Penguin's World Adventures

So long without news!

penguinman — Sun, 4 Nov 2007 22:01:00 GMT

Hi to you all. I know my last update was Winnipeg - so I'm ages behind. That's cos I've had soo many awesome adventures I just haven't stopped, til this brief moment.

I'm in Hawaii, in fact I'm leaving tonight for Fiji - for 10 days. Then onto NZ. So I'm afraid you'll have to wait til I get to NZ (& my sister's when I'll have plenty of time to really update this journal!)

Til then I'll just say I've had such a great time!!!

Speak to you again in NZ.

"Go West' as the Pet Shop Boys sing!!!

penguinman — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 12:20:00 GMT

Well hi everyone again. I'm sorry that this journal is somewhat behind my actual travels - I'll try to catch up a bit!!!

I left you all leaving Winnipeg on the 2nd leg of my VIA Rail journey across Canada, going west to Vancouver. Well the journey continued to be pretty awesome, with great scenery from the viewing dome. I missed all of Saskatchewen, as it was night time when we went through that province. I'm told that's not a big loss! We eventually rolled into Jasper about 3 hours behind schedule, so after an hours break we left near 7pm - so we wouldn't see much of the Rockies as it would also be night time!! Oh well, never mind!

Having slept in the dome car overnight, I woke to early morning mist over Fraser River - which was quite a sight. The last part of the journey to Vancouver was along the river valley.

Eventually I arrived at Vancouver station after an epic trai journey across Canada. During the journey I saw beautiful, changing scenery & met so many friendly people on the train. It was an experience that I'm glad I took!!

Onwards now to the city!!!

Once a teacher, always a teacher in Windy Winnipeg!!

penguinman — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 10:40:00 GMT

It's been a while since my last update & so much has happened!

I left Toronto to begin my epic train journey across thee vast country of Canada, after my final night in Global Village. I had planned for an early night, but on meeting many new friends from the Moose trips in the bar I eventually headed for some sleep at 2.30am!! So much for the early night.

Anyway, I did make it to the station by 8am for the 9am train, only to find it was running at least an hour late!! Sounds like British Rail!!

Anyway the journey was great fun, taking ages to go through Ontario - it makes you realise just how big the province is & how much bigger the whole of canada is! The scenery from the dome car was stunning, so long as you enjoy lakes, trees, more lakes & more trees!! No really, it was great & an incredibly relaxing way to travel - no rush!!

After about 30 hours on the train I reached Winnipeg, where i was getting off to stay a while. This is a lovely city that somehow didn't have that 'busy city' feel. I spent quite a bit of time just walking around getting a feel for the city. I quickly undestood why it is known as "The windy city" & also on my first day walking aroung I went down to The Forks, by the river, & it was absolutely freezing!!! And the locals tell me that's nothing, wait for winter when it gets down to minus 30 degrees C, with a wind chill, taking it to minus 40 - 50!!! I like the sound of all the white snow but I'm not sure of those temperatures!!!

After a few days in the city itself, I headed out into the Praries, to stay with my Welsh friends near Steinbach. I had a great time with them, they made me so welcome - it was odd to think that the last time we'd seen each other was about 12 years ago! How time flies!! It was so good to have a place to stay a while & truely relax & rest - it was exactly what I needed. It gave me the chance to reflect on my adventures in the east & prepare myself for my adventures to come in the west.

Whislt with these friends, my teacher instinct surfaced - helping both Aled & Nia with their school homework, & then even going into school with Bev. The Canadian schools tend to be similar to schools in England - education is really the same the world over, as are kids! I s'pose "Once a teacher, Always a teacher!!"

Saying my thanks to Bev, Keith, Nia & Aled I headed back into Winnipeg to continue my rail journey. I made a brief pause for a photo shoot at the road sign marking the exact half-way point across Canada. Just got the second half to do now!!

Ther Moose is gone - Long live the Moose!!!

penguinman — Tue, 11 Sep 2007 13:45:00 GMT

Well the Moose is over!!!!

I'm now back in Toronto, a different hostel - The Globalbackpakers - for two nights, before catching the Via Rail train across west. I'm hopping off in Winnipeg & hope to catch up with old friends Bev & Keith.

Well to update events gone by now. I think I last spoke in Ottawa!? Well I had a good few days there in jail!! The hostel is the old jailhouse! I saw the sights, rested & caught up with a friend that I'd meet over Nova Scotia on the Salty Bear Tour. We had a good night out chatting, having a couple of beers & some good food - she is a good friend!

