Vehicle Insurance

Finalised the vehicle insurance this morning.  Fortunately most of it had been done previously by emails so just had to produce the necessary documentation and pay the bill.  We have organised to pick up George tomorrow afternoon then we will head to a camping ground to repack and do some shopping.  We may notice the "difference" in the accommodation after spending the last week in hotels but it will be good to be out in the country and enjoying the scenery.  Have to get used to driving on the other side of the road again so that will keep us on our toes. 

We have spent a couple of days at the Lonsdale Quay Hotel which is in North Vancouver on the river's edge where the ferry pulls in.  A great spot to rest up for a couple of days.  Hopefully our body clocks will adjust to the different time zone quickly and we won't be waking up at 2.00am again. The weather has been perfect but rain is forecast in the next couple of days. 

Have to practice using the new video camera so that we can get some good shots during the trip -  busy times ahead for the navigator and camera person.  Doesn't look as though there will be time to "nod" off in the passenger seat!!

Vancouver at last!!!

After another long flight we have finally made it to Vancouver.  We caught the Skytrain from the airport then the ferry to our hotel which is right on the river where the ferry pulls in.  We are lucky as we have river views from our room. Underneath the hotel and level with the water there are lots of interesting market stalls of food, clothing, jewellery etc.  It will be good to have a wander around once we have finalised the vehicle insurance tomorrow.

The weather is being kind to us and it is a  beautiful sunny day.

We will soon be reunited with George and then the fun will begin.  Some of the convoys have already started their journey from various parts of the US to be in Dawson Creek for the start of the AC'12 trek.

Now for some much needed rest.

Canton China stopover

We had an interesting time during our night stopover in Canton China.  The airport was about an hours drive from our hotel so it was a bit of a sightseeing experience on the way.  We were quite surprised how nice and green everything was.   All along the highway there were trees, shrubs and well kept gardens which helped to camouflage the concrete structures to a certain degree.

We had a list of things that we hoped to buy at "bargain" prices so most of our time was spent in the "electronics" district.  What an eye opener that was!  Shopping centres and malls full of the latest and greatest gadgets and the buyers are the young generation with lots of money to spend.  We did have a 'few' problems being understood but eventually managed to get what we wanted.  Jim even took to drawing pictures which caused a bit of a giggle.  They say if you want to be understood ask a "teenager" as English is being taught in the schools, but it is still hard going. 

As our hotel was located in the business district and upmarket residential area we were some distance away from the shopping areas.  We caught taxis everywhere and they were really cheap ranging between $2-3.

AC'12 Trucks in the Convoy

This is a sample of some of the vehicles in the convoy

Final Route Map and Schedule

This is the final route map and schedule which will make it easier for you to follow us on the trek

George's welcome to Vancouver

George has now arrived in Vancouver and is finally on Canadian soil patiently awaiting our arrival.  We had arranged for him to be shipped early in case there were any delays with shipping but all went smoothly and he arrived on the due date. There were a few hassles getting Customs clearance because Jim was not able to be there in person but with the assistance of Joy and Louis Anthony in Vancouver he was cleared through Customs.  This also saved us from paying expensive demurrage and storage costs which would have dented the budget.  George was then transported to Maj Ian Newby's property where Ian and his staff unloaded him from the container, removed the shipping wheels and fitted the road wheels.  George is now ready to roll.  We are very grateful to Joy, Louis, Ian and staff for all their help and look forward to thanking them in person.

We fly out on Friday and have a 3 night stopover in Canton China on the way to Vancouver.  We are now getting very excited, and apprehensive, and look forward to meeting our fellow trekkers and their "treasures".  Some of the trekkers are travelling many kilometres just to get to the starting point at Dawson Creek Canada BC.  There is also a GMC truck and trailer being shipped from Belgium and that is due to arrive today.

The attached photo of George is showing his welcome to Vancouver by Joy and Louis

Promoting the AC'12 Trek

The following poster is being circulated by the organisers and participants to promote the AC'12 convoy