TOUCH DOWN! Back in Canada and back in the mountains… A double combo that has seen me walking around Whistler village and sitting at the GLC bar with a Kokanee Gold and a silly smile permanently painted on my face. Luckily everyone is chilled out here and no one thinks I am taking the piss as I am pretty sure I am the only person that has turned up here without hitting the gym first (chicks included), suddenly my hot Rapha road physique appears to be significantly less useful or appropriate (a conflicting feeling given its full TDF fever underway, I have come to a parallel universe by cycling standards). My favourite lunch time hang out:

There's something out there... And it ain't no man...

There’s something out there… And it ain’t no man…

Kudos goes to Cathay Pacific for unleashing the shitest movie selection ever seen (or not seen?) on a commercial airline… Sure, I have seen pretty much all there is to see at the moment (a challenge for the next 6 weeks), but in the end I was forced into watching a terrible horror movie: GI Joe: Retaliation. I’ve seen monkeys humping (for real, down rifle range road) that made better viewing than this. Its hard to know where to start with smashing it in the face to be honest. It was particularly painful as I had deep GI Joe fever when I was 8 to however old (real age being withheld to protect cred), back when they were actually rad. Thanks to the Rock, Tatum and Mr Willis (WTF bro, Die hard 5 was bad enough, get it sorted) they have ruined the brand… First Rapha and now GI Joe? Dismay.

So, I hate buses… This should be fairly well publicised I suspect, but to call it out, I really can’t stand them. I dig on trains, as trains have personality, but buses are a filthy vehicle. I am pretty sure that since I could first talk I have been hating on buses… And I am glad to say I have not lost the knack for it at all. So, its a pretty big call for me to call a bus cool, here is the offending unit in question:

Not a finish line gantry in sight...

Not a finish line gantry in sight…

Sure, its not as cool as the Orica GE bus, but this one got the thumbs up for two reasons, 1) It had free high quality Wifi for the whole trip and I’m an epic wifi fiend and 2) It takes one directly to Whistler (lets ignore the fucking 1 hour traffic jam through Vancouver due to an accident). It also dishes out views like this along the way:

I feel an Anthill video coming on

I feel an Anthill video coming on

Right, thats enough of me ranting on about travel logistics, I don’t want to lose all my plentiful followers in the first week after all. Thanks the 3 of you for checking in. Speaking of checking in, gear check for tomorrow? Its all about the armour:

Getting dressed takes a while...

Getting dressed takes a while…

Day one will be all about RESPECTING the mountain and taking it easy… Fingers crossed that the post Trans Provence form holds up, the bike works as I have plotted and I can adapt back to flat pedals!

4 Responses

  1. Rowlo

    Great start to the adventure James. Lok forward to hearing about you making some new friends

    Reply
  2. Diana

    You are so funny! I remember your first time on a suburban train, you were 4 and asked me what drink I would order when the girl came through! You weren’t born to travel on anything less than a vehicle with full service!

    Reply

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