After Ottawa I headed to Fort Coulonge with Moose. Here they do white water rafting, but as my back & hip were knackered I felt the sensible thing to do was give it a miss. It was a bit of a shame cos I fancied having a go, but I'm sure I'll get the chance again somewhere else on my travels. Hopefully by then I'm healthier & fitter!!! I stayed here for 4 nights & chilled out & relaxed. It was good fun, as there was also 4 Aussie girls staying. It was a lovely place to chill, with the sun, the river, the sunsets & of course the wine in the evening. Oh, there was also the vodka when Tom, the Polish rafting guide joined us!!!

I thought about staying there longer to continue my recuperation but they didn't have space, so I went onto Madawaska, wheree it was suggested that would be a good place to stay longer. We (the Moose group) stayed 2 nights & I then opted to stay on for another 3 nights. That was awesome, as I was the only one there apart from the 4 young people who worked a t the Moose hostel. I really managed to relax & chill out, it was just what I needed!!! On the last 2 nights I was joined by the next Moose group - 19 people - quite a change from the previous few days!!! But they were a good group, who I joined for thew return trip to Toronto.

So here I am now, just waiting for tomorrow to head off west. I must say I've managed to see quite a bit here in the east - probably more that I thought I'd manage!

Highlights - well it's difficult to say, but here goes!

The whole Salty Bear Tour over Nova Scotia was awesome & the people I met were great.

Quebec City was really good, especially my birthday with my new frineds & of course receiving JP penguin!

Tadoussac was just sooo relaxing & it's was great drinking the night's away with Ian.

Of course my time at Madawaska Base Camp was just brilliant!!!

But most of all were all the great frinds I've met so far - Jamie, Lana, John, Phil, Ian, Adele, Beth, Gill, Debs, Jess, Steph, Shawni ..... the list is endless. I've met so many great, kind & friendly people. That's what this travelling lark is all about - I'd recommend it to everyone!!!

Next stage - heading west for even more awesome penguinman adventure!!!

I'll try to keep you all informed with my progress. Continue to keep in touch with the March of the Penguinman!!!

Onwards with the Moose!

penguinman — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:00:00 GMT

Well I've left Nova Scotia & the Salty Bear behind now!

From halifax I flew back to Montreal & the the following day hooked up with the Moose again. We headed out of the city on the journey to our destination of Mont Tremblant.

We arrived at teh Mont Tremblant ski resort/tourist centre, which is a really tacky, 'legoland' type buildings, tourist attraction. You had the usual tourist things including costly gondola up the mountain, luge track (just like Rotorua & Queenstown, for those who've been to NZ!), kiddie bungee jump trampolines plus the usual paraphanalia of cafes/restaurants/bars ...etc that feed all the tourists. As you might be able to guess, i didn't think much of it!!! But better was to come!

We moved onto our HI hostel, just down the road near the village. This was beautiful - set on the side of a lake, in which you were able to use the canoes & kayaks & also swim in the lake - wow, how good that was!!!

The group then had a really nice pasta bolgnaise group meal, with a few galsses of red wine. Later we sat in a tipi around the fire - boy was it hot, more like a sauna. Then later a group of us went & sat on the pontoon on the lake just chatting away. Beth though decided that at about midnight it was a good time to go for a swim (fully clothed!!) - surprisingly, no one else joined her!!!

It was so greatsat by the lakeside in the moonlight, we didn't turn in for the night until 2.00am!!! What a beautiful place this was!!

The following day we left Mont Tremblant for our journey to Ottawa. On the way we called in at the Omega Wildlife Park & saw elk, buffalo, black bears, coyote & racoons, to name a few.

We then arrived at the jail & were put in our cells! In fact the HI hostel is the old jail & the dorms are the old cells - quite wierd really.

I'm staying here 3 nights, so am taking it easy. Also my back is giving me a bit of jip!! maybe too much walking & exercise. I hope a little bit of rest will help!!! I really hope so!!!

Well at least I've caught up with my journal now. When i get the opportunity I'll try to add some more photos.

Happy reading - don't get too jealous Sue!!!

Last two days of Salty Bear

penguinman — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 14:30:00 GMT

Well after a really chilled & relaxing time in Charlottetown, PEI, I returned to Halifax & started the 2 day Salty Bear tour.

It was really great - I'll pick out a few of the highlights!

1. The new group of people were awesome!!! Some were from the 4 day trip but there were other new faces. We all got on well "as the Irish say" had a craic!

2. Peggy's Cove was pictureseque - made more atmospheric by the early morning mist.

3. Canoeing on the lake/river in Kejimkujik National Park was really special - so picturesque & peaceful, paddling into the wilds of Canada. This was followed by a refreshing swim in the lake.

