Rob's Report: Picture if you will... My Global Adventure

By Robert Pearson

Once in long while an opportunity comes along so extensive in its possibilities, so intricate in its design and so just a little bit on the side of crazy that to not pursue it would be tragic. After realizing that there really is no time like the present and if you don't do it now then there is an easy chance you may never do it, I set about on this new direction. I rarely do things simply and since any experience is only as good as the story which it itself inspires, there's a statement for the ages, I have designed the following insanity.

On June 20th, 2004 I departed Vancouver Island, British Columbia, my home for the last 6 months, for a 65,000 kilometre, 5 continent, 310 day trip around the world. I am going many places where I know many people and I'd love to see you all when I'm there. I'll give you the basic breakdown of the trip and if you are there then lets get together. However, more than that, if your not up to much in the next year, if you yourself are looking for a different sort of direction, I will put out an open invite to one and all to join me on any or all legs of the trip.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Robert Pearson
• Release date: Jan 14, 2012
• ISBN: 9781465719713

Robert Pearson

Robert has had many amazing, special, incredible and terrible experiences. Happily married for five years to his best friend of 20 years, he has travelled to more than 50 countries. However he has also survived many astonishing and difficult medical concern, having nearly died numerous times over many years. Everything in life is precious. I want to pass along some of the perspective I've gained.

Book preview

ROB’S REPORT

"PICTURE IF YOU WILL...

MY GLOBAL ADVENTURE"

Robert Pearson

Copyright 2012 by Robert Pearson

December 25, 2005

Smashwords Edition

Welcome to The Journey...

A Note From Bighead December 7th, 2004

I will begin by first apologizing for the delay in blog updates once again. However let it be noted that there are those experiences in life that must be lived before they can be recorded and scrutinized. One must live the moment and allow the story to come to its logical conclusion before sitting down at the pub and starting a conversation that typically begins with four little words I find most appropriate when recounting a tale of this scope. Those are of course, 'Picture if you will...'.

Now before beginning I feel I must provide a context or setting for you within which the tale will unfold. The best analogy I have come up with thus far is that of a high school classroom. Yes the big green Kiwi Experience bus traveling across the sheep filled landscape could fit that stereotype succinctly. You've got the cool kids, the loud kids, the quiet kids, the crazy girl, the older man, the illustrious drivers and the gossip that naturally comes along with them all arriving in a different town everyday, ready for the next adventure. However, that in itself is a stereotype, something one forms simply by human nature through an immediate sizing-up of people when meeting them. It would take 10 days and an island and a half of travel to fully realize that our perception of each other is inconsequential. We all came to this adventure on an equal footing, something which was most apparent as the all the guys headed out for the evening dressed in women's clothing at the strange hotel by the side of the road.

Here are my final thoughts on the Kiwi Experience Bus Tour around the country. If you are coming here to this country and want to see it fully, do this tour. I feel like a local now that I've completed it as I have quite literally seen about 85% of this country. It’s a fantastic experience and well worth the time. There are other companies which do the same type of excursions, but the Kiwi is the oldest, the most well known and in my view certainly the best with a reputation that can't be beat.

As they say all along the road, 'It's all about the Kiwi Experience'

I've published a special Kiwi Experience gallery of pictures, if your interested, do let me know and I will provide you with the link.

A Note From Bighead: December 9th, 2004

We are 100% up to date. Enjoy!

Now, onto the next adventure!

The Journey >>>

Once in long while an opportunity comes along so extensive in its possibilities, so intricate in its design and so just a little bit on the side of crazy that to not pursue it would be tragic. After realizing that there really is no time like the present and if you don't do it now then there is an easy chance you may never do it, I set about on this new direction. I rarely do things simply and since any experience is only as good as the story which it itself inspires, there's a statement for the ages, I have designed the following insanity.

On June 20th, 2004 I departed Vancouver Island, British Columbia, my home for the last 6 months, for a 65,000 kilometre, 5 continent, 310 day trip around the world. I am going many places where I know many people and I'd love to see you all when I'm there. I'll give you the basic breakdown of the trip and if you are there then lets get together. However, more than that, if your not up to much in the next year, if you yourself are looking for a different sort of direction, I will put out an open invite to one and all to join me on any or all legs of the trip.

Ladies and Gentleman see below for details and enjoy! The pictures are now live and the stories will follow in the days to come.

Find Me!

613.265.0892,

[e-mail]

www.400.ca/biglhead/

Check out this version of MY World Map!

