Dragon’s Back

I’ve lost a Saturday in my life….everybody knows that Saturday is clearly the best day of the week, and I’ve lost one...and a Friday evening too I left Vancouver at 12:30PM on Friday (GMT –8) and arrived in Hong Kong at 9:30PM (GMT +8) on Saturday. I flew over the Pacific and crossed over the international date line for the first time in my life, I’ve never seen so many hours of daylight, but never had a day go by so quick (if you think about it, that does make perfect sense).

Had a 12 hour flight from Vancouver to Shanghai, and this is what I got to see of China:

It looks like it’s a great country.

So anyway, if you’re ever gonna fly to China or Hong Kong, use BA or Eastern China Air……free beer, that’s all I’m basing this on. Let’s face it, a flight’s a flight, they suck! Every plus is a bonus!

Didn’t do to much when I arrived here (in my fantastic room (you get what you pay for)), it was about midnight by the time I checked in, and it looked pretty dead around here (apart from the guys who were quite keen to sell me a suit).

Yes, that is my toilet right next to my "shower"

Whata view

So Sunday I pretty much had a tour of the local area (Kowloom):

Now, nearly 6 months ago, just before I left England, me and my Gramps (My Mum’s Dad) were talking about Hong Kong, and he was based over here in a place called Fanling, after heading up to Fanling (using the MTR (trains), I could not find the old barracks (and I really was looking for a while), but still, it was so worth it, I headed up Fung Ying Seen Koon temple (which I can only assume was a temple for the dead, there wasn’t much English there, but people were lighting up lints and there were plenty of photos of people in little sections), but it offered some awesome views once I went up above the temple:

My Sunday night (long story shot), involved Football, beer and curry (it’s great being ahead of England (in time), football is on at night as opposed to in the early hours).

Today (Monday) I headed over to Hong Kong island (by ferry) and did a few touristy things, including heading up to the 55th floor of the IFC building….


…before heading off to the other side of the island to do Dragon’s back, and seriously (although it was pretty cloudy, so these photos aint too great it) it was so impressive up there.

I’ll admit, this entree is a bit rushed (and not my best) but when I started writing it I was slightly drunk, plus I wanna get up at 8 (which is in 4 hours time) to pack and do a few more touristy things before I leave Hong Kong….I can’t believe that I’m gonna be in Vietnam TODAY. So here’s just a couple more photos of Hong Kong that I wanna chuck in here:

I think I missed the Chinese New Year by one day?

Thanks to Tim (Bryony (my only English friend in Jasper)’s brother) for being in Hong Kong, and taking me out for the last couple of nights, good times. Don’t feel too much out my comfort zone right now, being in Hong Kong kinda feel like when you go to Greece, or somewhere like that, it’s big, full of people that wanna sell my suits, “genuine fake watches” or weed, and it’s s country with a deferent language but they all sorta speak English…I’m pretty sure tomorrow will be different.

Good bye Canada...Good bye North America

So tonight is my last night in Canada and North America. It's been 23 weeks since I left England, spent 11 weeks and 2 days in the States and 11 weeks 6 days in Canada (by the time I leave tomorrow). My American visa would have expired in 2 and a half weeks anyway, so I'm not leaving the continent much shorter than what I originally planned. So my next stop will be Hong Kong, I leave Vancouver airport tomorrow early afternoon and after a 12 hour flight I will be in Shanghai, then a flight onto Hong Kong.

Went into Vancouver today and picked up a few bits including my foreign currencies:

That's my last $110 Canadian. But just so you know, $100 Canadian gets you (roughly for each country):

• $100 American
• $750 Hong Kong (The Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC))
• ฿3,000 Thai Baht
• And ₫1,500,000 (Yes 1 and a half million) Vietnamese dong

I was unable to get any money for Laos. So anyway, after a long weekend in Hong Kong, I will be heading to Vietnam to do my Asia tour which includes Laos and Thailand. Before staying in Thailand for a little while, then flying into Brisbane, Australia next month - that's right I actually have a plan, WITH DATES! And I'll be meeting Danny G from back home (the first mate from back home that I'll be seeing since Ryan and Katie left me in Washington 3 and a half months ago).

