Vancouver

I left home on April 2nd with a cocktail of emotions running through my head. all the goodbye's etc, wasn't quite ready to go but plans are plans. although as soon as i got the bag on my back i had that feeling in my gut and was ready for road again.

Flew to Vancouver from Belfast on the 3rd via a night on Walley's couch in Dublin. Planned to stay here for four days but three weeks later i haven't fckin budged !

Rocked up to the American Backpackers Hostel in downtown Vancouver. $10 a night, i was expecting the worst. i mean its got to be the cheapest hostel in North America - a match made in heaven I hear you say !

Turns out they haven't increased their price in 23 years. they'd be protesting in the streets if someone tried that in Ireland.

Its a hostel essentially only in name, its really a commune. people rarely spend one or two nights here. its full of twenty-somethings from across the globe over to work in Vancouver for a year. so everyone is in the same boat which is great. loads of Mexicans (i've yet to meet a Mexican i didn't like) and Japs, Kiwi's and a few lads from Belfast.

Really its the hostel that has kept me here. so many sound people under one roof. Free keg parties every fortnight. outstanding joint. Certainly ridded me of any apprehensions I had about traveling alone.

so after a few days i really didn't want to leave. and contrary to other trips i've taken, this time i was super prepared, with a strict well researched plan. so much so that i was worrying about myself. so i said fck it, put my flights back three weeks and availed of the ridiculous job market here.

the fact that im sans visa matters not a jot to many here. in fact, they say that in vancouver if you dont work its cos you dont want to work. you can just pick your job, its incredible. ive never known anything like it. its all down to the Olympics here in 2010. ive worked in five different jobs in two weeks so far.

often they only need you for a day or two. at the moment i've been doing roofing and as strange as it seems, im loving it. i mean, coming after two and a half years of working in an office and the shite that goes with it, its a real breath of fresh air to do this. i work outside in the fine weather with normal straight-up guys and at the end of my day, i leave with a wad of notes in my back pocket having actually accomplished something !

although my first job wasn't so rewarding. delighted at having gotten a job in a cool cafe (a real Daly job) it all went sour when i met the boss on my first shift. what a fckin goon. one of these fckers who just has a problem with everything. i was warned by everyone though. huge turnover off staff, gee where have i seen that before.... anyway he tells you to do something, you do it right to the letter, and then he still complains. so anyway on the second day, after a day of him busting my balls, he tells me he doesn't like my hair and that i have to cut it. what the fck like. i didn't sit through 6 years of college to have a baldy fcker telling me to cut my hair !

i told him there wasn't a hope in hell of that happening. so that was the end of that......

As a city Vancouver is very impressive it must be said. I have long thought about moving here so it was well handy to be able to give the place a proper inspection. Quite a chilled liberal city with a huge Asian population and a thriving cafe culture but burdened with the high homeless population and acute drug problems that go with it. Quite like San Fran in many ways. Serious urban renewal has gone on over the past 20 years so visually its pretty impressive. But what makes Vancouver is its surroundings. Nestled between the Pacific Ocean and the vast Coast Mountain range some of the views are breathtaking. After Rio its probably the most encapsulating city I've visited in terms of its setting.

You can be on the slopes within 20 minutes of leaving the city and within a 5 minute walk from Downtown you can be walking in the absolute wilderness of Stanley Park - a 1000 acre urban park. its fantastic really.

the drawbacks ? fckin Irish weather and a very average nightlife.......

although saying that, 3 of us managed to blag tickets on the door for the long sold-out arrival of Hot Chip. absolutely magic gig.

overall, a well cool city where you'd have a seriously good quality of life. but its not for me i think, at least i got to see it first hand and decide for myself. had a class time here but the open road beckons. i'll be outta here next wednesday. off to the tranquility of Vancouver Island with 2 Geordies.

until the next post, take it easy.

The latest from sucky-sucky land

alright children,
still alive and kicking in the south east of asia. preparing for the full moon party tomorrow night which promises to be quite the experience. 5000 nutters on one beach, that being Hat Rin on the island of Ko-Phangan. and what a place that is. small tropical beach exclusive to backpackers from all corners of the globe and plenty from our fair isle. we can't seem to leave the place - we've been here for the bones of a fortnight.

although we left for 2 days returning today after going scuba diving in Ko Tao (turtle island). that was magic. four dives in 2 days. it was all going grand til we saw the snake. a SNAKE i tells ya. me and bambury were half way to Cork when we saw it while the instructors were nearly scoring with the fucker. there's only two things in this world that im afraid of and thats snakes and carnies (circus folks, filthy buggers)

then we got attacked by a big fucking trigger fish. i was busting my shit laughing when the thing went for bamb. i did a runner as he soiled himself. then the fucker headed for me. i escaped quicker than a norrie driving a civic down the link. just as we left the boat on the way home we bumped into Dave Ahern and Frank McKenna. couldn't believe it. we were meant to be them tomorrow on a different island.

we spent a week also in Ko Samui which was like Crete. but it was great craic. we made a load of friends who are still with us now. watched the first two matches with about 500 other barmpots from home everyone in their fake jerseys (pat if you want me to get you a Roma one it may be possible. they are identicle). we had a savage laugh there. my greatest and worst ever world cup. i cried like a baby when Robbie scored against the Spicks. i let myself, my country and my sex down but such was the tension and the passion in the pub, it was done in good cause.

the rest of the thai chicks were busy chasing "pin up" a.k.a. young McEvoy. they couldn't get enough of him. drove him mad. he's a national icon. he had to flee the country. we sent him packing the other day. now its just me and the boy bambury but we've built up an impressive entourage. paddies and geezers. bambs getting on grand but he's baffled that the locals don't speak corkonian and they don't understand when he asks where he can get a "gatt" or a "mangle" - and he does medicine????

we are really in a rut at the moment. we just don't want to leave but we're gonna head north on tuesday to do all that 'cultural shit' as we like to call it. you know, get some photos for the old lady. we plan to go on the 3 day elephant jungle trek (although if we see a snake up there we're on the first flight west). the plan then is to do a thai cooking course.

O Karl, i do appreciate your offer of a whip around for the bail money but i'm hoping for the third time lucky on foreign shores of escaping the old bill. although i did hear that they were having a mini-world cup in Bangkok Prison. Nigeria have the biggest foreign squad. Murr, you were right about them. i heard Ireland were short a right wing back, I reckon i could do a job for them. there are some bonuses to losing your anal virginity! maybe an appearance on the Late Late. the future's looking up........

anyway my fingers are hanging off me. you won't be getting another for another month ye bastards. keep the e-mails flowing, its great to hear from ye and rest of ye, start writing!