Itinerary

June 20th - June 23rd - Saskatoon >>> COMPLETE

June 23rd - June 27th - Toronto

(see The City Chase) >>> COMPLETE

June 27th - June 30th - The OC, Ottawa >>> COMPLETE

June 30th - July 3rd - Toronto >>> COMPLETE

July 4th - St. John's, NFLD >>> COMPLETE

July 5th - July 7th - London >>> COMPLETE

July 7th - July 13th - Prague and Budapest >>> COMPLETE

July 14th - July 22nd - London and District >>> COMPLETE

July 22nd - August 12th - India and Nepal >>> COMPLETE

August 12th - August 28th - Thailand and Cambodia >>> COMPLETE

August 28th - September 15th - South Korea and Japan >>> COMPLETE

September 15th - September 20th - Sydney >>> COMPLETE

September 20th - October 30th - Auckland - Work >>> COMPLETE

October 30th - November 3rd - The Melbourne Cup >>> COMPLETE

November 4th - November 5th - Auckland - Work - Done >>> COMPLETE

November 6th - November 8th - Kiwi Experience - North to the Cape >>> COMPLETE

November 9th - November 11th - Auckland Errands >>> COMPLETE

November 12th - December 6th - Kiwi Experience and Rail Excursions >>> COMPLETE

December 6th - December 15th - Auckland... NZ End Game >>> COMPLETE

December 15th - January 1st - Journey Intersession - Parksville, British Columbia >>> COMPLETE

January 1st - January 4th - The Return to Down Under - Auckland to Sydney >>> COMPLETE

January 4th - January 6th - Sydney >>> COMPLETE

January 6th - January 10th - Port MacQuarie, NSW >>> COMPLETE

January 10th - February 3rd - Melbourne As >>> COMPLETE

February 3rd - February 5th - The Great Ocean Road >>> COMPLETE

February 5th - March 17th - Melbourne As >>> COMPLETE

March 17th - March 19th - Sydney and the Blue Mountains >>> COMPLETE

March 19th - March 21st - The Indian Pacific and The Ghan - Sydney-Adelaide-Alice Springs >>> COMPLETE

March 21st - March 24th - Alice Springs and Ayers Rock >>> COMPLETE

March 24th - March 25th - The Ghan - Alice Springs-Adelaide >>> COMPLETE

March 25th - March 27th - Adelaide >>> COMPLETE

March 27th - March 29th - The Indian Pacific - Adelaide-Perth >>> COMPLETE

March 29th - April 1st - Perth and Rottnest Island >>> COMPLETE

April 1st - April 3rd - Corrigin >>> COMPLETE

April 3rd - April 4th - Perth >>> COMPLETE

April 4th - April 5th - Perth to Auckland to LA >>> COMPLETE

April 5th - April 8th - LA >>> COMPLETE

April 8th - April 10th - Lima >>> COMPLETE

April 10th - April 24th - GAP Adventures Perú Tour >>> COMPLETE

April 24th - April 26th - Lima >>> COMPLETE

April 26th - Lima to LA to Toronto >>> COMPLETE

April 26th - April 29th - Toronto >>> COMPLETE

April 29th - May 3rd - Ottawa >>> COMPLETE

May 3rd - May 4th - Toronto >>> COMPLETE

May 4th - May 5th - Nanaimo to Parksville >>> COMPLETE

May 5th - Parksville to Comox to Calgary to Saskatoon >>> COMPLETE

May 5th - May 9th - Saskatoon >>> COMPLETE

May 9th - Saskatoon to Calgary to Comox to Parksville >>> COMPLETE

May 9th - May 10th - Parksville >>> COMPLETE

May 10th - Parksville to Vancouver >>> COMPLETE

May 10th - May 11th - Vancouver >>> COMPLETE

May 11th - Vancouver to Toronto >>> COMPLETE

May 11th - May 13th - Toronto >>> COMPLETE

May 13th - Toronto to Vancouver to Victoria >>> COMPLETE

May 13th - May 14th - Victoria >>> COMPLETE

May 14th - May 16th - Parksville >>> COMPLETE

May 16th - May 17th - Campbell River >>> COMPLETE

May 17th - May 20th - Parksville >>> COMPLETE

May 20th (11 Months) - The Final Entry from Parksville >>> COMPLETE

Picture Gallery

So I have taken a number of pictures so far as you can no doubt guess and I will provide links to some of them here that I have uploaded onto this website. There are links to them in the paragraph below and if you click on them, they should load directly into a new browser window. You can then keep that window open if you wish or close it straight away. However, please be aware that they are large pictures and depending on what type of computer you are using and what your connection speed is, they may take some time to load. Unfortunately, being on the road I am unable to generate any thumbnail galleries effectively, so we will just have to use this system for now.

