Who's a lucky lady. I am off to Bali!!! A nice little surprise holiday, courtesy of my Bosses. Have been given a few weeks notice to get organised. I will be travelling with Sharon (my Boss) and workmate, Vanessa. I have never been to Indonesia before so am very excited. We will be staying at Kuta Beach. I have started to think about what to pack.....BUT....am trying to pack light so that I can shop up a storm while I am there!! I have had injections, travel insu...

Nice short flight from Calgary to LA. We arrived around 3.30pm but the transfer to our hotel took around the hour. So totally worth it. Location is just perfect. Huge hotel and you walk outside and you are on Hollywood Boulevard. Wandered along there yesterday afternoon and watched the many street performers. Jack Sparrow was wandering amongst the crowd looking for tourists like us to have a photo taken. Plenty of police around but no trouble that we saw. Dinner...

Our last day in Calgary. We spent it wandering the city and shopping for last minute souvenirs. It was a nice relaxing way to end our time here. Sent the laundry out to be done in preparation of our few days in Los Angeles. Lots of farewell drinks, as Calgary is where Mark and Louise leave us and continue their holiday visiting Louises family in Montreal. They have been great traveling buddies. Drinks and wings and pizzas for dinner, then bed. Next stop, La.

Our first free day in Calgary today. Sleep in for all of us. We then wandered into the CBD for a look around. Free pancakes were the first order of the day. In an area called "Rope Square" were lots of volunteers cooking pancakes on bbq's set up on the back of small chuck wagons. This initiative was introduced a few years ago to get visitors and locals alike up and about and enjoying the activities. The cooks fried up bacon and then topped this with pancake batt...

Day 2 was rodeo day at the stampede. How bloody awesome it was too. Everything that so see at home but the cream of the crops participating. It is an invitational event. We saw bare back and saddle bronc, bull ride, barrel racing, calf roping, steer ride for the juniors. All great to witness. Getting to the end of the competition, so every point counts. Big band entertainment for intermission. Every thing on a huge scale. Volunteers are the key to the success o...