4. Staying in the old, rustic farmhouse in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by apple orchards & listening to the crickets chirping.

5. A hike up the steep North Mountain at Blomidon National Park, only to get to the top & have the beautiful view of the coastline obscured by the mist rolling off the mountain/hills.

6. Free winetasting at small vineyard - 2 whites, 2 reds, a port red 7 a maple wine. All very nice & yes free!!!

7. Wandering around the picturesque town of Lunenberg.

8. Returning to Halifax & spending the night in a Blue's Bar just next to the hostel, listening to good blues, drinking good beer, eating good chicken wings & chatting(when you could in between the music) with really good new friends.

9. Miles - the really great driver/guide/friend for the 2 days with Salty Bear.

So as you can see, this was an awesome trip in Nova Scotia. something I hadn't even thought about, but it has turned out to be really brilliant. I'm so glad that Lana told me about it!!

Chillin' in Charlottetown

penguinman — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 19:40:00 GMT

Well what a busy few days I've had!! I've been on the first leg of The Salty Bear Tour of Nova Scotia. I flew in from Montreal to Halifax & stayed there a couple of nights, in the Halifax backpackers - which was a very friendly & welcoming place. Only prob' was it was quite a walk down to the quayside/downtown Halifax - but i made it! Then on Friday I set of with a crowd of others on The Salty Bear Tour. We headed for cape Bretton, where we stayed for 2 nights. It was full on & besy, but brill fun. Highlights include 2 long hikes (one 7km, the other up & then down steep, muddy forest paths) - I managed them, so when I get home I'll have no excuse for not going out walking more often!! Whale watching (again!) - this time pilot whales & humpbackat Pleasant Bay. Eating fresh snow crab & I liked it!! Sudden roadside stop to see a moose!!! Swimming, well trying to stand up against the crashing waves of the Atlantic, at ingonish Beach. But probably the best moment of all was meeting all the great new people on the tour. There are too many to mention by name, but they're all brilliant people. The one I must mention though is our driver/guide/co-ordinator ...etc Keltie. She was absolutely brilliant!!! I'm now at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where I hopped off & am staying for 4 days. I then plan to rejoin the tour on Friday. it was a shame to leave all the friends made, but at least i can have a bit of a rest for a few days & take things a little easier. After all the day on cape Bretton we were on the go from 8am to 8pm - by the time we'd finished drinking, chatting & playing Trivial Pursuit it was midnight!!! Well at least I can relax a bit, altho' I have to book 2 nights accomdation in Halifax, flight back to Montreal, 1 night in hostel in Montreal, confirm pick-up for Fri, confirm date back on Moose Tour - so there's a few phone calls/internet bookings to sort asap. So i think I'll still be busyish!!! Well that's all for now, I'm off top find somewhere to get something to eat. Take care everyone, keep smiling & be happy - The World is a great place & it's people's are awesome!!!

Gallery: First impressions!

penguinman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 19:30:00 GMT

Gallery: Quebec City

penguinman — Wed, 15 Aug 2007 07:58:00 GMT

Next stop Nova Scotia!

penguinman — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 22:43:00 GMT

Well I've left the tranquil, laid back, super chilled Tadoussac & am now back in the big city of Montreal (again!) I arrived yesterday & spent the evening with a group at a Vietnamese Restaurant, where we had an excellent meal. It did take a while to come, as we got there about 8pm & started eating our food about 10pm plus!!! The problem was the initial group was about 8 but by the time word of mouth got round to all, there was nearer 20 altogether. Even so it was a great evening spent chatting to loads of other fellow travellers & exchanging tales.

Today I've had a quieter day to myself in the city. Chores like catching up with the washing, checking emails (Please send me some, prefeably on ndpenguin@hotmail.com - as I like hearing what all my friends else where are up to!) had to be done tis morning. Then this aftyernoon I walked up Mont Royal, where you get a view over the city. My, it was an uphill task & even worse coming down - loads of steps & slopes - I lost count the number of times I went "arse over tit" but I still got up with no injuries!!! Other people around looked a little concerned at times tho!!

Well I'll soon be off for some shut eye, as tomorrow I'm flying off to Halifax for the nexg leg of the adventures exploring Nova Scotia, Cape Bretton & Prince Edward Island. If Lana's recommendations are anything to go by I should be in for another treat.