Batch #1

This pictorial history begins with a little thing we like to call the Amazing Race. Well no not really, its the City Chase and we began it by preparing in the ACC in Toronto one early Sunday morning in June. The whole story appears below, but you can guess that we finished in grand style after seven hours. Then it was off to Newfoundland. What do you do when you go to the Rock? Well you get Screeched in, even if it was 2pm in the afternoon. Then it was London, falling asleep on the top of a double-decker bus when all of a sudden, there was Big Ben. Time passes and one finds oneself sailing down the Vltavia with ancient wood from a Canadian forest far, far away while staring up at Prague Castle and the Charles Bridge beyond. After that we spent some more time on Charles Bridge and then walked further down the road to the Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square. We then headed down the road, the rail road, to see Budapest Castle, the Parliament, the Chain Bridge and the Communist Statue Park just outside of town. Returning to Prague we said Tata to Hungary and saw an excellent sunset before reaching Slovakia. Back in Old Town Square in front of the Astronomical Clock once more we found overselves. Then it was back to the United Kingdom and travel to Windsor Castle, Hampton Court, Cambridge, Oxford and the Tower of London.

Batch #2

If you would like to see several pictures from all through India, Nepal and the first few days in Thailand, please click here: http://400.ca/bighead/batch2/

Batch #3

Then if you'd like to see several pictures from Bangkok, Southern Thailand and the ruins of Angor Wat at Siam Reap, Cambodia, please click here: http://400.ca/bighead/batch3/

Batch #4

Looking for pictures of South Korea, Japan, Sydney and Auckland? Please click here: http://400.ca/bighead/batch4/

Batch #5

I have finished up living and working in Auckland, New Zealand. It has been an amazing experience and I've left in good graces. I also had the pleasure of a side trip to Melbourne via Sydney over the past week to take in the Melbourne Cup. Would you like to see the details? Please click here: http://400.ca/bighead/batch5/

Batch #6

The first batch of pictures from the Kiwi Experience. They include most sites between Cape Reinga on the North Island to the Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island. If you have any questions, comments or technical difficulties with any of the pictures do let me know. Please click here for the gallery: http://400.ca/bighead/batch6/

Batch #7

The second batch of pictures from the Kiwi Experience, yes it was just that amazing down on the South Island. They include most sites between the Franz Josef Glacier on the South Island to just south of Auckland on the North Island. If you have any questions, comments or technical difficulties with any of the pictures do let me know. Please click here for the gallery: http://400.ca/bighead/batch7/

Batch #8

The Christmas Holiday's were spent in Parksville and Campbell River, BC. I then returned down under via Vancouver, LA and Auckland to get to Sydney. From there I traveled up to Port MacQuarie and then down to Melbourne and eventually out the Great Ocean Road. Please click here for the gallery covering these travels: http://400.ca/bighead/batch8/

Batch #9

I've been doing many things in and around Melbourne over the last few weeks. Please click here to see some of things that I've been up too: http://400.ca/bighead/batch9/

Batch #10

(A Really Long Time on Trains from Sydney to The Alice to Perth)

From Sydney on the East Coast, to Adelaide at the bottom, to Alice in the middle and Perth and Corrigin on the West Coast. This is the real Australia. Batch 10 is available here: http://400.ca/bighead/batch10/

Batch #11

(LA and Peru)

http://400.ca/bighead/batch11/

Batch #12

(Southern Peru)

http://400.ca/bighead/batch12/

Batch #13

(Machu Picchu and Cuzco)

http://400.ca/bighead/batch13/

Chapter 1

June 10th: Parksville

Packing is starting, Life is closing, the time has almost arrived. Join me on my travels and check back soon.

June 17th: Parksville

Re-pack #3 was the charm. I added on a carry-on and that was the solution. The pack began at about 75 pounds and would not close. My in-house packing consultant was not pleased. Round two brought it down more and number three was the charm. It is about 2/3's full and 50 pounds. There is a carry-on as well and the Korea box leaves on its Oceanic adventure today. It struck me completely as I was packing that I had to put my entire life on my back and all of a sudden this sweater and that pair of pants no longer became necessary. This is where it will stay but as I go, I will shed travel books and anything else that doesn't seem to be useful. Although I know we are down to the essentials now.

