Vancouver

It was a night flight and I slept OK, considering I was stuck at 90 degrees for 12 hours...

My luggage and bike arrived with me, which was a relief. I did start to worry just a little that my luggage in a black garden sack might end up in a skip rather than on the luggage conveyor belt; and my bike similarly wrapped in black rubbish sacks might meet a similar fate...

Jimmy met me at the airport and I gave him 3 blocks of Whittakers chocolates; I'm hoping he might share some with me!

We are staying with a warmshowers host in North Vancouver. Her name is Jane and she is a bubbly, welcoming woman. I'm quickly realising most canadians are like that. We went for a stroll around her neighbourhood - it's mid-late summer; warm (hot!); the gardens are perfectly kept with flowers spilling out of hanging baskets - and there are the huge american Dodge vehicles in every driveway. We visited some other Warmshowers hosts in the area - because Jane was curious to meet them - and had a great discussion about cycle touring. They showed me their steel-framed touring bikes, and their tan-lines from a recent tour. I am inspired by the break-points they had added to their bikes - so they can break their touring bikes in half and place in a travelcase. Brilliant.

It's now 7pm and still warm and sunny. we are having barbecued whole fish for dinner. Jimmy is helping Jane in the kitchen; by the sounds of things I'm best staying right here out of the way!

Tomorrow we will hit the road and start our cycle tour; hopefully finding the TransCanada trail along the way. We expect to make it to Chilliwack.