Parallel Universe

I get a late start after sleeping in. I take my last free shower for the next two weeks. Say good bye to Noah and Alyssa, make plans to stop by on my return. I stop at the liquor store (crazy expensive!) and the grocery. I hit the road!

And I leave Vancouver 90 min later. The combination of no GPS (data roaming is insanely expensive) and Canadian cities not having freeways that run THROUGH them means I don't find the road out for a long time. I have to stop for directions twice. It's like the 80s. The second place I stop, I realize very quickly is a bad neighborhood. How did I realize, you ask?

There was a small man walking along with his hand in his vest. He didn't look French, so I assumed he wasn't Napoleon despite his diminutive size. (I actually thought this. And then laughed 4 hours later when I passed the Bonaparte hotel.) As I walked past this man I glanced over again. Yep. Hand in vest is holding a blocky semi-automatic pistol. Lovely. Wonder if he had a permit. I got directions fast and got out.

Canada is like some sort of strange alternative universe US/ British mix. They have cool British stuff like Ribena, the Metro newspaper, the extra U and the metric system. You can't buy NyQuil except from a pharmacist (except at one 7-11 I found. Thank goodness. Did I mention I woke with a cold?) Gas is really expensive and really confusing cause it's in litres. AND I CAN'T USE MY GPS!!!! I'm totally dependent on the WiFi of strangers.

Cell access comes and goes, but around most cities I can text or call. But it's kinda nice being out of range sometimes. 

It's beautiful, though, and I had a nice dinner at a 50s diner called Herbie's.

I keep finding grumpy people here, though. Grumpy border guards. Grumpy waitresses. I thought everyone in Canada was supposed to be nice? Maybe it's me.

Ok. Time for bed. I found a nice Walmart parking lot (they're known for letting people car camp on the edge of their lot) with a handful of campers and semis around. Safety in numbers. Some rain leaked in so a corner of my blanket is wet, but I will carry on!

Good night from Quesnel, British Columbia!