Left Vancouver the day for Toronto. Got up before the sun did, packed our bags up, (AGAIN!!! Not going to miss packing up me backpack everyday) and walked to the bus stop in the dark.
Uneventful flight to Toronto. It took 4 hours which suprised me, forgot how big America and Canada are. Theres also a 3 hour time difference between west and east coast.
Asked a fella in information the best was to get to downtown Toronto - $22 airport shuttle each or $50 taxi he said, then we managed to squeeze out of him that you could just buy a $2.75 transit ticket catch a bus then a subway then a street car (tram) on the same fare - so we did that!!
Got to the hostel late afternoon, not feeling to great at the moment - hoping its just the cat allergy still having a go but Heathers feeling the same - fingers crossed!
Went out to try and pick up our Amtrack tickets to New York from the station but it clsoed at 1pm. So went for some food in a pub near Union station and tried to kill our germs with a few pints and whiskey's.
*WARNING* - Rant coming on!!
Throughout America and Canada we have felt a bit ripped off when going out for food and drinks. The advertised prices are way above prices at home, probably 50% higher, but you can sort of deal with that since you know your'e in a major city so you can expect you food and drinks to cost a bit more. But then the bill comes and they have added on a GST (general service tax), an alcohol tax and another state tax - Now that really gets my goat!!
Secret, hidden, snidey little taxes they dont tell you about. So a $6 pint of beers turns into a $8.50 pint, which is totaly ridiculous! Then, THEN the waitress wants a 20% tip for bring you it or is it a tip for wearing a short skirt?!? - Im sure its your service we're tipping love not how long you can make your legs look!!! c'mon man !!!
Its not just the drinks its food as well, extra taxes are added on to the prices advertised on the menu and then dont forget the tip - its criminal man - makes my blood boil!!!
*RANT OWER*
Wednesday, 6 May 2009
I HEART VANCOUVER MORE
Hired bike today. Rode them round Stanley park which was good to get a bit of exercise and burn off some burgers. We ate so many burgers in America, its just so much easier and cheaper to grab a burger plus they taste amazing and are massive over here!
Stanley park is quality, they've got bike lanes and roller blade lanes that go all over the park. We saw some original totem poles which was cool.
Spent the afternoon wandering round and taking in Vancouver. Had tea in this little cafe selling homemade soup, which did the job!!!
Up early the morn to catch a flight to Toronto, worked out we've got to catch two buses, first one at 5:45am. It'll be a shame leaving Vancouver as its been so good!!!
Stanley park is quality, they've got bike lanes and roller blade lanes that go all over the park. We saw some original totem poles which was cool.
Spent the afternoon wandering round and taking in Vancouver. Had tea in this little cafe selling homemade soup, which did the job!!!
Up early the morn to catch a flight to Toronto, worked out we've got to catch two buses, first one at 5:45am. It'll be a shame leaving Vancouver as its been so good!!!
VANCOUVER
Had our breakfast in a canny little cafe in Gastown, which is a cool trendy part of the city. Sat and read the sunday papers and had a few cups of tea and killed a bit of time as we cant check into our next hostel till 11.
Walked about 10 minutes to the next hostel which feels more like and English style B & B. Its quite small and is basically someones house that they rent rooms out. The couple live in the house. Its a lovely old house and we had the loft conversion which felt like a self contained flat. The only thing is that the house is full of cats!! 3 of them stared to molest our bags as soon as our backs were turned when checking in. There were 3 more in our bedroom when we first went in. I scared them off and managed to punt one of them as it went past. Im swallowing antihistamines like no ones buisiness as I dont want to be sniffing and wheezing going through the airport in a couple of days and get arrested for having swine flu!!
Spent the afternoon walking round Vancouver. It brilliant here, I love it, feels a bit like Seattle but better. Youve got every thing you would ever want from a city, massive buildings, a cool skyline, countryside, parks, amazing scenery.
Went over to Glenville island, on an aquabus, where all the artists hang out. It was canny good just chilling out there.
Spent the evening watching some DVDs in our little pretent flat. They've got about 1000 DVDs as they haven't got any cable channels.
Found out them mountains are not the Rockies but the Ocean or Coastal range!!!
Walked about 10 minutes to the next hostel which feels more like and English style B & B. Its quite small and is basically someones house that they rent rooms out. The couple live in the house. Its a lovely old house and we had the loft conversion which felt like a self contained flat. The only thing is that the house is full of cats!! 3 of them stared to molest our bags as soon as our backs were turned when checking in. There were 3 more in our bedroom when we first went in. I scared them off and managed to punt one of them as it went past. Im swallowing antihistamines like no ones buisiness as I dont want to be sniffing and wheezing going through the airport in a couple of days and get arrested for having swine flu!!
