Happy Australia Day!
Most of this morning was spent sitting in a travel agents trying to sort out where next before we head home. After three hours we left literally empty handed with nothing booked. Out dream of island hopping through the Caribbean appears dashed. We need a multiple entry visa and of course our ever helpful consulate in Canada was closed and would be closed on Monday as they get the public holiday off for Australia Day. Bugger. Not all is lost though. The great thing about today though is that it snowed. 
Whilst Perth braved 38 degrees and hung round the warm weather and BBQ we rugged up and wandered out in the snow. An Australia Day not to forget. We got some photo’s including this one of Dan with the Australian Flag outside the Gotham Steak House where two people were shot dead (murdered last week) whilst Keanu Reeves dined inside apparently. This place is a block from where we are staying. Never a dull moment in Vancouver! 
Now Australia Day in Vancouver was always going to be a big one for a number of reasons. Firstly because well, there are a lot of Australians living here and secondly because in addition to Australia Day we were also celebrating Hornado’s (surprise) birthday. To start the festivities we all met up at the Moose Down Under Pub. So it seemed did every other Aussie in town. Flags, T’shirts, tattoo’s (it’s too cold to wear a singlet and thongs here) and Aussie pride were up there. 
The pub was decorated with the Aussie theme. We enjoyed Muriel’s wedding on the big screen and lots of good Aussie music too! Coopers was on tap and menu consisted of meat pies, sausage rolls, vegemite toast and all the things we had been missing at home. There was even the good old Aussie meat raffle doing the rounds.
We settled in for a few hours and then made some lame excuse about going out for dinner when we had to go home, grab our gear for the themed “wigs and plaid” party for Hornado and beat him back to his girlfriends house where the party was. At the house, everyone drifted in. Some in plaid, some in (dreadful) wigs. 
Australia Day/Hornado birthday was the theme and they had managed to find Aussie Flags, Tim Tams, Freddo Frogs, Violet Crumbles and Cherry Ripes. Someone had even made a pavlova. The large Australian contingency were drooling. 
Shortly after we all hide upstairs and yelled “surprise” when Hornado arrived. 
The next few hours consisted of lots of dancing, drinking (not Tan- on a no drinking binge again) and fun. The wigs and plaid were a hit all round (oh and the Canada flag got a workout too).
Horn received his Australia Birthday Cake – made with love. 
At 11.00pm we headed off to the Coppertank (home of the last massive Vancouver Blowout). We met other Western Australians (living in Baldivis!!) and had a ball. There was a great band on and after wishing Hornado a happy birthday he took the microphone and proceeded to make our eats bleed with some terrible beatboxing. The pub finally closed and he headed next door to another pub briefly. With Dan a little worse for wear (me still cold stone sober) we called it a night,
Happy Birthday Hornado. It was a great one! 
Most of this morning was spent sitting in a travel agents trying to sort out where next before we head home. After three hours we left literally empty handed with nothing booked. Out dream of island hopping through the Caribbean appears dashed. We need a multiple entry visa and of course our ever helpful consulate in Canada was closed and would be closed on Monday as they get the public holiday off for Australia Day. Bugger. Not all is lost though. The great thing about today though is that it snowed. Whilst Perth braved 38 degrees and hung round the warm weather and BBQ we rugged up and wandered out in the snow. An Australia Day not to forget. We got some photo’s including this one of Dan with the Australian Flag outside the Gotham Steak House where two people were shot dead (murdered last week) whilst Keanu Reeves dined inside apparently. This place is a block from where we are staying. Never a dull moment in Vancouver! Now Australia Day in Vancouver was always going to be a big one for a number of reasons. Firstly because well, there are a lot of Australians living here and secondly because in addition to Australia Day we were also celebrating Hornado’s (surprise) birthday. To start the festivities we all met up at the Moose Down Under Pub. So it seemed did every other Aussie in town. Flags, T’shirts, tattoo’s (it’s too cold to wear a singlet and thongs here) and Aussie pride were up there. The pub was decorated with the Aussie theme. We enjoyed Muriel’s wedding on the big screen and lots of good Aussie music too! Coopers was on tap and menu consisted of meat pies, sausage rolls, vegemite toast and all the things we had been missing at home. There was even the good old Aussie meat raffle doing the rounds.We settled in for a few hours and then made some lame excuse about going out for dinner when we had to go home, grab our gear for the themed “wigs and plaid” party for Hornado and beat him back to his girlfriends house where the party was. At the house, everyone drifted in. Some in plaid, some in (dreadful) wigs. Australia Day/Hornado birthday was the theme and they had managed to find Aussie Flags, Tim Tams, Freddo Frogs, Violet Crumbles and Cherry Ripes. Someone had even made a pavlova. The large Australian contingency were drooling. Shortly after we all hide upstairs and yelled “surprise” when Hornado arrived. The next few hours consisted of lots of dancing, drinking (not Tan- on a no drinking binge again) and fun. The wigs and plaid were a hit all round (oh and the Canada flag got a workout too).Horn received his Australia Birthday Cake – made with love. At 11.00pm we headed off to the Coppertank (home of the last massive Vancouver Blowout). We met other Western Australians (living in Baldivis!!) and had a ball. There was a great band on and after wishing Hornado a happy birthday he took the microphone and proceeded to make our eats bleed with some terrible beatboxing. The pub finally closed and he headed next door to another pub briefly. With Dan a little worse for wear (me still cold stone sober) we called it a night,Happy Birthday Hornado. It was a great one! 
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