Whistler downtown and drive to Vancouver

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Monday 28th September)

Before visiting Whistler, I had seen photos of the place, it looked absolutely amazing in all weather conditions throughout the year, I was very excited about visiting.  Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada.  It is only about 125 km north of Vancouver, the next place on my road trip.  I was surprised to discover that it has a stable population of around 10,000, not sure how true this is but can’t see it being much more to be honest.

Over two million people visit Whistler annually, primarily for alpine skiing and snowboarding and, in summer, mountain biking at Whistler Blackcomb. Its pedestrian village has won numerous design awards and Whistler has been voted among the top destinations in North America by major ski magazines since the mid-1990s. During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Whistler hosted most of the alpine, Nordic, luge, skeleton, and bobsled events.

Downtown Whistler I found very beautiful, the scenery was spectacular, I really liked the architecture, the changing trees were fantastic to see at this time of the year and it was incredibly clean, and on top of that, my good fortune…truly incredible weather continued which made the whole experience even more memorable.  Oh, and some of the houses were so stupendous, instead of taking photos, I just brought home a Real Estate magazine, prices ranged from $1 million to over $20 million!!!

I found out that Whistler does not have a garbage collection service as they have such a high concentration of bears, so the residents have to take their own garbage to a central location!

The drive down to Vancouver was fantastic, incredibly scenic and at time, literally took my breath away!  I drove on Highway 99, the drive was so fantastic and was complemented with its really cool name: The Sea to Sky Highway!  There was so much more beauty along the drive but there were not many opportunities to capture them because of the windy mountain roads.  (The second photo is of my hostel accommodation which was by far the best hostel accommodation I have ever stayed in).

http://www.whistler.com/

        

  
  


  
  


  
  


  
  
  
  
  

Zip Lining in Whistler BC…’Eagle Tour’ topped off with ‘The Sasquatch ‘

On By mubeenazamIn Epic Solo Road Trip, September 2015, Uncategorized, Zip Lining WhistlerLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Monday 28th September)

I have done a few crazy things in my life, things that have challenged me (for the better), scared the living day lights out of me, things I have regretted doing, and naturally made mistakes along the way. When I was younger, I used to love going to theme parks, going on roller coasters was my thrill, I used to also go on other ridiculously crazy rides, for example where you drop from a massive height and drop through a black hole, as you sit there, not knowing why you came here in the first place, why you are doing it now and where you are going to next!

As I have gotten a little older (not too much though I should stress!) I don’t get the same buzz from these things anymore, and although I am not too comfortable anymore with heights, I have been looking for something else, something that will bring back that original buzz I used to get when I was younger, the difference being now, is that I am more aware and more conscious of my actions, but I am looking for more adrenaline rushes to energise and revitalise me…something that I can do, look back and say to myself, yes I did it and I have no regrets…I think I have found it?

I was told that if I visit Whistler, I should go Zip Lining, apparently, it was quite famous for it, I looked into it and I thought I would give it a go seen as though I was here.  What I did, made my adrenaline and heart pump so hard it hurt my chest, that was just after my first zip line of what is known as the ‘Eagle Tour’…it was honestly amazing, I still remember standing there as they attached the harness and looking at the mountain in the distance which I was supposed to be heading towards, and thinking ‘I don’t think I can do this, I don’t think I want to do this…it is very high’.  I did do it and I just wanted  more and more, there were four more Zip Lines left of this Eagle Tour, but then…

Then, I did what is called ‘The Sasquatch’, well, let’s just put it this way, the ache from the adrenaline I got from this, reverberated around my body…it was a totally awesome ‘natural’ high!  From what I know, it is one of the top 10 Zip Lines in the world…”I did the Sasquatch, will you?”.

Just a note for anyone who may do this.  If you have a Go Pro, definitely take it, I don’t have one but I rented one for the day.  I wore mine on my wrist as I wanted more freedom to film different angles to give a more real experience as opposed to having it on the helmet.  If you do The Sasquatch in particular, just be conscious of the fact (as you will see), that your wrist may hit against the handle, especially as you reach high speed going through the trees.

http://www.ziptrek.com/

http://www.ziptrek.com/en/whistler-canada/tours/ziptrek-sasquatch

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The Eagle Tour Facts: 5 zip lines and 4 tree top bridges.  Height range from 675ft – 2,400ft with the longest descending 30 stories!  The whole tour is linked by zip lines, suspension bridges, tree top lookouts and trails…

The Sasquatch Facts:

Over 2km long (7,000ft) continuous zip line!

Longest zip line in Canada and the US!

Over 600 ft above ground at certain points during the zip!

It opened in July 2015, the fastest speed when I went had been over 145kmh, I managed to reach over 125kmh…and I went upside down!  Totally mind blowing, an experience I will never forget, and I have ‘almost’ destroyed my fear of heights…Sky dive next?