Spent the afternoon walking round Vancouver. It brilliant here, I love it, feels a bit like Seattle but better. Youve got every thing you would ever want from a city, massive buildings, a cool skyline, countryside, parks, amazing scenery.
Went over to Glenville island, on an aquabus, where all the artists hang out. It was canny good just chilling out there.
Spent the evening watching some DVDs in our little pretent flat. They've got about 1000 DVDs as they haven't got any cable channels.
Found out them mountains are not the Rockies but the Ocean or Coastal range!!!
LITERALLY SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE AND A BORDER CROSSING
Tried to get an early night last night as we were getting up at stupid o'clock to catch the Greyhound. It didnt work, woke up at 2am and didnt sleep the rest of the night - gutted.
Filled up on the free breakfast and Heather nicked some muffins and biscuits and that for the coach ride.
Got to the Greyhound station at about 7:30am and waited till 9am till the bus arrived. A ticket doesn't guarentee you a seat on the bus, its first come first served. so we stood in line for the whole time!!
The bus stopped at the Boarder so we could get through passport control which took and age to get through. Got back on the bus and on to Vancouver. Arrived at Vancouver Greyhound mid afternoon and caight the sky train near to our hostel. Then headed out looking for some Candian dollars as about half a dozen cash points would accept our cards.
Saw a pharmacy called London Drugs!!!
There seems to be only only bank in Vancouver that would yeild us any money!!!
Had a canny night in this microbrewery pubwatching the ice hockey on the big screens they had and drinking the local ales. Had a canny view of some more of them black snow capped mountains.
Filled up on the free breakfast and Heather nicked some muffins and biscuits and that for the coach ride.
Got to the Greyhound station at about 7:30am and waited till 9am till the bus arrived. A ticket doesn't guarentee you a seat on the bus, its first come first served. so we stood in line for the whole time!!
The bus stopped at the Boarder so we could get through passport control which took and age to get through. Got back on the bus and on to Vancouver. Arrived at Vancouver Greyhound mid afternoon and caight the sky train near to our hostel. Then headed out looking for some Candian dollars as about half a dozen cash points would accept our cards.
Saw a pharmacy called London Drugs!!!
There seems to be only only bank in Vancouver that would yeild us any money!!!
Had a canny night in this microbrewery pubwatching the ice hockey on the big screens they had and drinking the local ales. Had a canny view of some more of them black snow capped mountains.
I HEART SEATTLE
Seattle is fantastic!!!
Had a free hot buffett breakfast, which was amazing! You could have had anything you wanted. Burgers, sausages, waffles, pancakes - the lot!!
Took the car back, we've driven 1732 miles since L.A. in two weeks. Then went for a walk round pioneer square and the old parts of Seattle, which was very cool. Felt like something out of Bugsy Malone!
Went to the aquarium and saw a massive Octopuss being fed. They've build a salmon ladder that winds around the building and are breeding salmon here in the hope that when they releaese them they will return to spawn in the aquarium and climb the ladder! That would be a sight to see!
Saw river and sea otters and some massive seals. I feel sorry a bit for seals, they look like they've been bred between a fish and a dog!!!
Then we walked round the piers and had fish and chips, they still call them fish and chips not fish and fries!! Had a canny view over the bay of some black snow capped mountains - wonder if they are the rockies!!
Had a look in this pub that had a brewery in the middle of it.
When we were walking round in the afternoon we saw a proper stand off between the cops and some bad guys. There were 8 police cars surrounding a truck, blocking off the whole road. All the rozzers had their guns out pointing at the truck. I thought we were witnessing the capture of Bin Laden for all the fire power they were brandishing!! Then this vagrant looking fella slowly steps out of the truck and got handcuffed, then his mate got floored and cuffed. It was like something out of Bad Boys II. It took 16 coppers and 8 police cars to arrest 2 old codgers. Never found out what they had done - bet it was just speeding or something!!!
Had a free hot buffett breakfast, which was amazing! You could have had anything you wanted. Burgers, sausages, waffles, pancakes - the lot!!
Took the car back, we've driven 1732 miles since L.A. in two weeks. Then went for a walk round pioneer square and the old parts of Seattle, which was very cool. Felt like something out of Bugsy Malone!
Went to the aquarium and saw a massive Octopuss being fed. They've build a salmon ladder that winds around the building and are breeding salmon here in the hope that when they releaese them they will return to spawn in the aquarium and climb the ladder! That would be a sight to see!