Well that's all for tonight, so goodbye everyone. Sleep well & sweet dreams, Penguinman

Having a whale of a time in Tadoussac!!!

penguinman — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 19:45:00 GMT

Hi all Here's my latest bit of news from "The travels of Penguinman". I'm now staying in the beautiful village of Tadoussac in a really bohemian hostel. The village is on the St Lawrence river where it joins the Sagueny Fjord - it,s really beautiful. Already I have been whale watching in a small, nippy zodiac boat. That enabled us to get pretty close to the whales. I was lucvky to see several humpback, fin, minke & beluga whales. The highlight was when a humpback whale swam right next to the zodiac, you could virtually touch it's back. Today has been spent chillin out just watching the world go by & I can't think of a much better place to do it, certainly better than 25 Girton Way!!!! Last night was spent having a few beers with Ian, my new Liverpudlian mate & guess what I'll be doing tonight? No prizes for correct answers!!! Well must be off now' I'm wasting precious drinking time here. So goodbye for now & love to all followers of Penguinman.

A rainy day in Quebec

penguinman — Tue, 7 Aug 2007 05:39:00 GMT

Well things have changed a little today! At least the forcast was right - it said rain showers & yes, we've had rain showers. But that has meant I've had a very relaxing morning catchingup on my diary - 4 days worth! Also, for all my friends out there (Yes, I do have a few Big Pat!!!) I'm now on Face Book. With the help of my new travel friend, Lana, I've started my Face Book page. It's nothing exciting yet, but hopefullyI'll add to it & build it up. So for all those back in UK, or even Sue & Craig in NZ, get yourselves onto Face Book.

It's good today just having a rest, as I can continue to go at 100mph for this whole trip. I think I'll go out in a while, for some fresh air & see some more of Quebec - possibly walk the walls.

Well that's all for now. See you all again soon!

Mon francais est not very good!!

penguinman — Mon, 6 Aug 2007 11:53:00 GMT

Well my lovely little sister likes to remind me that I didn'y do particularly well in my 'O level' French. So arriving in Quebec, which is very much French speaking, was going to be interestin!

Well I doing pretty well with oui, non, bounjour, bon soir & especially parlez vous anglais!! I was even speaking briefly to a Quebecian (not sure if thast's what you call people who live in Quebec!)family down in the old city and they had a 3 year old who spoke good english! I hear Big Pat saying she probably speaks it better than me!!! Cheers Pat!

Well I must say Quebec is superb - far outdoing Toronto & Montreal. Those two are big cities, Quebec is much smaller & very european in feel - not surprising really! Today I've just been wandering round the Nouvelle Francais festival, which ended today. It was really great, with many, many locals in 'old' style costume. There were many beautiful sights to see, especialy the young ladies!!! I wo't go into detail here, just use your imagination - French Canadians, need I say more>

On that note my time is running out on the net, so I'll post this & go for a beer in the bar!

Au revoir til next time!

Montreal - French or English^

penguinman — Sat, 4 Aug 2007 04:22:00 GMT

Well here I am in Montreal, which is both French & British. I'm even using my very!! basic french from my 'o level' days back at school. Those who know me will know that that is not very much french!!

Well Montreal is a swell place & yesterday was spent walking around seeing various sights & getting a feel for the city. I even made it out to the Olympic Park - at least i can say I've been there!

This stop is the first part of the Moose Mohawk tour & already it's really good. Already I have met many people & struck up good friendships. Long may this continue! It's alreday made me think I'm so glad to be doing this & even wish I had done it years ago when I was younger 7 certainly healthier!! But at least I'm doing it now!!

First stop Toronto!

penguinman — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 23:59:00 GMT

Well it's coming up to midnight on my third full day in Canada & wow! What fun I've ahd already.

My first two days (Sat/Sun) were spent acclimatising myself to Canada, in particular Toronto. What a swell city this is. I spent both days walkig around thje city, in facts it's yhe most walking I've done for years - I'm amazed myu legs are still working!! On Sunday I went over to Toronto Islands & as it was sooo! hot I ended up near the beach in the beachside bar sharing a few bottles of ice cold beer with a born & bred Torontoian (Is that what you call them? What agreat way to spend a hot Sunday afternoon, just chillin' out - what a life!

Today, well that was taken up with a visit to Niagara Falls. What a spectacular wonder of nature - well worth a visit. I managed to see them from land, boat (on The Maid of the Mist) & air (helicopter). All were equally special, allowing you to appreciate the beauty of the Falls from different perspectives. Also I was there to see the Falls at night when you getv the coloured light display - also quite impressive!

The one think of interest to note is how just away from the beauty of the Falls how man has managed to build so many 'touristy' shops/arcades ...etc - all pretty tacky!! But what the heck, they are there only if you want to visit them, they can't lessen the effect of the actual Falls.

Well that's all folks! for today, as Looney Tunes might say!

Will be back soon with next step in penguin's BIG ADVENTURE!