The disadvantage of buying relatively cheap round the world air tickets is that flight connections are not always the best. The alternative, though, would have broken the bank! So, in a few hours I say ‘goodbye’ to Canada and ‘hello’ to Cuba with a long, long stopover in Mexico City. Hey Ho!
I have thoroughly enjoyed my visit to British Colombia and will, apart from the appalling weather, be leaving with fond memories. Downtown Vancouver is a stunning mix of the new
often dotted with community garden projects
close to quiet, leafy residential areas such as near my hotel. 
Clearly, Vancouver is a wealthy city – or certainly the parts I have seen. Yet, curiously, mixed in among all the high rise blocks, smart shops and restaurants are a worrying number of homeless on the streets.
Most of the sightseeing I have done has been on foot as I didn’t quite get the hang of public transport and taxis seem to in very short supply! And the other thing that has confused and surprised me completely is that prices quoted always seem to be net of taxes.. This has thrown my budgeting totally awry as, for example, in the two hotels I stayed at I paid app 17.5% more than the prices quoted (and agreed!) on the internet. Or, put another way, a meal with a published price of, say, £30 ends up costing more than £40 when you add the 17.5% plus a tip! Hopefully, this is not the case everywhere I visit because if it is I will be staying in mud huts pretty soon!
Out of Vancouver and into the mountains is awesome. Endless pine covered hills and mountains many of which rise majestically out of vast dark, deep lakes and suddenly disappear to become enormous green and fertile plains.
Driving around in this great big country is easy although running out of fuel must be an occupational hazard. There are very few filling stations on the major roads. And when you find one and go to fill up, be careful which pump to use. The green one often means diesel!!
So, now it’s time to move on although I was very much tempted to stay for a while longer to enjoy some of the nightlife!
But, as it’s started raining…..again, I will depart.
Until I’m warm,
Richard
Newsflash! I’ve just checked the weather in Havana and…..it’s raining. As Victor Meldrew would say: ‘I don’t believe it’!
thelasthurrahsite 