21/8/2010
We had an unbelievable night at the wedding - it was spectacular scenery on top of a warehouse which has been converted into a wedding reception venue (booked out for two years ahead). There was an enormous amount of food & alcohol available, such a diversity of people as guests - we didn't get to bed until 3am! Sonia had a dance with an american negro type (one of the waiters) at the end of the night - there were some pretty good dancers there.
Dad has some photos - he ended up not taking his Nikon as he didn't want to look after it all night, but I am sure he has some great shots on the Panasonic - will get some photos on the Blog as soon as we haave the chance to have some time to sort them. . . .
We are off to the Blue Note jazz club tonight to see a Japenese pianoist - should be good.
We have some travel hints and places to go from Peter's cousin Judy and her husband, who sat on our table at the reception last night. She lives in New Jersy (just across the Hudson river from NY) but has lived in Seattle amongst other places in the US.
We have been doing lots of walking most days but today is looking like a quieter one on the touristy front. Meeting Peter & Sonia for brunch at 10am in half an hour. Have caught the subway a couple of times - yesterday we were entertained by a flamenco south American guitarist who got on at a stop a and just started playing his guitar for all in our carriage. ... .
This city is very eclectic and everything is just soooo big - nothing surprises. People are very casual both in dress sense and attitude - service is not always the best as they get around to it in their own good time. We have had about 28oC most days - very pleasant for walking the streets.
Better go and get ready - hope this finds you all well - thanks for keeping an eye on the Wizard for us.
Lots of love,
Mum
xxxx
26/8/2010
After an early start we have seven hours to wait at the San Francisco airport . . . Since the next leg is 'international' (to Canada) we haven't time to visit the centre for more than a minute or three so are staying put.
Our time is now three hours different than New York. So if you take off five hours and swap AM for PM or PM for AM - should work near enough for all of the remaining time away. We'll be in Vancouver at about midnight; and into the camper-van by morning's end.
Hope you are all ok?
We spoke to Pop last night and he sounded much brighter and pleased to hear that he is getting some visitors at the weekend!
Love,
Dad/Jim (and Mum who has gone for one of her walkpedes :-))
31/8/2010
We are heading off through the mountains today towards
Banff and we will not be able to be contacted for about three or four days.
The weather has finally abated and we can see the tops of the montains finally - spectacular
- they are snow capped and there are some galciers to boot, they tower at around 3,000
metres in this part of the country. We had a soak in a hot spring late yesterday afternoon -
40o C - very relaxing - and a good time to wash the hair!!
Had a email from Lyndie with great news that pop is doing well still and that they are contemplating adjusting his pacemaker.
Better make the most of this sunshine and get on the road now that we have done all our
washing, shopping and communicating.
We did see a bear on the side of the road yesterday and have spotted some Cariboo - very
graceful and large, Jim saw a wolf this morning crossing the road out in the country. The
campgrounds have waring signs everywhere about keeping all food stuff locked in your car as
this attracts the bears and the place we stayed in last night warned us that they were
having problems with a couple of nuisance bears hanging around and we spotted a bear trap!
The MH is bigger than we expeced but we are starting to feel nmore comfortable in it every day and dad is handling the driving of it much better as time passes.
Lots of love,
Mum & Dad
xxxxxxx
Banff and we will not be able to be contacted for about three or four days.
The weather has finally abated and we can see the tops of the montains finally - spectacular
- they are snow capped and there are some galciers to boot, they tower at around 3,000
metres in this part of the country. We had a soak in a hot spring late yesterday afternoon -
40o C - very relaxing - and a good time to wash the hair!!
Had a email from Lyndie with great news that pop is doing well still and that they are contemplating adjusting his pacemaker.
Better make the most of this sunshine and get on the road now that we have done all our
washing, shopping and communicating.
We did see a bear on the side of the road yesterday and have spotted some Cariboo - very
graceful and large, Jim saw a wolf this morning crossing the road out in the country. The
campgrounds have waring signs everywhere about keeping all food stuff locked in your car as
this attracts the bears and the place we stayed in last night warned us that they were
having problems with a couple of nuisance bears hanging around and we spotted a bear trap!
The MH is bigger than we expeced but we are starting to feel nmore comfortable in it every day and dad is handling the driving of it much better as time passes.
Lots of love,
Mum & Dad
xxxxxxx
3/9/2010
We are presently at Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies and today is the first day of sunshine for over a week. We have had bad luck with the weather so far so are hopeful of a change so that we can see the beauty of the soaring peaks around here (some over 3000m!). It snowed yesterday and we have the tops of the huge mountains covered in snow. We are in glacier country and we hiked around lake Louise to a mountanous tea hut then onto the lip of a glacier which feeds water into lake Louise, we walked for 15 kms - half of which was uphill - we both really struggled, dad especially at times, but we made it and it was worth it - the view back down the valley to the lake and beyound was spectacular. We walked to the 'Plain of Six Glaciers' which you could google if you wanted.
There are lots of lovely friendly little squirrels and chipmonks which kept scampering across the track and one in particular thought we had some food to offer and alowed me to almost pat him. It is illegal to feed any wild animals and we are encouraged not to try to make contact with them in order to keep them wild. There is a real problem here with the bears - they have become pests at the campgrounds and infact the campground we are in has an electric fence around it. There are big bins everywhere with bear proof lids - apparently they will destroy a tent if there is any food stuff left inside that they can smell.
Time is passing quickly - we have until the end of the month in this van and then we will be home. We plan to travel another 5000kms before then (having already gone 1200) we have been on the road already a week.
Great news that Lyndie SMS'd yesterday that Pop's pacemaker procedure went well so he can now look forward to his heart functioning a little better. He has been very sick and has had a lucky escape from what I can gather - but we are very lucky that he has an excellent local GP.
Better sign off and make the most of this sunny day - we are heading down south firstly to see another lake (Lake Emerald) will probably make it to Banff tonight.
Would love an email from you,
Lots of love,
Mum & Dad
xxxx
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