Tonight, I will go north to Campbell River at 50 degrees North where we will draw a starting line in the sand and where I will dip my toe in the Pacific for the first time. From there the spedometer will start and I will be on my way.

Much more to follow.

June 18th: Campbell River

Starting Line...

June 20th, 10am local: YVR (Vancouver)

I'm being told how to do my seat belt for the first time in potentially 30 times in the next 300 days. This is only the first hour of a 7200 hour journey and yet I have enough to write and say hello. The question is, how did I make to this point? 60 days spent planning with a list requiring its own multi-page excel file brings us to this point. To be honest, it was difficult to imagine getting here, but the list is done and there's nothing left to do except enjoy. My packing consultant claims this trip is at least 3 times more organized than any he has taken. That is a good thing. We left him by the side of the highway this morning, I wish him well on his own journey.

Retirement's come and gone. Three days ago I dipped my toe in the Pacific and 12 days from now I will do the same in the Atlantic. I'm 27 and leaving on a trip around the world in essentially 92 days. What can you can say but Bighead's my name and epic is my game. The largest thought of the day so far was as niece gave me one last hug at the gate, I thought give it twenty years and our roles will be reversed as she sets out on her own trip a little but on the side of crazy. I fly today with a piece of old-growth wood carved into the shape of a maple leaf. The world is my sketchpad and its time to bring a little Canadiana wherever I go.

Time to take a bow, give my best salute and exit stage right. Let's do it.

June 20th, 16:00 local: YYC (Calgary)

There are towers in many places I will be traveling too. My many plane tickets within plane tickets have allowed me an 8 hour lay-over in Calgary. What to do? Well time to go climb the highest building in all the land. I went downtown to the Calgary Tower and up and then took the C-Train most of the way back to the airport. Calgary is cool a city. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get on an earlier flight so its time for a three or four hour nap at the Tim's.

June 21st, 23:00 local: YXE (Saskatoon)

The timing of this trip has several reasons behind it. One is the Tragically Hip, another is my interest in politics. I tied up a contract I had been working on today and I was able to visit with many of the Saskatchewan relatives. It was very good to see them all again, it had been too long. I've realized that the planning on this trip is not over quite yet. I have myself planned to do many things and go many many places before this trip begins. It is likely that it will not dawn on me exactly what the scope of this trip is until I fly out of Toronto. This trip is unlike any other trip I've taken. I am unsure of whether or not I could say how it is different but I believe it is the factor of the unknown. Many components of this trip have no frame of reference and no one to suggest exactly how they did it, cause I've come across no one who has done it before. I seem to be getting a lot of that lately.

We saw Paul Martin today, it was very interesting to have a glimpse of what goes on, on the campaign trail. In fact as he was leaving he squished his face up against the window, yes the Prime Minister, and looked me right in the eye. He's a good man.

June 27th 18:30 local: YYZ (Toronto)

I've been here and I'm on the road again. An intensive whirlwind of activity. Picked up by Paul on the 23rd. We arrive back at the Jefferson where I'm presented with my arrival in Toronto present: one fresh Dutchman delivered from Bangkok. We have a good night at the building, in the hot tub, hanging out on the roof, playing games. Christian comes by, he is well. Shannon, Mike and Brian and more? It's been busy few days. The next day was spent shopping and running errands. We brought Paul into the cellular community with a 647 area code. Alex got a Toronto number, bank account and driver’s license. Indeed he is now a Canadian. Friday saw much of the same. We hung-out and lived well. Saturday however was a day like no other.

The Bell City Chase is what they call it. Bent and broken is what I was at the end of it. Picture, ladies and gentlemen... if you will...

The Air Canada Centre, early Saturday morning. 300 teams of 2 (or perhaps 3) individuals competing in an amazing race style, survivoresque challenge of physical fitness and competitive might throughout the GTA. There was some question as to whether we would meet the needs of the physical fitness component, but Paul runs like the wind and kept the whip on me to follow suit. It begins with the Race Leader rallying the troops on the stadium floor and then several hundred of us running up the loading dock. The first task was that of a scavenger hunt. We set up Mission Control at the Jefferson and PM Pauline managed us throughout the day. We needed to initially locate several items and then return to the ACC for our clue sheet. Mission Control was able to gather many of them and deliver them by car to Union Station within minutes, yet several others beat us on the task. Nevertheless, the Race then began and we were off.

Here is what we were able to accomplish.

