Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Columbia River Gorge, Oregon, USA - 28 October 2007

Straddling the states of Oregon and Washington, Columbia River Gorge is a natural beauty and a popular recreational destination in the Pacific Northwest. My good friend, Kumi, and her husband so kindly took me there to sight-see; while there, we visited the Latourell, Wahkeena, and Multnomah Falls. Thank you so much for your hospitality, Kumi!


Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada - 23 October 2007

While in Seattle, Washington, I decided to take a day trip into Vancouver, Canada, but instead of driving like I normally would, I rode a Greyhound bus. The round-trip bus ticket for Seattle-Vancouver cost $48.50, and the 4-5 hour journey each way was dull and slow but smooth-going. Entry into Canada, however, was a different story. I, unfortunately, met a rude, arrogant, and power-hungry Canadian Customs guy who profiled me because I was traveling solo on Greyhound. Generally speaking, I don't respond well to a bad attitude so I reacted to his overture. Finding nothing on me, however, he begrudgingly let me through. I have to say that he left me with a bad taste for Canada in general and suffice to say, I won't be contributing to Canada's BOP (Balance of Payments) for a while.