarket). However with Jen trying her hand at driving the wrong way round (very well for the alien situation!) alongside a puny A4 map of the area (and my awful map reading ability) we spent an hour doing what should have been a fifteen minute journey getting lost in an area about one mile squared. Eventually we found one of the largest supermarkets I have ever seen where fresh fruit and veg is non existant. Stocking up on supplies, we headed out for Harrison Hot Springs where some of the most beautiful scenery I have ever seen lies. On a plateau in the middle of the northern Rockies, Harrison Hot Springs is famous for its cobalt blue lakes, snowy summer peaks and Sasquatch, aka Bigfoot. Checking into our campsite it soon came to our attention that the average age of our neighbours was eighty. Today, sticking out like sore thumbs we set off, wielding cameras to admire and heavily document the breathtaking local scenery, (sadly we didn't manage to snap the Big B). We haven't fully got used to the change in time zone over here yet so Jen has decided to induce a vodka coma to help her sleep right through till dawn. I myself will fully appreciate a whole eight hours sleep, because my personal alarm in the form of Jen incessantly calling my name will be out for the count.

Signing out, Andy.