I won't really put any more photos of my last few days, I only have some photos of my ferry ride back to the mainland and some more photos of Vancouver

So anyway, I didn't do it when a left Jasper, but I suppose I should do it now: Big thank yous....Thank you to Sheryl (my manger's manager at Fairmont Stores), the first and only Canadian I knew when I crossed the US/Canadian border back in November. Thanks to Courtney for getting me through them "great" days at work...some of them really were the best, and thanks for all them truly Canadian meals. Thanks to all the staff at the Grizz for all your help at the start, especially Rob, you were amazing dude. Thanks to Cory, Keegan, Stacey and Mark for the house parties...so many epic flip cup moments of glory....not too many moments of beer pong glory for me. Also thanks to James, Shaifa, MmmattFigueirraa, Blaire and Matt for hosting too. Thank you Kim for the more then entertaining nights (I know how that sounds, but if you know Kim, you know what I mean). Thanks Steph for my free coffee (I got it in the end). Nice one to Jeff, Chad, Nick for the snowboarding adventures. Thank you Milan for being sane, it helps in a place like Jasper. Thank you Karly for my drawing, I still have it, and it will go up when I get to Oz. Thanks Laura O for making my 6 minutes walk home a lot longer. Thanks to my Wifey, Kayla, my best distraction. Thanks Laura for the long talks and the epic late night dances outside A cabin...it will be summer soon! Thanks Dan for everything dude, and for planning the whole Alberta road trip, sweet sweet times. Cheers Bryony too for having an English contact, and thanks for the hook up with your brother. And shout out to big gay Tom, awesome times, looking forward to seeing you again next month. Sorry to Jenna, I wasn't trying to mess you around, and thanks for trying to help, shame I didn't get to see you again before I left. Thanks Cassie and Caighlah for inviting me to Ottawa and David, Wanda (hope you enjoyed your time away), Tyler, Josh, Corey and everyone else in Ottawa, twas an awesome week. Thanks to Becca for taking all my time back in the bean, the very cheap breakfasts and for inviting me to the Island, and Mary, Wally and Emily for putting up with me. Thanks also to Sara for housing us for a couple of nights and Chris, Justine and Canadian Cam for my two trips down to Victoria. Thanks finally to Eleni and Katie for the random house that you found for me to stay in for my last few days in Canada (that's no joke, their staying in a random house...it's legit, but random). Finally thanks to Sophie back in STA Southampton for helping me sort all my Asia trip in such a short time. Thanks to anyone else I've forgotten to mention, don't take it personally, there's a lot of people to thank.

Hope to see you all again at some point.

So long Tim Hortons, you were great (in Canada, not the States (you suck there)), but you're no Dunkin' Donuts. And so long root beer.

Only in Canada

Now I suppose as I did it for the USA, it would seem like I'm favoring one country over another (which I'm not, I think that both these huge huge countries are awesomely amazing, full of some awesomely amazing people), so I suppose it's Canada's turn!

First thing, for a country that doesn't seem to like the USA that much, they really do seem to rely on them for a lot:

Just a small taste of products made in the USA. Although, when something is Canadian, you really know about it:

BEEEERRRR!!!!

But my personal favorite:

The pride and joy and....

...ooooooohh!

But some of the brands that we know aren't Canadian, still get the mark....just to name a few:

Just a few more that I wanted to chuck in there:

Cos it was so hard before!?!

This might just be a Jasper thing...but you were warned!

I know it's cold...this is Canada!

So anyway. Not that I'm mocking either country, cos as I mentioned they are both awesome. I kinda wish England could be more like Canada, in the fact that Canadians are proud but quite about it, unlike the States were they're proud but very very load about it. Unlike us, we're load but very unpatriotic. If you meet a Canadian who isn't proud to be a Canadian, well, they're not really a Canadian, trust me. But I know many English that aren't proud to be English.

Another big differance between Canada and the States (cos they really is a lot of similarities) I don't think I've ever played flip cup in the States, yet in Canada it has a theme song. Also, beer pong is as popular, but there seems to be a lot more rules to it in Canada (or they just stick to the rules more then the Americans!?!?).

Anyway, more on me right now. I've been back in BC for a week now, and nearly on the island for a week. Loving it here, it's not as cold as Jasper or Ottawa but I can still snowboard, and the Kobetitch family have been awesome to me.

So had a weekend in Nanaimo including a drip to Cathedral Grove:

Then a trip down to Victoria for a night and a day:

The road trip from Victoria to Campbell river was pretty sweet too:

Since I've been in Campbell River, we've been to the rain forest (not tropical), Elk falls, had a beach fore (it took A LOT of work), a walk down the beach where there was a lot of bald eagles (funny how I've never seen any in the States...think it's time to change your National Emblem), a comedy show, and I got my snowboard up Mount Washington today (even though my head hurts like a mo fo) for some night riding.

The Jeep made it feel like we were in Jurassic Park ...minus the dinosaurs (just the minor details). Of course I was Jeff Goldblum in this scenario.

It did get darker whilst we were there

So anyway, need to get up (fairly) early tomorrow as Becca is flying back to the mainland to head back to Jasper early Sunday morning. All the best to ya (I know how much luck you need in Jasper) and hopefully we'll be meeting up again in the land of Oz.

I have been starting to plan the next leg of my trip, so I could be leaving Canada fairly soon. Wish STA would've got back to me sooner, but at least they finally have, so I can start planning the Asia section of my tour.

Just before I sign off, two more Canadian things:

This is Arrogant Worms…this is so true of Canadians.

Too excited. Go Justin…Canada's finest! 11th February 2011