Vancouver overnight

I haven't been here for many years and zit was almost unrecognisable with so many high rise apartments that my taxi driver said had been built since Expo in 1986? Not sure when Kevin and I visited.  My room at the Century Plaza Hotel on Burrade Street was great; lots of space, a sink, ironing board etc.  only two tea bags which I used and a coffee maker.

On my taxi ride from the airport I saw numerous 'Canadian sights' including logs rafted up along one of the  rivers with a flyover bridge. Many of the old and new buildings have wooden clap board outer walls and man made flat tiles laid to look like slate.  Some of the million dollar houses along the main road are designed like the big middle class houses in Surrey.  Everywhere there are fir trees including grown as high hedging around these large houses.

I walked to the waterside after a nap.  It was still quite bright when the cannon went off at 9pm (apparently a tradition) and gave me a start.  I saw the flying boats or is it floating planes? where I recall them being parked when we last visited.   Kevin and I caught one to fly to Victoria.  Such fun.

Good breakfast in the hotel for $11 and left by 8.15 to get to the airport for my 11.45 trip to Anchorage.  The local paper was so right wing I couldn't stomach it early in the morning.  One letter given massive font was 'Let Capitalism Loose" saying it was good for wages and unions were bad news and the main Comment was proposing that sharks should be killed for a $50k bounty as they might be a threat to tourism!! Made WA sound tame.

 Good to know Aus isn't the only place with corrupt senators.  One here was paid $90k by the PMs closest aide and is now facing some 30 charges for fraud and corruption.  He has been dismissed from the senate - for now anyway.  The paper says the PM can hide behind Parliamentary privilege if called to testify - doesn't sound right??  He and Mr A and their cronies make a perfect pairing by the sound of things.

Two locals, my (Indian taxi driver and a young girl from a local tourist agency) did not know where Anchorage was.  I thought that a bit strange - Canadians mustn't look north??

Overall, I found the part do the city I visited very clean and modern but without much character.  I can say that coming from Canberra.  Sydney is certainly a much more interesting and beautiful city even though it doesn't have the high mountains as  a backdrop.  People were friendly enough.  I'm still wondering who the beggars are.  There were quite a few along the street last night.  Are they Canadians or unemployed US citizens.

Starting for the Far North. I am off to the Far North! Well my stars were right! I have to learn to soak up the good things??, on an almostfullplane by chance, I ended up having three seats to myself and wasableto have some sleep. I was feeling wrecked after a restless night atmy$200 Rydges room. It certainly is convenient with a two minute walktothe departures. I had a 'airport view' room which concerned me alittleat first but there wasn't much happening - when I opened thecurtainson one of my midnight wanders I could see a few vehicleszooming aroundand the flags standing out in the cold wind. I wasn'thungry afterhaving booked breakfast so just picked over a few things.My problemwas I had too much fruit the night before trying to finishthings offfrom the fruit bowl at home. I must learn that it is alrightnot to eatthings as they are gone anyway if that makes sense? Aucklandairporthad enough shops etc to mooch about for a couple of hours. Ibought aneck pillow, ear plugs, special NZ chocolate on 'special' - 3for $15.Then I sat down and had a chocolate overload when they put achocolatestick into an already heavily chocolates hot chocolate. It wasspecial.Mad souvenirs included lollies called Sheep's Poo - raisinsinchocolate, and Squashed Possums -chocolate rough. I also loved itwhenlooking at the departure display for those still not up to boardingetcthey just display 'relax'. I watched a NZ movie last nightcalled 'Homefor Christmas' based on real life adventures of a soldiercalledPreston whose family had got it together. It had real footage ofthesoldiers leaving Greymouth and on the battlefield of NorthernAfrica.Most of the time he was in prison with the Italians. They werescaredof the Germans but the Italians seemed to be ok. He and somemateswalked out after Italy capitulated and those who stated got takenon bytrain to the north by the Germans.