| Diary Entries June 7, 2010 April 29, 2010 October 27, 2009 July 25, 2009 July 18, 2009 July 12, 2009 July 5, 2009 June 27, 2009 June 25, 2009 June 20, 2009 June 13, 2009 June 6, 2009 May 30, 2009 May 23, 2009 May 16, 2009 May 9, 2009 May 3, 2009 April 25, 2009 April 18, 2009 April 11, 2009 April 4, 2009 March 28, 2009 March 21, 2009 March 14, 2009 March 7, 2009 February 28, 2009 February 21, 2009 February 14, 2009 February 7, 2009 January 24, 2009 January 17, 2009 January 10, 2009 January 3, 2009 December 27, 2008 December 20, 2008 December 13, 2008 December 6, 2008 December 1, 2008 November 24, 2008 November 17, 2008 November 10, 2008 October 27, 2008 October 20, 2008 October 13, 2008 October 6, 2008 September 29, 2008 September 23, 2008 September 15, 2008 September 8, 2008 September 1, 2008 August 26, 2008 August 18, 2008 August 8, 2008 July 28, 2008 July 21, 2008 July 15, 2008 July 07, 2008 June 30, 2008 June 23, 2008 June 16, 2008 June 10, 2008 May 26, 2008 May 19, 2008 May 12, 2008 May 5, 2008 April 29, 2008 April 14, 2008 April 9, 2008 April 1, 2008 March 25, 2008 March 18, 2008 March 11, 2008 March 04, 2008 February 26, 2008 February 19, 2008 February 13, 2008 January 29, 2008 January 22, 2008 January 15, 2008 January 8, 2008 January 1, 2008 December 18, 2007 December 10, 2007 November 20, 2007 October 23, 2007 October 3, 2007 September 16, 2007 September 9, 2007 August 28, 2007 August 21, 2007 August 14, 2007 August 7, 2007 July 24, 2007 July 17, 2007 July 10, 2007 July 03, 2007 June 27, 2007 June 17, 2007 June 11, 2007 June 4, 2007 May 27, 2007 May 22, 2007 May 07, 2007 April 10, 2007 March 20, 2007 March 13, 2007 March 6, 2007 February 27, 2007 February 22, 2007 February 13, 2007 February 6, 2007 January 30, 2007 January 15, 2007 December 12, 2006 November 28, 2006 November 13, 2006 November 7, 2006 October 31, 2006 October 24, 2006 November, 2006 October 3, 2006 September 26, 2006 September 21, 2006 September 11, 2006 September 05, 2006 August 11, 2006 August 8, 2006 |
I’m in beautiful Vancouver - a green clean and environmental city but with lousy weather most of the time. But the few clear sunny days have been stunning. I’m visiting my daughter and my son is also here so it’s been a joy no matter what the climate. Canadians are unfailingly polite and either highly politically active or apathetic. We saw some good ideas including solar powered trash compacting rubbish bins in the streets in Victoria on Vancouver Island. We took a sea plane to Victoria, the capital of British Columbia and had a curry lunch in the Bengal room of the magnificent old Empress Hotel still like the days of the Raj. In the afternoon a stroll around the 100 year old Butchart Gardens showed what can be done starting with one rose bush and a handful of sweet pea seeds. It was an effort to beautify an old quarry site on the 130 acre Butchart Estate. In the 1900s Mrs Butchart started serving tea in the gardens and so the tradition continues. It was also a surprise to run into Captain Cook again, posing sternly across from the grand Empress Hotel at the water’s edge. Though, it seems, few people know much about him, in the USA even less.
We went out whale watching to see the mean-looking orcas, not our lovely gentle humpbacks, and lots of agro sea lions. The debris and runaway logs adrift in the water from the logging industry are scary. The town of Whistler where there are wonderful lakes, forests and ski slopes three hours drive away is a fabulous getaway. Not that I’d swim in the glacier-like water.
The best thing, apart from visiting family, has been catching up with old friends from Guyana. Boris took off to visit friends in Nevada and go fishing, but after seeing a DVD of the fishing expedition our friends run in Guyana near the Brazilian border in country so rugged the jaguars have never seen humans and so are tame and curious, I think we’ll be planning a trip there!
Next stop – San Francisco.
Cheers.
Di’s new book –“Monsoon” – will be published by Pan Macmillan early November.
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