Banff leg of

The Search For...

Canada 07 Tour

Day 8 Taxied to the Greyhound terminal. Stu went an got tickets and bluffed rocket that the bus was booked out and would have to wait 5 hours, not the case. We arrived in Banff, such a beautiful drive through the foothills where the prairies meet the rockies. The valley with the rockies on either side snowcapped looked sensational. Dory and Teacher Jess (TJ), two aussies travelers who we met on contiki greeted us. They had been there for a few months working and playing in all Banff has to offer. We headed back to their place where we would be staying. Nice little joint with unreal views of the mountains out the windows. The boys were set up upstairs on beds and it wasnt long before we were offered a beaver ridge (gas, froth, spirit, drink whatever em air). We met Mez, TJ’s older sister and Johnny Boy, an irishman storyteller who you had to concentrate really hard on to pick up the storys he was putting down. Dory cooked us a feed, solid meal first up in Banff and then we headed out for a couple at the pump. Plenty of young people about and so many aussies, very hard to spot a canadian up there, was a nice break from the accent. Rocket had a few molson canadians and a couple of vodka lemonade before retiring. Took about 30 mins for the normally 10 min journey cause he couldnt find the place. Finally he located the house with the green canoe full of snow in the front yard and the windows draped with international flags. Smashed 3 bagels with vegemite, brilliant taste after 3.5 months in the vegemiteless wilderness, great to be back. Gibbo and stu stayed out a little longer, quite a lot longer and it got really really loose. They met some bird who was pretty rough and wanted some action. She offered to cook them eggs so the boys went back to her place. Once there the boys recieved sunny side up eggs. This bird was really keen for some action, just not any from gibbo. Stu escaped unscathed despite her best efforts to get him to stay.

Day 9 Rocket awoke to find the dream he had of Gibbo with a chopper reid mow and stu with a doodle on his head in pen was not a dream. Loose storytelling for the next hour prevails, one of the best bits of touring with loose blokes is the stories. After that we wnet down the street and checked out the souveneir shops that dory works at, she got us discounted stuff which was awesome and saved us a heap. Solid snowball fights on the way, got groceries and poker chips. Rocket took out the poker after Gibbo going all in and being against pocket aces which turned into 3 aces on the turn. Headed out for 8 dollars steak night at a local for the girls. Few froths there and then onto the pump again and had a couple but after the night before Rocket and Stu conceeded defeat to the kip shop. Gibbo stayed on sniffing for beaver with johnny boy. The boys were woken up about 2 by gibbo looking for a light. Gibbo was rolling drunk and wanted a lighter so he could have a burner with the imaginary bird he had waiting downstairs. Rocket and Stu not impressed by gibbons antics when he returned and fell on Rocket and nicked the blankets off stu.  

Day 10 Stu and Rocket get up and looking for an early head to the mountain to snowboard. Gibbo Duuuuuuuusssssstttyyyyyyyyyy. Has cold water poured on him in the shower, his towel pinched and put in the girls room. He also tried eating toast while having it knocked away with a hockey stick, quite humourous. Bus to Sunshine, one of three ski centres in the region, the others being Lake Louise and Norquay. With the girls sorting us out with some gear and Johnny boys mate with cheaper lift tickets we were loving it and couldnt wait to hit the slopes. Green runs first to refresh our memory of how to do it. Stu hurt his ribs again but was keen for the big green run off the Angel lift anyway. Halfway down Rocket had a huuuuuggggee crash and smashed his head into the snow at top speed, helmut saving concussion for sure. With confidence shattered he took the safety first technique down the rest of the slope. Taking another smaller run Rocket hit the back of his head this time knocking everything out of him. Fun turned into more like survival now for Rocket who had lost all technique and looseness. Gibbo was talking up a blue run but chicken out. By the ned of the day ock and Stu were pretty sore. Back at the ranch Gibbo was awarded Muppet of the week for being in a 3 year drought (not really 3 years but spans over 3 calendar years, 05, 06, 07). Johnny boys suggested that shirts should be made up for when Gibbo breaks the drought. With no sign of rain on the horizon it would be a while till that happended. The shirt was to read.... ‘I was there when gibbo broke the drought... and the rain settled the dust’.