Hey Australia, do you miss me yet?

So I've been in Vancouver for about 24 hours now and I think I'm already in love. It's a toasty 3 degrees outside, but it doesn't feel cold at all because it's very still and cloudless. Apparently I've been very lucky with the weather, it's supposed to be raining all the time! Lucky I brought an umbrella..

If you'd like to imagine me sprinting like a fiend through Sydney's international terminal a couple of days ago, that's how my trip started. I had to run past Bally, Mimco, Coach and the Duty Free Store. It was devastating and of course my gate was all the way at the end of the terminal. By the time I got there I must have looked like I was about to die because the attendant demanded that I go and get a drink of water before he would let me on the plane. That's the last time I let anybody book international flights within an hour and half of each other!

I sat on the United Airlines flight in the middle of an Asian girl and an American man. He was from Oregon and we spoke for a few hours about the differences he found between Aus and the USA. I think the main difference was gun laws. I also think he was a Republican although I didn't like to ask. Furthermore I will be BEGGING on my knees for an aisle seat on the way home. I couldn't move at all for about 13 hours and I thought I was going to die for a time.

When I finally arrived in San Francisco I walked the wrong way up the terminal for about half an hour before realizing I was kind of in the wrong building. I'm not sure if San Fran airport was confusing or if I was just really tired but I eventually got on the next plane (which was total luxury compared to the other one) and made it to Vancouver. The flight attendant on the Vancouver bound plane was about to get cracked in the head if she opened her mouth one more time. Ridiculous voice.

Canadian's are all lovely, friendly people. From the two guys who didn't laugh too loudly when I fell backward with my bag on, to the homeless man who managed to put together a 2 minute rap to the word "hypoparathyroidism" (we had to think of the most convoluted word we could come up with) and the other homeless man who did this awesome magic trick with rubber bands. I actually think I've spent more so far on Vancouver's homeless population than I have on myself. They actually come up and ask for money and it's freezing and I have no concept of Canadian coins, so they're making a fortune off me.

As far as the rest of the people go, making friends in hostels is ridiculously easy, I had dinner last night with a German girl and three Aussies. Two from Sydney and one from Ridgehaven, Adelaide (weird, weird coincidence). Also I swear there are more Australian's here than any other nationality! I'm also picking up on the tip thing, although I'm wildly overtipping at the moment because 15% of $3 just seems like a ridiculous contribution. I think I may have tipped more today than I actually paid for my soya tofu roll (yes, really).

Today we went to the Granville island markets and walked around the coast to Stanley Park and checked out the First Nations totem poles (First Nations are like native Canadians). Longest walk of my life and I actually think there may be blood in my shoe. I'm off to Grouse Mountain tomorrow. It's a bit north of Vancouver and there's like a chair lift, massive suspension bridge etc. Friday morning at 6am I leave for Seattle! The 6am thing was a decision that shouldn't be allowed to happen when one is jet lagged. It was like a drunken phone call. I don't know what came over me.

Some unique facts about Vancouver: Mutant birds. The seagulls and ducks are actually the size of small dogs. It's insane. Davie Street: Rainbow flags in almost every window. Most gay friendly city I've ever been in. It was amazing. Ice Tea comes out of the soda machines! And I swear all of their carbonated beverages are way less carbonated than ours. Also every person in this city is amazingly fit, like cycling, roller blading, running. Everyone does it!

I'm off now to write some postcards and then head out for pub night!

Peace out