Mountains, lakes and the ocean

Some observations about Canada:
- It is very very big. You knew that, I knew that, but still. It's big.
- It is VERY EXPENSIVE here. Like, a tub of butter/spread costs about $3.50. For reals. And the exchange rate isn't *that* good, although I am useless at working stuff like that out. Unless stuff has got seriously expensive in the week I have been away, it's really quite pricey out here.
- It is a new place. We're on the West Coast, so obviously the most recent place to be "settled" but still. You don't find yourself falling over old churches like you do at home. Or anything old, really. Quite a contrast to Rome, where we were earlier in the year (I wish I was as jet-setting as I sound!)
- Tax is not added. So, you see something that costs $2.50 and you take it to the till. But it doesn't cost that much, because they add the tax at the till. It's about 12%, so not loads, but still enough that getting the correct change out is a bit complicated if you don't have good maths brain like me. And it's just annoying - it doesn't cost $2.50, so don't say it does!

So, after the wedding on Saturday, and some mooching on Friday, we had to travel to Squamish, which is between Whistler and Vancouver going North up the coast.

We looked into renting/hiring a car but it was extremely expensive, so we naively thought we'd be OK. Ha. Ha. Ha. HAHAHAHAH.

Still, we were innocent at this stage in proceedings. So Sunday morning we battled across Vancover with our baggages and got to the Greyhound station and queued up and got on the bus. I'm sure the journey was very beautiful but I was mainly concentrating on not vomiting everywhere as the road twisted and turned, the bus shook from side to side and the air conditioning was blowing a gale against my ankles. Did I mention I get car/coachsick? It was was HORRIBLE. When we arrived I sat down on a bench and Rob went to explore a bit.

It is very beautiful here, surrounded by mountains, some of them snow-capped. But I felt a bit weird, sitting outside a drugstore with two cases and rucksacks, reading a book, as people passed by to do their shopping.

Rob came back with a map to the hotel. We walked. We could not find the hotel. I'm not sure what happened next, but we went to a cafe where I had a fruit and brie salad (YUMMY! *and* healthy!) and they called us a taxi.

The hotel was up the freeway/highway and really rather far away. This is when we realised a car would be somewhat handy. Oops. But it was so expensive!

Squamish is developing as a town, or should I say *was* as the money has run out. Outside our hotel is a big pile of rubble where two restaurants were meant to be. But they never got built. The taxi driver was very nice and optimistic, while my heart sank into my boots. The hotel is literally in the middle of nowhere. Walmart is sort of over the road, but that's not exactly a destination!

We checked in, drank some tea and went to Walmart. Which is basically Asda without any fresh food. Very strange. We got some fake Leibniz biscuits, which turned into dinner. I did some internet research which turned up a local car hire and some stuff to do, so I felt a bit better, although a bit nervous as today is a bank holiday (BC day).

So, today, up we got, had breakfast and got a taxi to the Adventure centre, which is a like an awesome tourist information office with a cafe, gift shop and people who will let you hire bikes. Hurrah! We had a moment's trouble with a cash point that wouldn't give either of us money, but we paid by card and off we went. I asked one of the workers there about crossing the freeway/highway and he was like, "Eh it's no big deal!" but as far as I was concerned, it was like crossing a motorway! There were traffic lights and it was fine. Hurrah, we were off!

Then Rob fell off his bike at a junction changing gear. But he was back on and off! Hurrah! We rode around a bit, and down to the "beach" where some dogs were playing which was cute, and we got this picture of Shannon Falls, the third largest waterfall in British Columbia, doncha know? ;)



Then we went into the town and Rob got some cash, hurrah!

We had lunch at cafe called Zephyr which was full of hippies and served things like raw lasagna. We had falafel wraps which were thankfully warm and served with nacho crisps.

Back on the bikes for a pootle around town and then we decided to go to the Spit which the taxi driver had told us about. The trail started off as asphalt, then turned into hard earth, and then turned in more or less shale, which kicked off a hell of a lot of dust when cars went past.

We stopped off at a little section of the path to look at the view:



I was worrying about the bike tyres, but they survived and we got there. There wasn't much there, really, I was expecting something structural beyond portaloos, but the view was amazing:



We stopped there for a few minutes, watching the people, but it was seriously windy so we came back. The Spit is a man-made structure out in to Howe Sound, I think especially for aquatic stuff. It must be great if you do that stuff.

Ride back was ok, and much quicker than the ride down there. Here's me on my bike:



We had a drink at a place called Howe Sound brewery, returned the bike, got some gifts and taxi-d back to the hotel. I think we are going to Wendys for dinner. Wish us luck.

And wish us luck for hiring a car tomorrow, we'll be a little bit limited without one!!