Hi everyone,

Well I'm back in Vancouver after the rest of my Moose tour. I got accosted by a homeless addict after my money today - but I managed a swift exit, good job as there are homeless people everywhere and you can get mobbed. I've managed to catch up with boring things like SLEEP (ah thats better) and laundry after Moosing around!!!.

Right better update you all.

After staying at Lake Louise I met with a Dutch girl - Micah and we joined my 2nd Moose gang and headed through the belly of the Rockies towards Jasper. The scenery was amazing snow capped giant mountains at every angle and we kept climbing higher and higher. We stopped at the Columbia Icefield which stretches from the Artic and all went for a hike to stand at the foot of it. I wrapped up so warm you could only see my eyes peeking out! We saw a Black Bear running through the riverbed definately a highlight. We visited Maligne (wicked)canyon near Jasper which was another DEEP limestone canyon with bright blue glacier water raging through. As we were leaving we saw a Coyote running by the road and not far away a herd of mountain goats - Jason our driver told us he was probably going to get his buddies to come back and have goat for lunch. We stayed the night in a "rustic lodge" in the woods near Anabathsca falls. This entailed pumping our own water (no running water onsite) heating it on a stove, fetching firewood and we helped make a meal for all the travellers staying. It was cool as they have a rule you can't serve yourself, so we all got friendly and served each other dinner. Met Donna from Shopshire! Small world. After we sat round a bonfire swapping tales long into the night. Our Korean friend Tei-ju shared her national drink with us Sojo, which is a cross between vodka and sake - very tasty! In the moring me, Jason and 2 of the other girls took turns to pump water, heat it and pour it in an large bag so we could have an OUTSIDE shower - yep thats right, with ice on the floor and snowcapped mountains I showered outdoors - very refreshing. It was kind of Brrr, ow hot ow hot, Brrr, Brrr, ow hot ow hot!

We then went to Anabathsca falls which were incredibly noisy fast waterfalls (Do you see a theme emerging??) On our way back to Banff we saw 2 wolves crossing the road ahead. After a few more miles we came across a very stubborn mountain goat (very big too) stood in the middle of the highway. We stopped took photos and waited for it to move out the way! We then all climbed up by some waterfalls at the side of the road which were icing over, the icicles were beautiful. Banff was great, it is a lovely town with wooden buildings and lots of local gift shops, so did a bit of shopping and then met the others for a meal at the Old Spagetti Factory.

We left Banff early for the long drive to Revelstoke (we went to Johnston caynon again and lost Bianca, who went down the wrong path) and stopped at a Wolf sanctuary where we met Aspen and 5 other Wolves. We had a talk about their habitat and dangers they face. They are not protected in Canada and hunters can shoot them any time. Where this has happened it has affected other wildlife and the environment has spiralled out of control. Wolves are top of the food chain with Bears and Cougars and help maintain balance and no none of them eat people, they're scared of us - Big Bad People. It was cool 'cause while we were there they did a group howl which was chilling and thrilling.

After getting to the lodge in Revelstoke we headed to the local lake (actually a dam) and went kayaking in handmade wooden kayaks. It was so much fun, we went up to a waterfall and ate cakes whilst floating around and then raced each other back - I was 3rd -hooray!! We then got pizza and beer and I came 2nd at poker. I blame it on the beer! As we were playing the toilet flooded and our Moose guide Jason had the pleasure of plunging the loo!! We all got wet feet and the next moring it did it again so we christened it the pooey bog marsh.

We then drove to Kelowna (a long way) and made a steak and mash tea. We hung out at the hostel as the area around the hostel is full of crack dens and dodgy looking people. The Moose gang played a type of curling game for a while. We also exchanged gifts we had bought from a dollar store, I can't write about some of them, but items included toy plane launchers, a Dr fart noise maker, a plunger(named the pooey bog marsh 3000!) and glow sticks! I met a girl from Oz who did social work in London and had another late night chatting.

The next day we drove towards Vancouver stopping at Abbotsford and I JUMPED OUT OF A PLANE at 9'500 feet. It was the most amazing adrenalin fuelled thing I have ever done. Bianaca and I were the only ones to do it and we had a quick talk on what to do, then went up in a tiny plane just big enough for 4 people to crouch in. I was strapped in front of my instructor Gerry and had to hang out of the plane facing down with my right foot on a little step outside and then whoosh I was falling upside down, then flipped over and falling towards the ground so fast. I could see Gerry "steering" us as we fell and then we seemed to stop - the parachute was out and we were upright. I could see the Mount Baker over the border in Washington State USA with it's snow capped peak poking through the clouds, I could see the rivers and towns and roads for miles, maybe hundreds of miles. Gerry and I chatted and he asked me to tell him if this made me squeamish and then put us in a series of fast spirals - my head and body didn't match each other and it was just WOW!! When we landed I just wanted to go and do it again. I think it took me hours to stop grinning from ear to ear and jumping about. We stopped in Maple Ridge at a fruit winery and had free tastings and then back to Vancouver.

It was good to be back in the city, but I was Knackered.