Author: rob

We snuck out of the 100+ degree heat to go up to chilly Canada.   Flew to Vancouver and drove up to Whistler the first night.  I have always wanted to go to Whistler after watching hundreds of mountain bike videos filmed there.  We did not have time to bike this trip but need to go back and spend a week at the lower village.

We took the ferry to Victoria island from Horseshoe bay to Nanaimo and drove 2 hours down to the city center.  We had a few nights at the Pendray Inn.  It is an old mansion on the water that is famous for their traditional afternoon tea service. We took a 4 hour whale watching tour and were successful in seeing Orcas, Humpbacks, Sea Lions, a deer and thousands of birds.

We then took the ferry back to the mainland and drove around Stanley park before flying out.   All in all, Vancouver is like a clean expensive Seattle before drug culture took over.

Slideshow and video of whales are here over on bitchute.

Shutterfly album is here.

So we just got back from Japan to see the relatives.  We flew into Tokyo, took the bullet train down to Kobe and spent a few days in Ashiya with the family.  We then did some historical touring in the old cities of Nara and Kyoto.  After that we went to Mount Fuji and back to Tokyo before flying out.   Every day was action packed and we averaged about 15000 steps.

Observations:

• Toilets are amazing.  There are a dozen buttons that do everything and more.
• Google Maps does pretty good with directions.  It is still lacking with restaurants and stores.
• Google translate is very helpful.  Most, but not all signs have English.
• Most transactions are in cash, not credit.  Prepaid Suica cards are very handy.
• Public transportation is safe, clean, effective, and on-time.
• Everything is clean.  No litter or graffiti or yelling or rap music.
• Bicycles are rarely locked.
• Cherry Trees are everywhere and we were lucky to catch them in full bloom.
• Big cities are very crowded and trains are packed full during rush hour.
• People are very well dressed and elegant.  Men in suits, women in long dresses.
• No body odor, morbid obesity, tattoos, piercings, or slutty clothing.
• People still wore masks even though it is no longer mandatory.
• Food is very different and in smaller portions.   No burgers, fries, pizza.  We liked it.
• Very few animals and wildlife seen.  I expected more small critters and birds in the gardens.
• Cars are all in good shape and very small.  Parking is difficult.  Gas is about 6$/gallon.
• Lots of history.  Many buildings are from the 7th century.
• Mix of very modern civilization with ancient shrines and gardens.
• Small houses and yards.  No lawns.  People do make the most of the land they have.

The most shocking moment for me was coming home and sitting in the filthy SeaTac airport with all the freaks of nature.

We took a ton of pictures and put them as a video on Bitchute.  File is 2.5GB, 40min.  Pictures are here on Shutterfly.

Perfect time of year to bike down to Lake Mead. Desert is starting to flower.  Lots of grass this year.  Some places are tall enough to mow.  I have never seen the desert this green.  Hope the rain continues.

We all met up at Keepers of the Wild outside of Kingman AZ.   It was very windy and cold in the 50s.  They are a sanctuary for many show animals in Vegas.  They also have 7 Tiger King animals. We took the guided tour and I managed to get 2 pictures of animals sticking their tongues out at us.  They have 50 acres and make a home for Bears, Emus, Monkeys, Wolf, Coyotes, Dogs, Birds, Deer who cant take care of themselves in the wild.

Heavy snow in town for about an hour.

We have been hiking out in bootleg canyon these last few weeks.  Lots of mountain bike trails to explore.  I have heard there were some petroglyphs back in there but never found them until i took an unmarked trail (East of Par None) on the mountain bike.  Not sure if these are real as they are very white and almost perfect.  The drawings themselves have the same proportions as other petroglyphs in the southwest.  If they are forgeries, they are good ones.