1. Maple Leaf Gardens Find three signs in the neighbourhood. Mike, from Paul's building had come along with us for the first part of the Race to coordinate activities with the Project Manager and Mission Control. The Gay Pride festivities were on and several people were quite helpful in finding what we needed. However we took too long on this Race Point, about an hour, but we did prevail. We received word later that many teams simply gave up on this point because on piece of information related to one sign was almost impossible to find.

2. Bloor and Younge Busking to raise money for Junior Achievement. I grab a tiny stool and walk out to corner. I stand up on it and start yelling to the crowds at the top of my lungs as to why we are here and what we were doing. Task completed in about two minutes.

3. Younge and Lawrence I get blindfolded and chained up with a lock in a park while Paul has to scurry through the neighbourhood to find a clue which contains a combination to unlock my locks. We spent a bit too much time here too, but its all good, we made it up in other places.

4. St. Clair Reservoir More scurrying through the park, Paul falls down a hill. However we find the station in good time and its anagrams. Create 15 words from the words 'Bell City Chase' with no plurals. After Paul gives the Race Point Captain some training on what exactly a plural word is, we are off and on our way again. PM Pauline directs us through the words to a nearby Subway station.

5. U of T Basement Room on campus where cell phone do not work. Complete 10 of 15 questions related to Toronto trivia. The Hip and Mission Control assist with some answers and we are quickly on our way again.

6. City Hall Now if you can believe it, this was our training for the physical component of the Race. The night before, were sitting in the hot tub and decide to run down from the roof on the 21st floor to the ground and backup again. As I mentioned, Paul runs like the wind. We both did that in about 5 minutes, no worries. However, when we got to City Hall and were informed that we would be climbing 28 stories to the top (that number includes to the two 13th floors) I knew it would take us a little longer. To quite literally add insult to injury, that morning the team with the highest combined ages (104) was announced, the passed us on the stairs. It was neat though, once we got to the top that is normally closed to the general public we took some compass bearings of the CN Tower, the Paramount and the Canada Life building. I chugged two Snapple’s (product placement) and down we went.

7. Queen and Peter Food challenge. Now we decided from the beginning that I would do the food challenges because Paul's stomach is not the best you could say when it comes to chugging. However, no such luck we both had to do it. Picture if you will. You roll a six sided die to determine whether you will drink one of six items. #1 - Extra Sugar Free Gum (product placement), #2 - anchovies, #3 - hot peppers, #4 - wet cat food, #5 - dry cat food, #6 - a lovely puree of all of the above. Can we guess which number Paul rolls? Six it is! I got a four. So I stood by and watched the liquid portion enter Paul, get swallowed and come right back out to say hello. This disqualified us from this station but I suppose that's OK cause I didn't have to eat anything.

8. The Lakeshore Boot Camp. Here you have an example of four words which are not commonly associated. Paul, Rob, Boot Camp. There were four stations here and I will quite happily say that I could have had a good cry when it was done. Station #1 - Three-legged push-ups, 50 of them. Paul and I have never been known to have excellent push-up style. However I thought to myself as I was laying there after #46 with my face in the dirt looking at Paul with his face in the dirt, with all of the Race Point Captains standing over us and telling us that we suck, that we have to finish this. We got through it, mostly by quickly pushing ourselves up and dropping again to the ground. Station #2 - Three-legged jump-rope. We hobble over to discover in horror that the two of us have to go through the rope together five times without screwing up. Time and again we collapsed on top of each other in a mess. However, we did it. Or about 4.5 times you could see. Finally the girl just told us to move on. Station #3 - Three-legged shoe toss through an obstacle course, no worries there. Station #4 - Three-legged somersault. By this time it was just whatever, get it done and move on. And so we did.

9. Woodbine Beach Essentially, Paul's buries me entirely in a hole, goes and retrieves a ball in the water and tosses it into a hoola-hoop. Good times, very sandy experience.

10. A Fire Station (#CHASE) This station was closed for the day, free Race Point.

11. The Distillery It's 5:00pm, we heard rumours throughout the day that the Race time was being extended from 4 until 5, but we missed getting a stamp final one at the Opera House on Queen East.

So there you have, we did finish it. Word has it that only about 60 teams out of 300 crossed the finish line. Incredibly enough, the didn't want to give me the finisher button because we had 9 out 10 stamps (having been to 11 stations) but I talked one out of them anyway. We crossed the finish line at 7:12, the best time was 4:44. It was a great experience, albeit painful, but I would highly recommend it to anyone. It comes to Ottawa on July 17th. The lesson of the day was simply this. You can sit on your couch and watch the Amazing Race (starts July 6th), or Survivor or Fear Factor and say 'oh yeah, I could do that no problem'. However, you just don't know until you do it. While physical fitness is good, competitive might is probably better. That is why its Amazing.

