Day 158: Oh, Canada.

We began our emergency journey to Canada at approximately 2:30 am.  Hamster-pants, free to roam about our apartment on occasion, managed to squeeze into a hole but couldn't squeeze out. What he lacked in squeeze he made up for in chew. A tiny pile of sawdust [knaw-dust?] remains as proof of his fight for freedom and a dusty measure of our lost sleep

We drove through the night. Listening to several favorites to raise the ol' lids. Blonde Redhead.- when I drove, though it added a creepy touch to the slow sunrise. Casper was partial to Run On Sentence. A little folky, but Good Driving Music, I must admit. 

The border crossing was uneventful. Other than my tiny-panic attack at the sight of a round-a-bout. "They're so much safer.." -Casper claims. But not when they also ignite personal chaos. -I think.

Besides the warm, and boastful, welcoming sign "British Columbia, Canada. The Best Place on Earth" was the clever & helpful Thinkmeters signs. Probably speeding, we journeyed on to Vancouver.

Vancouver is tall. Vancouver is expensive. I couldn't find Vancouver's personality--though it seemed eerily international.  I felt late for work, back in Korea--surrounded by mobs of Korean school kids and too many crappy English Language Schools. Though I celebrated, and drank, the abundance of aloe juice for sale.
We stumbled upon a rowdy & drunken viewing of  the Vancouver Canucks game. The buses even read an electronic 'Go Canucks' on their front display. Loyal fans, they are.

We heard a few 'ey's and 'ay's'. Everyone was Canadian Nice. The fire hydrants were white and red with vulgar little nipple-y knobs. Gas drained us $1.16 per liter, which is hard to pay and harder to convert. (Just kidding daddy, I love little math problems...it's about 4.40 a gallon.)

The weather was fantastic. I acquired a sprinkle of pink (No, not an ounce of a trendy, new drug--but a trendy, new way to say: sunburn.)  The mountains were grand. Awesome, in the true sense of the word. I've never been one to properly describe, or 'paint with words', nature.  My apologies. It was pretty.

As a border-ish town, everywhere we paid gladly (I think) took US Dollars--sometimes adjusting the price (which is practically unadjustable: 1 US Dollar = 1.02440 Canadian Dollar).  Taking both currencies seems practical and was definitely appreciated, but would we (do we?) do the same?

An attempt to illustrate Vancouver's location and height.

Along the "Sea and Sky Highway"

...to welcome us home.