Canada, eh?

After months and months of talking about (sorry, aboot) coming to Canada, I'm not sure why it's taken me so much by surprise that I'm actually here. All my many leaving do's have been lovely, great to catch up with everyone I could before I came out here, but clearly I have been very deeply in denial about, well, everything I think.

For a start, my fellow BUNAC travellers are nearly all considerably younger than me, so I already feel like their mother. The drive from the airport into town (in a yellow school bus!) was a surreal experience because I kept seeing unfamiliar things and thinking 'Oh my God I'm in Canada. I'm actually IN Canada. I'm in bloody Canada. And what's more, I'm going to be here for a really long time'. I'm normally a cool and confident traveller but am feeling distinctly odd and lost out here on my own. At least it's not long till Megan flies out from Edmonton to come and visit me!

I'm staying tonight in a (slightly musty smelling) hostel in a room with 3 of the rest of the BUNAC gang - though I'm so bloody tired I don't think the smell or company will bother me much - who are all going out for drinks and food roundabout now, but I think I'm just going to head off to bed. Did I say mother? Make that grandmother. I have already had a quick wander round Davie Village, where the hostel is located, which appears to be Vancouver's equivalent of Old Compton Street. Lots of rainbows. Lots of sex shops. Then I found this coffee shop which had free wireless internet so I rushed back to get my laptop to have a quick blog for your delight and pleasure...

Right, now I'm just too tired to write any more just now. It's only 9.15pm here, but it's 5.15 tomorrow morning in my head. Anyway, rest assured I made it here safe and sound and haven't managed to do anything stupid yet. There's still plenty of time for that.