June 29th 17:00 local: YOW (The O.C.) (updated July 14th)

Road Block. Detour. Fast Forward. I have further insight into the design of the Amazing Race. I have been presented with items from these categories since arriving here in Ottawa and I guess they could be expected. Some are not so good, but some are also very appealing. I will have to plan the trip accordingly. I've been able to get some work done while I was here which is good. I have made contact with all of my previous work ones and a few more. I've spent some time at the Heidemann's which has been very good.

On Sunday when I arrived we went to the Glebe Ave block party, Inez Kettles recognized me in the crowd. Declan and his Mom were there and we out with them at the Oak on Bank later that night where Jake Whitley also showed up. Mrs. Thomas is an interesting lady and we had a good chat. Monday was spent organizing for a Bangladesh Visa. To my enquiries, they posed the question, 'So why do you want to go to Bangladesh?' Indeed. I expect the exact travel schedule while I'm in India wont be planned for a while. I had to provide proof that I knew someone there during a little chat with the man in the back with dark glasses and a cigar. Monday night was election night. I sat with my red colours in a room painted blue and watched all that went on. It was good to see Spin Doctor Mulvihill at what he so very good at. Tuesday has been spent getting my hair cut at Silver Scissors, a tour of the new building at Ashbury and a meeting with Vicki to discuss the idea of a global alumni rep. I've been to the Treasury Board and conducted some training. The rest of the afternoon consists of coffee with Megan, it will be good to see her, a last business meeting for the day to discuss the interesting business day it has been and finally meeting up with folks. Tomorrow I return to TO after a few more errands here in the Capital.

June 30th 12:30 local: YOW (The O.C.)

A last few errands for the day, including touching base with the Deans office. Its going to be a bit of a slow day, I'm pretty tired. Last night was good to see everybody. To those who were unable to make it, no worries, I totally understand, it was a Tuesday after all. Mo and Elana were there and filled me in on all of the wedding plans. Unfortunately, I will not be attending. Elana arrived a little later from Muslim conversion classes. They are headed down in the near future to Windsor to meet with the Priest in the Croatian church they will be married in there. James Cole, best man, was also there and has put out a general hail for stories about Mo to put into his two best man speeches. If you have any, let him know, I can provide his email. Chris from the past was there, Nadia Gandhi, Lady Gilliana Depew, Stephen and myself. Anyway, all is well that ends well here in the Capital.

July 3rd 21:37 local: YYZ (The T.O.)

I have seen the Hip in concert probably about 20 times. These were the best seats I've ever had. Shan and I went and had a very good time. They played many favorites. Friday and Saturday saw the last of the errand runs and the cleaning of P and P's place. Paul picked me up at the airport on Wednesday when I returned. We went and joined Alex in a sea of orange at the Fox and Fiddle anticipating a Holland win in Euro 2004 but not getting one. Ahh well. Paul and Pauline then departed for Saskatoon and Edmonton where they stayed for a wedding. Canada Day went well but became a bit of a foot note. We didn't really get up to much, but that was OK. Not much else went on in this block of days although we did get a chance to hang out with Sjoerd and Christian and his lovely girlfriend Doughanta. Apologies if there are any spelling mistakes there.

July 4th 17:12 local: YYT (St. John's, NFLD.)

It has been an interesting day.

Arrived and went to bed at about 3:30am. Heavy Fog and still Heavy Fog. Woke up to look over the bay, I hadn't realized it was there when I went to bed. The Battery is nice, I had a good sleep and needed one too. This morning I got up and checked out. Checked my bag and went up signal hill, quite neat, although the heavy fog allowed for not much to be seen. I went downtown to George Street, the Byward Market of St. John's. I got chatting with three older English folks who were there for the same reason I was. We found a bar called Trapper John's and went in and performed the ceremony! I got my shot glass, certificate and a picture of me kissing a stuffed puffin with a fur hat on! (cause their trappers and not fisherman). I walked up and down Water Street afterwards.

I enquired about Cape Spear but one taxi driver was frank with me and indicated that it would cost a lot to get there and since it was so foggy there wouldn't be much to see. So I made it back to the hotel, thought I would do a little email. Oh and I noticed VLT machines in the restaurant in the hotel, so I figured that would be an easy way to get rid of the rest of my Canadian change. It was indeed. Oh and I won $200.00 too, covering all of my costs since I've been here. Its been a