| No visit to Vancouver could be complete
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| | Motion" Show that features 4 different
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| without a real mountain experience. So
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| | types of birds: two Harris hawks, a
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| after covering the Servas conference I
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| | red-tailed hawk, a great horned owl and
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| left at 2 pm for downtown. To get to
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| | peregrine falcon. The birds have names
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| Grouse Mountain was quite an experience
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| | like Arwin, Frodo, Chinook and Rusty and
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| in itself, I got to take 2 buses
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| | they perform various maneuvers, often
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| downtown, then I boarded Vancouver's
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| | sweeping closely over various audience
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| light rail rapid transit system, the
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| | members' heads. The show was hosted by a
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| Skytrain, which runs underground
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| | young woman who also injected a dry sense
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| downtown, just like a subway. Then I
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| | of humour into her performance.The peak
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| hopped on the Seabus, a regular ferry
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| | of Grouse Mountain, about 100 m up from
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| that connects downtown with North
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| | the tram station, still remained to be
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| Vancouver. Buses were waiting for
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| | climbed. It's not a far distance, but it
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| passengers right when the ferry docked
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| | takes a solid 20 or so minutes to get up
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| and I jumped on the #236 which takes you
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| | to the top, which also features a
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| right to Grouse Mountain, passing the
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| | chairlift station. The view from the top
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| famous Capilano Suspension Bridge. At the
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| | is astounding, and the snow covered peak
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| base of Grouse Mountain I entered into
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| | of Mount Baker, an inactive volcano in
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| another means of transportation: the
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| | Washington State, mesmerized me. I heard
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| Skyride, a 6 minute gondola / tram ride
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| | that it is about 150 km or 90 miles away
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| to the main complex at the top of the
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| | from Vancouver and with its snow-covered
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| Mountain.Grouse Mountain is also called
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| | peak it appeared like a mirage in the
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| the "Peak of Vancouver", and it offers
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| | distance.Of course with all this mountain
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| recreational possibilities all year long.
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| | activity, hunger set in and I went to the
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| The elevation at the top is 4100 feet and
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| | self-serve cafe which has a beautiful
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| in the winter Grouse offers 22 runs for
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| | patio overlooking the city. I splurged on
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| skiers and snowboarders as well as 13 lit
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| | of my favourite sinful indulgences:
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| runs for night-skiing. The top base of
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| | poutine, i.e. French fries with gravy and
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| the gondola features a fine dining
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| | cheese curds. I tampered down my
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| restaurant, contemporary dining, a more
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| | nutritional guilt with a Mediterranean
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| casual cafe as well as a gift shop and a
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| | salad and figured that the nutrients and
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| store called "Outfitters" that provides
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| | low caloric content of the salad might
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| all sorts of outdoor gear. The dining
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| | counterbalance the potato and fat-based
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| areas have sweeping views of the city all
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| | calory bomb. Well, not great nutritional
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| the way down to Washington State.I
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| | decision-making, but I savoured it
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| decided to check out the mountain
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| | anyways.I ended up talking to a local
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| attractions and walked past a number of
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| | couple on the terrace who said I should
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| huge wooden carved statues, finally
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| | check out a little neighbourhood called
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| arriving at the Lumberjack Show. Two
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| | Ambleside, which is part of West
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| young strapping lads go at it in a
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| | Vancouver. So off I went, down the
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| variety of woodsman's competitions,
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| | mountain with the tram and back on the
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| including target throwing of a
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| | bus. At the bottom I had to connect onto
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| double-sided axe, aiming for the bull's
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| | another bus, and during the wait I ended
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| eye, speed-sawing competitions involving
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| | up chatting with a local young man who
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| a single-handled saw and later a
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| | explained all the different residential
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| speed-sawing contest with a
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| | areas of Vancouver to me and also shed
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| double-handled saw that includes 2 female
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| | some light on the real estate boom that
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| audience participants.There is all sorts
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| | has caused Vancouver's housing prices to
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| of humorous competitive banter between
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| | sky-rocket over the last few years. The
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| the two guys, all coordinated by a female
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| | escalation of prices is not surprising,
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| emcee that tries to keep the (staged)
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| | since thousands of new people every year
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| competition under control. Then the 2
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| | seek out the relaxed West Coast
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| young lumberjacks climb 2 large poles
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| | lifestyle. With the Olympic Games coming
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| where they have to ring a bell at the top
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| | to Vancouver / Whistler in 2010, the
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| and of course only one of them can be a
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| | situation can only become tougher.While
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| winner. The show climaxes with one of the
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| | waiting for bus number 3 I chatted to
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| lumberjacks being pushed into what
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| | another local, asking him for directions
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| appears like a deep well, water splashing
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| | to Ambleside. He said that close by there
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| out of the well as he apparently hits the
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| | was a local arts and craft festival and
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| liquid. Then the other lumberjack tosses
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| | if I wanted he could show me where it is.