Saw river and sea otters and some massive seals. I feel sorry a bit for seals, they look like they've been bred between a fish and a dog!!!
Then we walked round the piers and had fish and chips, they still call them fish and chips not fish and fries!! Had a canny view over the bay of some black snow capped mountains - wonder if they are the rockies!!
Had a look in this pub that had a brewery in the middle of it.
When we were walking round in the afternoon we saw a proper stand off between the cops and some bad guys. There were 8 police cars surrounding a truck, blocking off the whole road. All the rozzers had their guns out pointing at the truck. I thought we were witnessing the capture of Bin Laden for all the fire power they were brandishing!! Then this vagrant looking fella slowly steps out of the truck and got handcuffed, then his mate got floored and cuffed. It was like something out of Bad Boys II. It took 16 coppers and 8 police cars to arrest 2 old codgers. Never found out what they had done - bet it was just speeding or something!!!
SEATTLE
Turned our heals to Portland and drove further north to Seattle. Arrived mid afternoon. Got a cheap deal in a quality inn right next to the space needle.
Walked downtown and had a nosey round Pike market which was canny good and round a bit of the town. Nearly every street has a Starbucks on it. The most we counted from a single standing position was 4 Starbucks in our field of view. There must be 1000's of them here!! Its ridiculous! I wonder how people decide which on to go to?
Walked around and found the Greyhound station and bought some tickets to take us across the Caniadian border and to Vancouver, as we're dropping the car off tomorrow.
Then it was Guinness O'Clock, found a canny bar with a very genourous happy hour on so we made the most of Seattles hospitality!!
Walked downtown and had a nosey round Pike market which was canny good and round a bit of the town. Nearly every street has a Starbucks on it. The most we counted from a single standing position was 4 Starbucks in our field of view. There must be 1000's of them here!! Its ridiculous! I wonder how people decide which on to go to?
Walked around and found the Greyhound station and bought some tickets to take us across the Caniadian border and to Vancouver, as we're dropping the car off tomorrow.
Then it was Guinness O'Clock, found a canny bar with a very genourous happy hour on so we made the most of Seattles hospitality!!
Sunday, 3 May 2009
GANGSTER TRIPPIN'
The shouting from next door, we think, was coming from a drug dealer and his clients. Seriously this place is unreal. Heather woke up at 2am and didnt sleep the rest of the night due to people visiting our narcotic neighbour every 20 minutes throughout the night, strobing passed the gaps in our door. They played music all night, there was a constant chopping sound and there was a very heated argument outside our door between the drug barren and a woman. Then someone started crying from the drug den and then the sound of violent vomminting! You couldnt make this stuff up man!!!!!
We're supposed to stay hear for another night - Nuts to that!!!!! - At first light we're gone!!!!!!
The sun came up with no conclusions!! So we packed up, shoved our key card under the reception door, sacrificed the $40 we'd paid for tonights stay, no doubt old 40 stoner has already eaten them dollar notes by now anyway and then you couldn't see our heals for dust!!!!!!!
Drove around for a while and checked into a travelodge at 10am and went to sleep.
Afternoon came and we had a bit more of a look round Portland. I'm indecisive about Portland, I really wanted Portland to be a highlight of the U.S. I'd looked forward to seeing it so much as Ive a couple of friends who love the place. May be another visit one day is whats needed? or maybe I'd created an idea of Portland from other peoples possitivety and enthusiasm who knows!!
Funny how you quickly build up prejudices against a place after one experience, maybe the phrase 'first impressions count' is true? Well here's hoping that Portland will look more favourably on me second time round!
We're supposed to stay hear for another night - Nuts to that!!!!! - At first light we're gone!!!!!!
The sun came up with no conclusions!! So we packed up, shoved our key card under the reception door, sacrificed the $40 we'd paid for tonights stay, no doubt old 40 stoner has already eaten them dollar notes by now anyway and then you couldn't see our heals for dust!!!!!!!
Drove around for a while and checked into a travelodge at 10am and went to sleep.
Afternoon came and we had a bit more of a look round Portland. I'm indecisive about Portland, I really wanted Portland to be a highlight of the U.S. I'd looked forward to seeing it so much as Ive a couple of friends who love the place. May be another visit one day is whats needed? or maybe I'd created an idea of Portland from other peoples possitivety and enthusiasm who knows!!
Funny how you quickly build up prejudices against a place after one experience, maybe the phrase 'first impressions count' is true? Well here's hoping that Portland will look more favourably on me second time round!
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