lisa morgan

I'm currently in my third full day in Ottawa - I barely remember the first two!

My travels began at 3am Tuesday morning NZ time, and ended 32 hours later after 23 hours in the air, $200 excess baggage, an hour of lugging said baggage around Vancouver airport on wild goose chases, 6 movies and a stand up comedy act, two breakfasts, one dinner, one lunch and a bag full of snacks from home, one screaming child for 3 1/2 hours, 2 of 4 flights in the emergency row (not bad) and 0 hours sleep!

I was greeted at the aiport by Tifenn and I only hope that someday I can repay the favour - the thought of organising myself and a rental car at that point was unfathomable.

She dropped me at my home for four months and stuck around while I was shown around and introduced - and was shocked when out of one of the rooms walked someone she knows!  Tiny little world...

After 10 hours sleep that night I'd hoped I'd be pretty much good to go without suffering too much jet lag.  That day I got unpacked, got the bikes built up, went for a short ride (nice area) and not a heck of a lot else.  That night I was up for nearly four hours - which makes no sense as it wasn't time to wake up anywhere I've been lately unless I clocked in to Sydney time whilst queuing at the transfers desk (it's possible, I was there for quite some time).

After rising at lunchtime (!!!) I had to race around to go and look at a couple of cars.  Unfortunately both turned out to be duds so the hunt continues.  I incorporated my ride in to one of the viewings as it was 38km away - I was lucky enough for them to offer me a ride 20km back after realising they hadn't communicated very well about the condition of it.

After another poor night's sleep I've been running around all day again today getting a rental car sorted for the weekend up in Baie St Paul (first Canada Cup race), picking up my helmetcam from the Fedex depot by the airport, making my first trip to Costco for this trip to Canada (awesome) and getting a couple of things checked on the bike (one bead popped off in transit and the pistons needed a nudge).  The cheery chaps at Tall Tree Cycles were only too happy to help so I'm sure I'll be seeing them again in my time here!

So far I've seen 3 Hummers (more than last time I was in California!), been asked if I'm Australian twice (perhaps I spent longer at that transfers desk than I thought!), have been asked if I like Flight of the Conchords, have noticed petrol is 40c cheaper than last time I was here (woo hoo!) and have seen one beaver and 362 squirrels.  No moose or bears yet...

So, the weekend will be a whirlwind trip but I've heard good things about the trails up that way and it'll be good to get the racing kicked off and remind the body and mind why we're here!