Victoria 2006

These next series of pictures are from my recent trip to Victoria on Canada's Vancouver Island. We stayed in Sidney a short 20 minutes from downtown Victoria. In and around Sidney by the Sea.
The town is known for the many second hand book stores.

Victoria 2

Sidney is a quaint little town right off the ocean.
Nancy likes Starbucks and she feels like everyone else should too.
The Diver also apparently required sip.
A new meaning to Fisherman's Friend. Nancy should pour it in his boot instead. That would be funny in a that cruel kind of way.

Victoria 3

I think Tammy's dress is on fire. No need to worry, its

Fire RETARDED.

A picture of peace...

...and tranquility.

Buchart Gardens. I think the little statue boy likes her.

Victoria 4

Victoria 5

Here are the girls posing for a picture...
...and another...
...and yet, another. They're such posers.
They should be more humble, like me.

Victoria 6

Tammy makes a new friend.
She has a special way with animals. The Dragon Fly is real...and alive.
We were going to stay at the Empress, but I didn't agree with the foriegn ownership of a Canadian landmark. I also may have made fun of Prince Al-Saud's head covering at one time.

Victoria Finale

We returned back to the Buchart Gardens at night. I would recommend the double visit because at night it's much quieter and you experience the Gardens in a new light.

Museo Nacional de Antropologia e Historia

This is the inner courtyard of the museum. The large umbrella like roof is supported only by a single column. When I was resting here an older Mexican man started talking to me and Matt (my co-worker). He was so friendly that he asked for our emails to exchange pictures of our countries. He then introduced us to his entire family, including wife, kids, and mother in law. I thought he was going to invite us over for dinner.
This is one of the many large rooms in the museum. The place is big and busy just like Mexico City, but without the pollution.
On the wall is the Aztec calender. It's one of the unofficial national symbols of Mexico. Kind of like those stupid Bell beavers or Pamela Anderson. This man is trying to figure out which celebraties he shares his birthday with. "Wow, I'm the same age as Britney!". Those Aztecs sure were ahead of their time.
Scary! Mexico sure has a rich history...of frightening looking people with abnormally large nostrils. Just kidding. They sure like their idols though. There was a whole room dedicated to Kelly Clarkson.

Site Seeing in Mexico City

Mixing business with pleasure. On the time off, I got an opportunity to do some site seeing. This is one of the streets in the Historical District.
The Cathedral Metropolitana. Another huge church.
The Zocalo, the second largest public square in the world, next to Tiannamen. In the background is the Palacio Nacional (where the president works/lives).
Azteca Dancers in the Zocalo. They have feathers on there head. I wish I feathers on my head.

Mexico Historical Center

This is outside the Palacio De Bellas Artes. It is a gallery/museum. There are some really cool Diego Rivera murals in there.
Inside the above museum This is now San Juan Teotihuacan one of the many Aztec Pymramid sites. This is the "Avenue of the Dead" looking towards the Pyramid of the Moon.
This is Roberto and his girlfriend Erica. They graciously took Matt and myself out on Sunday. Erica's mom even cooked a fantastic home cooked meal for us.

 

Teotihuacan Aztec Pyramids

This is me and Matt standing on top of the Pyramid of the Sun (the tallest pyramid in all of Mexico). Behind us is the Pyramid of the Moon.


Looking back towards the Pyramid of the Sun from the Pyramid of the moon. Below is the Avenue of the Dead.

 

San Juan Teotihuacan

This was the town where Erica lives. It is one of the many towns that surround the pyramids.
Police station from the gazebo in the town square.
This is the gazebo where we enjoyed a rest and some weird ice cream. I wish I could remember Spanish words better, but it's hard to remeber something I can't even pronounce.
Kids playing

Vancouver - End of Series

The pictures start below. This is the last in the Vancouver series. Thanks for checking out the pics. Peace in the far East.

Mike looks sad. I think he missed his wife...or hockey.  

Group shot. There was a sunset behind us, but you can't really tell in this picture because I had to do much editing. Mike was playing with the rope beside him. It turned out to be someones Lobster trap. The person came and moved it shortly after.

Dan shows up for dinner on the beach. He looks shocked. Amy and Karen look unamused, and my family looks very happy.  

Cousing Ginny or Cousin IT? 

The pier at White Rock. This was just a few yards away from the "white rock", an artificially white washed rock. Did the rock come first or the town? Suprisinly I didn't get a picture this amazing rock. 

"I hate this mural. I poop on you!" 

Oh, cute. 

Karen pulls out her camera. What is she going to take a picture of? 

We spent an afternoon in White Rock just South of Vancouver. There were lots of coffee shops, restaraunts, and used bookstores along the water front. 

Wancouver skyline. 

Amy tries for the gelato again. Still plastic. 

G'bye!!! Bon Voyage. The train didn't go too far. The engine was missing. 

Choo, chooo! 

....oh, that's why. 

Ginny tries hard to move this man-powered rail road thingy. "Why isn't this stupid thing moving?" 

"I didn't pay them for that sample spoon. I am the man. "

"MMM...Gelato". No, Amy, that's plastic. The gelato is in the shop behind you. 

Poor little girl couldn't stand the loud music. Either that or I was singing along with the band again. 

Mike: "Lord, I pray that Jars of Clay will let me play guitar with the band"
Ginny: "I stabbed a man through the heart"
Amy: "Why is Phong touching me? Does he wash his hair with gasoline?"
Me: "I should be an underwear model"

Midget horse chariot races...or should that be giant man races?? 

Karen: "If you take that picture of me I will squish your head like this doughnut" 

Amy does her Amy-I'm so confused-is that Karen's feet I smell?-face at the county fair in Lynden, WA where we went to see Jars of Clay perform. 

Karen decides she wants in on the windmill fun. She had shoes at one point. The US border guards took them away. It was a matter of national security...but now the odour alert is high.  

Ginny and I do our FOB in America in front of a Dutch windmill. What a great multicultural world we live in. Where the heck are my shoulders? 

Ginny and Karen are enjoying Coconut Shrimp at the Loft in Lynden, WA. 

Vancouver 2005 - Start of Series

The following are pictures from my recent trip to Vancouver. We drove there from Calgary (about 10.5 hours drive with breaks) and stayed with Karen in her cool home in Historic Fort Langley.