Back in Van after a 10 day trip to Whistler Blackcomb. Thanks to the hot tub on the roof of our appartment block and varying degrees of manic weather we all had a fab time. THe discovery that wearing a snowboarding helmet lets me slide backwards downhill a lot faster was a revelation.. eh hem. :-) Am now feeling super fit and can't wait to get to Tahiti for some more diving (if my ear ever unblocks that is!). Train down to Seattle tomorrow and then a quick flight...

Still in Vancouver... and quite frankly it's wetter than Sheffield! Am combatting the rain by starting a scuba diving course tomorrow so that being wet won't matter (hah! beat that rain clouds!). Some of you might think that this is a slightly insane activity for the middle of winter in cold water, but apparently it's the best time of year to dive here as the visibility is 40m! I'll let you know if this is true or just some wild scam to get money out of innocent ...

Hi! I'm in Vancouver now enjoying the rain, but having a good time. Just signed up to do my PADI scuba course here next week. Yes, it'll be cold, but some of the best diving in the world apparently so it should be fun! Am staying with an old school friend of my Dad's in Kitslano near UBC. Vancouver is an amazing city with the most awesome mountains for a backdrop! You can ski after work in the evenings here!!!