Kamloops, Canada

The highs and lows that are the end.

Kamloops hosted our last night on tour. I can't say we had reason to stay here in particular, but it did do a pretty good job as the halfway house on our long road back to Vancouver. After all of our toe-teetering in the glacier fed lakes of the national parks, we finally managed to find a swimmable lake just before we hit Kamloops. It was warm and sunny and packed full of locals - the perfect spot for a lunch break and a well needed swim (shower)! As our journey continued west, the smoke thickened and temperatures rose, and we listened intensely to the radio warnings for fire dangers and road closures. From what I could smell we must have been getting pretty darn close! The scenery too, hosted strong evidence of recent fires that once threatened the town and now instilled an eerie feeling.

We treated ourselves to a (low) quality motel which, despite the reputations motels have for their beds, was an amazingly comfortable sleep. A good deal better than the three dollar lilo, I can tell you that! Kamloops also provided a fantastic and unhealthy last supper which included a take on Canada's famous poutine - chips, gravy and cheese curds with a side of cardiac arrest. The real last supper was actually a breakfast: an incredible portion of eggs benny served by the most smiley and energetic Tuesday morning waitress I have ever met.

On a full stomach we hit the road and spent almost all of our last day on holiday in the car. Almost as if it knew we were finished, the traffic greeted us heavily and caused work-like stress to enter our carefree lives as our flight time loomed closer and closer. Our seven hour timed-run to the finish line cut it pretty close, but ultimately culminated in a classic hurry up and wait. What else would we expect? New Zealand via Air New Zealand...We're coming home!Read more