HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting out of bed
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Not getting to the Olympic Stadium-oh well I will just have to come back
WORD OF THE DAY: SHOPPING
I woke at 9am and I was feeling a little hung over. Not sick hung-over, just like some-one had run me over hung over. I felt so bad for Nancy who had to be at work at 8am (but she didn’t drink) and Catherine didn’t have to be at work till 1pm. My last BIG night was in Paraty in February (but that was just messy) and I had a night out in Addis with Zeme and Minalu. So it has been a long time between drinks, literally. I told the gals I would text them when I woke to rub it in that I was still in bed, which I did to which I got some laughy replies. I smile about the night as it really was a great one and it was so good to get out and socialize again. This is what I miss about home, so this is another reason that I am looking forward to getting home and going some stuff like this.
Because I could, I didn’t start to move till 11am. I really had no plans today. If I had the energy I would have made the effort to go to the Olympic Stadium to go up the life to the top of the stadium, but I wasn’t in that frame of mind. So I decided to hot Catherine’s Street for the last time for lunch and I had seen a dress shop last night in our parking search that was for 14+ clothes. I really don’t have room in my backpack for anymore clothes, but I wanted to go a long just for a look and see what they had. I also needed to get some more mascara and eyeliner as the ones in my makeup case are now a little dried up and crusty and when I think about it, they are the same ones that I bought from home. I know that sounds bad, that they could last for 13 months, but after my first 3 months in Europe I can count on one hand the amount of times that they came back out of the case. I also needed to get some Montreal souvenirs so I still had a ‘busy; afternoon as such.
I walked the 4 blocks to the clothing shop and when I entered the store it was like entering Nirvana!!! It was a 2 story store with clothing in my size from one end to the other! I was in HEAVEN. They had a lot of nice stuff and some granny crappy stuff as well, but I tried on clothes 3 different times and after spending 1.5 hours in there I left with 2 dresses, a top and 5 new pairs of underwear. I probably could have bought more and I would have if I was flying out tomorrow from Montreal, as I would have bought a second bag to check in, but as it was I was catching the train first to Ottawa and I was struggling as it was with the bags that I currently had, let alone adding another bag to the fray and bumbling my way from the hotel to the train to the cab to the airport. I’ll buy a bag in Chicago; I know I will need to as I am near bursting point as it is. What I don’t get is that there were slim people in MY shop. What are doing in there I have no idea. There was no way that they were a size 14, go and shop at your own shops skinny people. I officially welcome back my inner ‘flashpacker’; it has been a long time.
I was starting to feel half human again at this point, nothing like a little shopping for a perk up and ready for some lunch. I stopped into a microbrewery and ordered a triple pork meal with salad (pork sausage, shank and ham), yes I told you I was feeling better but I just couldn’t stomach to look at the alcoholic section of the menu, I was still a little raw on that front, okay so I was feeling 87% better. But it was nice to people watch the foot traffic on St Catherine’s street, with my coke in my hand, some food in my belly and some shopping sitting at my feet. On my way back to the hotel I also got my mascara, eyeliner, souvenirs and some dinner for tonight and then it was time to head back and tackle my packing. I was also complemented on my Ethiopian bangles by a complete stranger on my way back. She initially said something to me in French pointing to my wrist, so O though she was asking for the time, so when I told her it was 4.30pm she replied back in English that she like my bangles that I had on. I love my Ethiopian bangles and they have not come off since Zeme bent them on my wrist in October last year.
I knew this was going to be a mammoth task and that it would be way up there with my pack that I did in Athens last year. That was just incredible that I even got to zip my bag up at all there and knew I would be on the same mission here. Well I was right. Looking at all my stuff spread out on the spare bed, you really wonder how I get it all to fit in. Most things have a home and they get packed in the same spot each time but with so many new purchases over the last week I have had to rethink where everything fits in. It took me nearly 2 hours, but when I finished I was left with my big backpack, my red backpack (half full), my rolly bag and my handbag. My main concern was my handbag, as with American Eagle you are only permitted 2 pieces of hand luggage, so I had to make sure that my handbag would fit into my red backpack once I got to the airport. But otherwise I was train packed and also airline approved for my flight tomorrow. I did have to get rid of 2 original shirts (bought from home 13 months ago). One had just too many holes in it to be socially passable and the other one I hadn’t worn since October last year. It was time to let them go. I also went through my ‘drug kit’ and got rid of all the medicines, rubs, panadols, malaria tablets, itching creams etc….. that I had also bought from home and not used since being on the road. I figure I will be in the USA for my last 4 weeks and if I need anything it will now be readily available if required (touchwood).
I was feeling okay with where I was with my blog. I was only 3 days behind, but the last 2 days were massive and contained a lot of information and it takes all my will power to pump out these biggest blogs. I was up to writing about the Cirque do Soleil show and even 3 days later it still amazed me what we saw and the actual show itself. It really was an amazing experience. It also hit me that this is my last night in Canada and I am now heading onto the last country of my whole Odyssey tomorrow. My 52nd country and my last 4 weeks, my last 28 days of what will be a 453 day journey by the time I get home. I just know being with friends and being ‘western’ for the remaining time that it will go by so fast and I am really excited about that and getting one and two steps closer to my future and what it holds with Zeme arriving into Brisbane in 61 days makes me smile and still brings butterflies to my tummy.
So this is so-long to Canada. A shout out and thank-you to all the people who took time out from jobs and opened their homes to me while I was here. You guys rock and I hope to see you all again in the near future. Ethiopia maybe? You just never know what this world has in store for us and I am a perfect example of that……
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