So I left off last time having landed safely in Vancouver... My wonderful cousin Kate and her partner Ben were at the airport to meet me (Kate has been living in Van for about a year now), which was brilliant. I was pretty knackered, and it was great to be able to just chill out with them for my first evening there. Over the course of the next week or so I just began to get my bearings around Vancouver - slowly but surely. One of the funniest ones was getting lost on my first trip up to UBC! I caught the bus up, didn't have a map or anything, but had looked online where I needed to go. UBC campus is pretty huge, out on a peninsular about 20 mins from Vancouver downtown. So I got down here, looking for International House, where I was to go and check in, and promptly turned in completely the wrong direction! Walking around this huge campus, trying to use parking maps as reference points, I started to get pretty demoralised! Eventually I found where I was supposed to be, and the first thing I asked for was a map! At least I got to see some bits of campus that I might otherwise have missed!
So my first week was all about settling in. I bought myself a bike, which seemed pretty essential to getting around campus, and spent a bit of time checking out the touristy sights of Vancouver. A ride around Stanley Park (one of the world's largest Urban Parks) was great, and gave me a really good idea of the beauty of this city. Kate and Ben were really good to me, showing me all the good hang outs and full of advice on places to see. The first weekend I was there we did a day trip and a hike up to Whistler, which was stunning. It is incredible to have such beautiful mountains so close to the city.An hour and a half after leaving Vancouver we were up in the mountains, riding the Gondola up to to the peak of Whistler.
Incredible views out over the coast mountains, the glaciers and what will in only a few short weeks be some of the best skiable terrain in the world. It was stunning. We walked from the peak along a meandering path called the Musical Bumps, then down through the woods all the way back to the village. In total a descent of about 1,580m, complete with the most diverse landscape I could imagine. From rocky scree to lush meadows, to glacial valleys and rich coniferous forest. Lunch perched on the top of a 'bump' called "Flute" was great. We had some inquisitive crows who were pretty keen on our pate and proscuitto! As we sat and recouperated, a couple of large eagles that had been wheeling high in the sky began to come closer. There was something really majestic and magical about the two huge birds silently circling, like sentinels, in the sky above this huge range of mountains and glacial lakes. It is in moments like that that you really know you are alive. As we walked down, slightly nervous due to the nature of the foliage around us and the knowledge that this was bear country, the air became thicker and warmer. Emerging in the Whistler Village, it was good to pull off the hiking boots, slip into my Crocs and head off for a quick beer and a bite to eat.So the next week rolled by, and the start of school crept ever closer. By this time Ben's mum had arrived from England, so Kate and Ben's little basement flat was pretty full of people! Again very kind of them to have me over that time.
A trip to the Vancouver aquarium with Kate and Paddy was great fun, complete with a bit of a dousing from the boistrous Beluga whales! As the first weekend of September approached, so did the end of my 'holiday' - the reality of Uni was palpable!! But not before one final fling. I had decided fairly soon after my arrival in Vancouver that I was going to try to do one last road trip before starting school. The Dave Matthews Band were playng a three-night stand at a huge outdoor amphitheatre in Washington State over the Labour Day weekend. I didn't have tickets, didn't have anywhere to stay, and had no way of getting to the gigs, but in a moment of madness decided that I wanted to go! So I went to one of the DMB fan websites, and posted on one of the discussion forums, asking if anyone had a spare space in a car from Seattle (I figured I could get there pretty easily) out to the Gorge, and if possible somewhere to stay out there.
I quickly recieved a response from a Minnesotan bloke called Ryan, who, to cut a long story short, said that him and two mates had both a spot in a car, and in a hotel room, and would love to have an Aussie along for the ride. I managed to hook up tickets from some more people on the same site, and hey presto, Thursday afternoon found me on a bus, heading south across the border to the US of A! One night in Seattle was interesting. All the hostels in Seattle were full, so I was forced to go out to a small island just off the coast, as that was the only other hostel in the area. Vashon Island was a blessing in disguise. It was a classic alternative community. Immediately a lift was offered from the ferry to the town, where the mini-bus for the hostel was waiting. Within minutes I found myself at a lovely little ranch-style hostel in the middle of some woods, on a beautiful island. There were tee-pees, a couple of barns, a log fire... It was idyllic. If you are ever in the area, check it out for sure:
The weather was hot, we snuck into the pool of the swish hotel across the road every day to drink a few beers in the sun, and held the inaugural "Gorge Beer Darts Championship" (it's a long story). There were crew from all over the country. I was travelling with dudes from Minnesota, partying with guys from Baltimore and San Fransisco, all there watching a band from Virginia, in the middle of nowhere in Washington! Crazy! But such good good times.
The Gorge Amphitheatre is an incredible venue, holding about 20,000 people, looking out over the Columbia River, and a huge gorge. As the sun set each night we would have a few beers in the car park, play some more beer darts, listen to some tunes, and chill out. Come about 8, the crowd would begin to move toward the amphitheater, and the excitement would build. What followed each night was about two and a half hours of incredible music. It is hard to describe, but it was an incredible experience, to be in a crowd of 20,000 people, under the stars, all united by a passion for the music. Again I have Zak to thank for introducing me to this band, mate one day we'll do those three days together... Memories of the great times I'd had with two of my best friends in the world, seeing this same band on a rainy Thursday night in a small town on the Northern NSW coast came flooding back - I missed you guys that night, thanks for the memories! I had managed to hook up pretty good seats for all three nights, although on the third I snuck forward to get a better view, and got a few good pics. 
You may wonder why anyone would go and see the same band three nights in a row, but the energy, the difference in the setlists, the sheer musicianship of it was exciting from start to finish. Following each show the party continued back at the hotels, and we fell into bed at around 3, ready to start all over again the next day... Great times, great company, great music. So when Monday morning dawned, and we all had to pack up and roll out, it was with slightly hazy heads, but fantastic memories and a bunch of new friends. Ryan, Matt and Nick are all solid blokes, who I've already promised I'll visit in Minnesota sometime. I owe a whole lot to those guys for being prepared to take a random Aussie under their wing and showing me such a good time. Thanks guys, you are the best....Late monday night I arrived back in Vancouver. Absolutley knackered. I was to move in to my new residence apartment on the Tuesday, and my first class was that afternoon. That is another story, to be told in the next installment of this blog. Right now I need to go and write a paper, but be sure that I am happy, healthy, and seriously excited about the snow that is falling at Whistler at the moment!
1 comment:
Great shot of the band!
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