5th August 2011 - Manchester Airport to vancouver

I was picked up bright and early by Steve who kindly drove me to the airport.
Checked in without a problem, went to the departure gate when called; so far so good. Problem! Flight delayed due to technical problems. Will be given more information at 12:30, an hour and forty minutes after we should have left.
I'm so excited about the trip I just want to be there. I'm finding it hard to smile right now. I'm sure I'll get there eventually. I need to find somewhere to charge my phone now, then I think I'll go and find someone to talk to.
Phone charged! Now I have to return to the departure lounge.
The plane eventually left at 14:35 which means I'll be late getting to Vancouver, eta 15:30 local time.
The flight was very boring, the man I was sitting next to clearly didn't want to chat and my TV screen was slightly faulty so that wasn't much fun either.

Everything went smoothly on arrival at Vancouver and Brian was there waiting for me. We went straight to the rental shop to collect the bike. The journey there on the back of Brian's bike was brilliant, the city looked great!
The bike was ready to go apart from a power socket to charge my phone and camera. I had brought the wires with me so the guy at the shop kindly connected it to the battery for me.

I followed Brian to the hotel (Holiday Inn Express) that his girlfriend Michelle had booked for us. The hotel was good, it even had a pool although we didn't get a chance to use it. The only problem was our room only had a double bed!
We went out to eat at a Sushi Bar, very nice it was too! On the way back to the hotel Brian was transformed from hardened adventurer to clean shaven and haircut at the local barbers.
I didn't sleep much unfortunately, too excited about the journey ahead.

All packed and ready to go!

Well almost, I didn't put my washing on until this afternoon and my jeans are still wet. If only I had a tumble drier.

Time for bed now. My good friend Steve is picking me up at 6am in the morning to give me a lift to Manchester Airport.
My luggage weighs 19kg, 1kg under my limit. Which is not bad for all my camping gear, bike gear and clothes.

Next stop Canada!

1 day to go and I've don't have any money!

Bloody Post Office!
I bought two travel money cards and for some bizarre reason I am unable to register them online, which means I don't have any money to take.
I phoned the Post Office customer services and the reply I got was that someone would phone me next week. Not good cause I leave tomorrow!
Lesson learnt: Plan ahead.
Anyway, I'll get cash instead. Hope I don't lose it or get robbed!

2 days to go!

I'm writing this on my phone whilst I should be working, the wonders of modern technology!

2 days to go and I'm off to Vancouver to start a journey of approximately 5300 miles to Prudhoe Bay and back on a KLR 650.

I'll be meeting my friend Brian who's been travelling around the States and Canada since early May on his XT 660 Tenere.

After last years trip on the Pan American Highway was detoured to New York, there is still a lot of road to be covered before I can say that I've ridden a motorcycle the length of the Americas. This year Vancouver to Prudhoe, next year New York to Vancouver.