On our last night in Cancun, the group of us (8 girls plus the tour leader, Paul) went out to dinner at a Jazz bar. There was no music, so I took it on myself to play some jazz before dinner.
After dinner, the plan was to go to a club in the hotel strip. We left downtown Cancun at 10 to travel the 10 odd kms to the hotel zone. Unfortunately nobody knew where to get off the bus and we overshot the club we were going to. It took us an hour and a half to get back in the traffic jam that is Saturday night in Cancun. So at 11.30, we were standing at the back of a line to get into a packed nightclub that would cost us $55 to get into (albeit you get free alcohol all night and a bit of a show, but I don't tend to drink much and I had to get up early to catch a plane). The guide and I decided that it was a bad idea and caught the bus back to downtown. Instead of a club, we wound up back at the jazz bar we had started at. There were some brilliant musicians there playing a blend of jazz and flamenco - amazing stuff. Altogether a great night.
On Sunday I flew from Cancun to Vancouver. It was only two planes, but it took me about 12 hours. I arrived in Vancouver in the dark (although thats not a bad way to enter the city, its beautiful when its all lit up). I visited an ATM and a nice supermarket, and that was the extent of my travels in Vancouver!
After a night at my brother's place, I left early in the morning on a Moose backpacker tour of the Canadian Rockies. It's a hop on, hop off tour, so while there are only 20 people on the bus at one time, there could be several others every day. During the days we watched spectacular scenery (the rockies are amazing - huge grey spiky slabs of mountain sticking up from wreathes of pointy pines) and at night we shared stories and meals. Altogether a great time. Our hostel on the third night was a bit rough though. There were 16 of us in the cabin (male and female). There were at least 3 snorers. The beds had plastic sheets, so whenever someone moved there would be a huge creaking, farting sound. But the worst bit was that there was no running water. You had to pump water from the well, and there were only two toilets for the entire group of 40 odd travellers. Ironically, the accommodation we had in Central America has been much better than the accommodation in Canada so far, but the living standards of the locals are completely different from North to Central America.
Scenic highlights on the tour have included: the Rockies of course. They stretch on in each direction, they're all around us. Lake Louise, Lake Morraine, Bridal Veil Falls. Social highlights have included: gaining a reputation as a pancake making tutor (pancakes are free at the hostel as long as you make your own. Lots of people were having trouble with the concept and created various types of burnt pancake mush until I lent a hand), the crazy Canadian driver, Jeremy and the long nights talking and dancing.
I'm flying back to Vancouver today, but I only have a night in the city before I go to Seattle tomorrow. Eventually I'll get a chance to see the city itself!
I hope everyone is well, keep the comments coming in (although no comments are allowed on what happens in the 7th book of Harry Potter, I'm only 100 pages in).
