Travels of A Dark Camel » Canada

preliminary canstraliabec

adarkcamel — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 05:22:06 +0000

a quick attempt at the creation of the flag of canstraliabec

Warning: May cause drowsiness

adarkcamel — Thu, 12 Oct 2006 10:08:41 +0000

The eye-lids are propped open with toothpicks after a brutally sleep deprived last week or so. Fighting off the jet lag in an attempt to adjust to the time-zone, I decided to write to you all with the latest, even though the cogs are turning ever so slowly in my mind. HMmm…I just woke up, what was I saying?
So my final week in Kelowna was a tumultuous time, rejoining the world of unemployment (ain’t it grand), trying unsuccessfully to get everything organised rather than leave it to the last minute as would inevitably occur. Thursday through Sunday saw a final drunken end to an amazing summer. A final night at the Corral (with interesting results for some), an impromptu Toga party spurred on by three louts and a megaphone, and finally a hazy rampage at Flashbacks, with inevitable late night hottubbing. Sporadically insert several attempts at the cardboard box game (yep Lau I started it in Kelowna) and it made for quite an interesting photo roll (posted soon at www.themotelbates.com)

With great sorrow, Sunday rolled around and the signature, frantic packing was put in motion. Not one for big emotional goodbyes I tried to get out of there as painlessly as possible, but who am I kidding, it’s not easy to leave behind such an awesome place and so many amazing people. As is the way of things when it comes to travelling though, and whether they like it or not they’re bound to see me again somewhere down the track. Enough with the sentimentality already!
So it was off to Vancouver with Kelsey to keep me company. In the brief time we were there I managed to catch up with Croatian Nick and also Canuck. Wouldn’t have been as brief, if my dad hadn’t have called me at midnight in a bar bringing to my attention the fact I was actually flying out tomorrow and not the day after. Yep i get A’s for organisation.
So after a brief but quality time in Vancouver (how do you spell vertue kelse?) it was goodbye time for Canada and off to the UK. I flew over Kelowna on the way out, clinked my stella against the window as we passed the house and rocked out to the Blarney stone.
No sleep was to be found during the journey as the elderly man next to me was an expert at weasling the middle armrest and kept bumping me awake as we’d fight for control. prick! lack of sleep causes extreme irritability.
So anyway losing my focus here, time to wrap it up. Till another day Canadians and Americans, Time for some good ol pubs and pints, and trying not to get run over. (I’d forgotten what the right way to drive was)

Conclusion in Canada

adarkcamel — Tue, 03 Oct 2006 17:13:11 +0000

With the summer taking a few last gasp efforts to cling on, it`s high time to start thinking about the next destination. Coming dangerously close to being convinced to stay for the winter and do some boarding up at Big White, it`s now looking likely that i`ll soon be passing the winter sipping on some Guiness and bullshitting with the Irish. Not quite sure what part of the Emerald Isle but I hear it`s all pretty sweet, ain`t that right Ger and Rache?
So bring on Europe and some more interesting adventures. There`s enough of yas there at the moment that i`m sure some crazy antics can be discovered.
Not quite sure when the last time was that I wrote but quite a bit of fun was had by all during the last couple of weeks. Had a good party at the house for my birthday and another float down the Penticton Channel, then a big 80`s party a couple of weeks later for Conor`s birthday and Alex and Marie`s going away. Crazy costumes abounded, generating quite a bit of revenue for Value Village, the local thrift store.
That particular weekend ended on a downer though when Alex and Marie`s car, packed with their belongings to move to Nelson, was broken into and ransacked along with some wallets and phones inside the house during the early hours. Karma will act swiftly on the bastards that did it, if it hasn`t already.
Our new roommate Sarah came in time for an impromptu scavenger hunt around the house, complete with cryptic clues and sweet chocolate rewards. Pot luck`s and plenty of barbecuing has also made regular appearances during the last weeks of summer, along with a group trip to watch Beerfest (pretty bloody funny) and ended with us hitting the liquor store on the way home and setting up some beer pong championships.
A website has also been set up by the house detailing the latest adventures with plenty of pics, roommate profiles and a growing forum of bullshit rumours. you should all cehck it out when you have the chance and feel free to add to it. http://www.themotelbates.com well worth a look
So currently I`m writing from Alex and Marie`s new home, an awesome spot on the Kootenay river in Nelson. Had a couple of days repsite from work so took the chance to come visit them and spent yesterday cliff jumping, swinging off crazy rope swings, cooking up a feast then terrorising the town on a sleepy Monday night.
I also finally got the chance to see a bear, unfortunately it was at 1 in the morning while driving here with another roommate Crystal. Out of nowhere this bear shoots across the road in front of us, getting clipped on the way to smashing the front headlight and running off into the forest. I`ve since had the chance to see another bear at Alex and Marie`s, probably the bastard that destroyed their barbecue the other night, gotta love bear season
Back to work tomorrow for the last couple of weeks then flying out of Vancouver on the 3rd of October to London. Will probably spend a week and catch up with as many of you as I can before flying to Ireland and hopefully working for a month or two.
Time to wrap this up, still feeling the affects of last nights shennanigans.

Still Truckin

adarkcamel — Wed, 19 Jul 2006 10:02:00 +0000

Summer continues to swing past at an alarming rate, can hardly believe it’s already mid July. From what i can tell the weather here as also been a bit of a far crazy from the miserable rainy days that you aussies are currently getting.

Wakefest the other week was a busy time, kind of like a big day out/spring break atmosphere. Managed to score some free tickets and check out a bit of it but was unfortunately working for most of it. Emily came and stayed for a while though I didn’t get the chance to hang out much as I was working the whole time. She’s now up north a bit with a lot of the other Fernie crew (Lester, Jossy, Dingo) for the fruit picking season.

Managed to get some time to head off to the Calgary Stampede “the greatest outdoor show on earth”, and mingle with all the cowboys and cowgirls. Stayed with Jeremy and his girlfriend Sava which was cool and caught up at the Stampede with Marshall and also Jill briefly. Not one to resist local customs I drank myself into a stupor, hung out with some people up in a tree for a concert and can’t remember the “spectacular” fireworks display. My Alberta housemates were impressed with my insight into the gist of Stampede.

Marhsall drove back with me to Kelowna and we stopped in at Lake Louise for a refreshing swim, heedless of the fact that no one else was taking a dip, the 4 degree water temperature becoming the apparent reason.

Marshall is kicking around Kelowna for a few days before heading off to find some temp work.

Got out on the Lake yesterday to go wakeboarding in perfect glassy conditions.

Tonight is a our weekly pot luck night at the house which usually draws 20 or so people and always a good feed.

Jeremy and Sava are stopping by in the next week or so and Tom from Finnegans is also coming sometime soon so there always seems to be someone about ignoring my (feeble) protests and dragging me off to the Pub, but hey it’s summer, what can ya do?