Edward Gardens, Toronto

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, Uncategorized1 Comment

A refreshing walk, a beautiful day, the girls absolutely loved this place as they were able to explore comfortably at their own leisure, the fallen and the falling leaves were a true joy, the smell in the air of the changing of the weather, the crisp and fresh air was totally rejuvenating…

Nature definitely speaks to us, we just need to be attentive and receptive to its message!

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Kensington Market, Downtown Toronto

On By mubeenazamIn November 2015, Uncategorized1 Comment

I can’t believe the weather, it’s the 5th of November and it is over 20 degrees, crazy but very, very welcome.  We decided to make the most of the bliss day we had and visit the renowned Kensington Market in the heart of Toronto.  I’m beginning to think that all this talk about it snowing in Toronto is all made up just to scare me so that I go back to the UK!

Kensington Market was very cool in my opinion, a very multicultural neighbourhood, some unique shops, so much creativity,  and we met some lovely people, a Rastafarian shop owner was my absolute favourite!  From what I know, it is also one of the most photographed markets or even places in Toronto.  We will definitely be visiting again, I really, really like this place.

Favourite parts of the day:  travelling on the tram and seeing the girls excitement, learning some of the unique names of stores, the eco friendly car, delectable ice cream, our three girls sat on three hip chairs outside Blue Banana Market, the ‘Espresso yourself’ sign in Dolce and a selfie with Nour in front of the CN Tower…a good day and the girls really loved it.  Next time, anyone for chicken and waffles at Dirty Bird?

http://www.kensington-market.ca/Default.asp?id=home&l=1



  


  


  


  


  


   

  
  


  
  


  
  
  

To paint or not to paint…I suppose it was going to happen…it should not even be a question!

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, Uncategorized1 Comment

Any mention of painting drives them crazy, by ‘them’ I mean my crazy, creative, courageous girls.  They love it, and to be honest, it’s always a lot of fun, they make it a lot of fun.

However, today, I thought I would do a little experiment and see how Sara (the 2 year old going on 16) would react to a particular situation.  What would she do if I placed my head (this beautiful brown, perfectly shaped object) in her way while she is painting?  What would she do?  How long would the reaction take?  Would she react at all?  Would she talk to me to gain some sort of consent?  I was nervous, it was tense and let me tell you, I could see her thinking about it, what was she to do, how should she deal with this object?  I could feel that she was poised to attack, just as a predator leaps on their prey!

OK, so I know this is a bit dramatic, because it actually is a little dramatic, the fact is, Sara took very little time to react, she basically looked at me, smiled at me, and then she slapped my head with both her hands and created a unique, let me repeat, a unique piece of art, and since this day, she wants to see the photos all the time. Sara keeps asking me in the most adorable way…’Baba, can I paint your head again, I like it, I really like it!’  The last photo will give the answer I always give her when she asks, it ‘will’ happen again, she will paint!
  
  

Halloween…kids will be kids!

On By mubeenazamIn October 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Just a few photos of the girls spending some time with their family and not really taking part in Halloween per se, but in their view (and their elder cousins I should add!) a fanatastic opportunity to collect a stash of sweets, candy, chocolate, the sticky chewy stuff, whatever you want to call it, that makes them go a little crazy…all free of charge, which is always welcome, sharing not an option…so grateful it only takes place once a year, but all good fun, and Sara (my Sara that is) is just totally adorable, I don’t even think she was aware what her cousin sisters stuck behind her…one for her wedding day photo I would suggest!  You need to guess the others?




  

  

  
  

Joffre Lakes (lower, middle and upper) Provincial Park

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Sunday 27th September)

As I mentioned in my previous post, before arriving in Whistler from Kamloops, I was advised to visit Joffre Lakes if time permitted and as I was told it would be worth the visit.  I was in two minds about stopping off to be honest as I was quite tired and there was this negative voice in my head saying ‘come on Mubeen, you have seen lots of lakes, it will just be like the rest’!

I ignored the negative voice and found the energy to take on an extra stop.  Although time was short, I reminded myself that although my genuine dream is to come back here one day with Nour (who I missed at every part of this trip), I had to make the most of every opportunity while it was there.  In fact, this is one thing I definitely learnt about life during this trip, if an opportunity is there, you need to grab it with both hands and live it, love it and learn from it…you don’t know what is around the corner!

There was one thing I did not realise about Joffre Lakes, one important thing, there were three lakes, all on different elevations…the photos below are all in order of the lakes that were visited, I did all three!  The sign in photo six shows the distance and time of this hike, as I was under the constraints of time, I did this in a much quicker time!