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| a stick of dynamite into the well,
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| | So with his guidance I arrived at the
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| followed by a big bang and a huge splash
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| | Harmony Arts Festival, held annually,
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| of water that reaches the front rows of
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| | which apparently now attracts over 60,000
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| the audience, usually accompanied by some
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| | visitors and showcases more than 250
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| socks or a torn shirt as evidence of the
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| | visual and performing artists. A band was
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| unfortunate lumberjack' s demise, all of
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| | performing Motown songs in a bandshell
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| the debris landing in the startled and
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| | and hundreds of people were camped out on
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| delighted audience.To everybody's relief,
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| | their folding chairs and beach towels in
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| the second lumberjack climbs out of the
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| | front of the stage. I decided to walk
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| well, wet but intact, and the two guys
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| | westwards along West Vancouver's Seawall,
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| embark on their final competition: the
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| | a much quieter version than that of
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| log-rolling. A round piece of wood is
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| | Stanley Park. I sat down to soak in the
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| located in the middle of a small pond and
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| | sunset, watching the sun roll down behind
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| the two guys each have a designated side
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| | the mountain chain northwest of
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| for themselves. Then they start to roll
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| | Vancouver.At about 9:15 I decided to head
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| the log, spraying and splashing each
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| | back to UBC and took a bus back downtown
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| other, performing all sorts of acrobatics
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| | across the famous Lions Gate Bridge. The
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| while turning the piece of wood. The
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| | sky was pink and dark purple and a sliver
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| final winner is the guy that pushes the
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| | of a moon was hanging low in the western
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| other guy off the log into the water most
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| | sky. And a bright star was located right
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| often in 3 tries.I talked to the young
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| | next to the moon on the left hand side.
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| fellows afterwards, 2 nice young men by
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| | Somebody on the bus pointed it out and
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| the name of Mason Bischoff, a BC native,
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| | another person said that this was an
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| and Darren Hudson, of Nova Scotia. Both
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| | extremely rare astronomic constellation,
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| guys come from families of real
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| | as a matter of fact this particular
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| lumberjacks and they often compete in
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| | constellation had never happened before.
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| lumberjack competitions. Mason has only
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| | It was almost as if magic had blessed
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| been doing the show for 5 days, very
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| | this evening.Downtown I changed buses
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| surprising since he performed so
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| | again and slowly made my way to the UBC
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| professionally, and Darren has been at it
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| | Campus. I noticed how different groups of
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| for 5 years, working at Grouse in the
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| | people were getting off the bus, shouting
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| summer, and doing some lumberjack shows
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| | out "Thank You" loudly to the bus driver.
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| in Australia in the winter. It was
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| | Now that is something that I have never
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| evident that both of them are having an
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| | seen before: people thanking the driver
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| absolute blast doing this job -
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| | on a public bus. I checked with the bus
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| performing a rather strenuous half-hour
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| | driver as I got off and asked him if this
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| show 3 times daily, 7 days a week. I
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| | happens regularly. He said it doesn't
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| found the show very entertaining, a great
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| | happen all the time, but he appreciates
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| combination of physical strength,
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| | it when people express their gratitude. A
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| endurance, slapstick, and witty repartee
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| | magical evening indeed...Susanne Pacher
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| between the lumberjacks and the
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| | is the publisher of a website called
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| emcee.Following this I checked out the
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| | Travel and Transitions( Travel and
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| famous bear habitat, which has proven to
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| | Transitions deals with unconventional
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| be a refuge for 2 orphaned bears that
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| | travel and is chock full of advice, tips,
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| found a permanent spacious 5 acre home on
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| | real life travel experiences, interviews
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| Grouse Mountain. Unfortunately the two
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| | with travellers and travel experts,
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| animals, Koola and Grinder, were sleeping
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| | insights and reflections, cross-cultural
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| somewhere under the trees and I only
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| | issues, contests and many other features.
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| caught a peek at one of them when he
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| | You will also find stories about life and
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| stretched and rolled over to continue
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| | the transitions that we face as we go
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| sleeping. Right next to the bear habitat
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| | through our own personal life-long
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| is an area for timber wolves and I was a
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| little luckier getting a peak at these
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| white canines.Staying along the animal
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| theme, I checked out the "Birds in
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
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