Last day to get ready, last day to prepare, and probably the last chance to get really good vegetables before hitting the road. I’ve trasferred my stuff to the EuroVan, garaged the Westie, and eaten a yummie lunch.

Vancouver is a very lively city, beautiful in the summer sun. The temperature is a reasonable 70 degrees, and Vancouverites have stripped down to skimpy bathing suits in city parks, gathering as much sun as possible in this often-rainy city.

Today I’m seeing everything with rose-tinted glasses. I’m not sure why. Maybe its having been emotionally flushed clean by a few days alone in my bus. Perhaps it’s the euphoria that comes from the start of something really important in my life. And maybe its that Vancouver is a really pretty city.

The people are beautiful, the temperature is perfect. Tobin lives in the West End of Vancouver, which is also the gay district. (Pink triangles, rainbow flags, self-sufficient women and overly stylish men are everywhere.)

Big John and Little John came over, and the three of us took the cutest little ferry over to Granville island. The ferry is about the size of a bathtub, and the journey to Granville island is about 250 feet across a channel. Along with art galleries and street artists, Granville island contains the Public Market.

The Public Market is the Vancouver equivalent of Pike Place Market in Seattle… i.e., Very Dangerous. Lots of great looking produce, fresh pasta, olives, cheeses (unfortunately no stinky french cheeses), and seafoods. John and I stocked up on oranges and lemons for the trip, so that we wouldn’t get scurvy.

Everyone showed up for the party, including folks why weren’t going on the trip, like Harry Yates. Eddie finally got here after his repeated tries to run the border (see his dispatch for the whole story.)

Christa’s brother (Peter Ovenell) and Peter Viney, the rep from Volkswagen, both came down with me to check out the EuroVan. Peter Viney was checking out the sign I made for the camper, when Peter Ovenell said, “Ron, what’s this ‘homo’, eh? Is it your sexual orientation?” (Stev0 gave me a darwin-fish that says ‘homo’ inside.) I was worried that Peter Viney would freak, but he didn’t say anything. He was worried a little about my ‘Free Tibet’ bumper sticker, but I think he was half-joking. (He told me that VW has two factories in China.)

Christa’s sending us all off to bed now. Tomorrow we hit the road. And we’ll soon be sending EMAIL from the ARCTIC!!! (Insert reverb here.)

Ron