Spectacular walk, three tremndous colours in each of the three lakes, lovely scenery in the surrounding areas, growth on land and in water, paths dressed with fallen trees, mega sized rocks, waterfalls, different styles of bridges, various wildlife, tricky mud paths, huge tree trunks decorated different aspects of the trail, gorgeous inviting mountains, independent hanging glaciers…wow…again!

http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/explore/parkpgs/joffre_lks/

http://www.vancouvertrails.com/trails/joffre-lakes/


  
  
  


  
  
  
  
  


  
  

  
  


  
  

Drive from Kamloops to Whistler BC (be prepared, totally mind blowing!) – part 2

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Sunday 27th September)

Ok, so here is part 2 of this wonderful drive.  The first forest fire danger sign I saw when I arrived in Banff, and the several I saw after, the danger level was low, very reassuring let me tell you.  As you speak to people who have good local knowledge, you come to the realisation, very quickly, that forest fires are no joke, and as you may have seen on a previous post, can be truly and utterly destructive.  Anyway, on this particular drive, I saw the first sign where the danger level had moved low to moderate, a step in the wrong direction, I hope the danger level does not go any higher?

Lillooet was a very special place, beautiful mountain peaks, lovely, dramatic green coloured water and very interesting facts (see photo below).  The steep, rough and rugged mountains contrasted so beautifully with the mountains that were covered by pine and fir trees.  I love the fact that some rivers have a railway line running alongside them, makes the whole environment more dramatic.

I like the fact that some road signs instruct winter tyres between certain dates, it highlights the point that these roads can be dangerous, actually, the fact that some of these roads are closed from mid-October make it real.  The switch backs on the mountain pass were unbelievably exhilarating, on some of the bends, my heart was thumping as I was so close to the edge, and from the 12th and 13th photos below, you can get some idea of the drop!  It wasn’t the best way to conduct my thoughts while driving these mountain passes, but I could not help myself from thinking that if  I did make a small mistake, the car would plummet very, very quickly to the bottom, I thank the Lord above, with all sincerity, that all went well.

As I look back through these photos, I am reminded how lucky I was to take this trip and see such magnificence and mind blowing beauty.  The last nine photos are the photos I am most proud of, they are mega fantastic, I was so lucky to be there on that day, at that time of day, to capture such flawless and mind boggling scenery, so much so that you really cannot believe your eyes, it almost looks fake.  Its like a dream where reality is questioned with the sheer clinical imagery in front of you, I absolutely loved this place, the colours, the air, the contrast, the fallen trees that had gathered together, the sheer perfection and reflections that surrounded me.   I honestly found it very hard to leave, but time was of the essence, and I had to move on as I still had to get to Whistler and there was Joffre Lakes that I was told was worth visiting along the way…


  
  
  
  
  


  
  
  
  

Drive from Kamloops to Whistler BC (be prepared, totally mind blowing!) – part 1

On By mubeenazamIn September 2015, UncategorizedLeave a comment

(My solo road trip of western Canada – Sunday 27th September)

According to common opinion, the drive through the Canadian Rockies is one of the most amazingly scenic drives in the world, it is true, and I was still recovering from the spleandour and positive energy gained from such a fantastic drive so far during my road trip.  There are many beautiful things I saw along this drive from Kamloops to Whistler, I will show them in 2 different blogs, blew my mind, let me know if you agree?

The first photo shows my humble accommodation for the night in Kamloops where I arrived after sunset, the second photo shows  when I awoke in the morning,  the view is from outside the door that I was welcomed by, nice!  As I left Kamloops, I was greeted by two frozen lakes, at least that is what they looked like, very strange considering the surrounding landscape and the current weather, very beautiful nonetheless.

Kamloops is a city in south central British Columbia in Canada, located at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River near Kamloops Lake. It is ranked 37th on the list of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada and represents the 44th largest census agglomeration nationwide, with 85,678 residents in 2011.

The Suede Hills were one my favourite things along this particular part of the road trip, it really is as if the hills have been covered with blankets of suede, really awesome sight and gave me a taste of how I was going to be blessed with some very different landscape along the way, quite different from the majestic and splendid Canadian Rockies.

I drove past Okanagan Lake which seemed massive and just looked as if it was going to go on forever, very lovely scenery, gorgeous mountains and the railway along the lake was really cool, not to mention the green and brown fields which I had to adapt my senses too after seeing so many snowy white and grey mountains in the Rockies.

The mountain drive was truly, truly spectacular, as you can see from the photos below, at times, I was literally driving along the edge of the mountain roads, and to be honest, at times it was quite scary as it would have only taken one mistake and it could have been bad, real bad!  If you have time, look carefully at some of the mountain passes and you may see what I mean when you identify some of the awesome, windy roads.  I am totally aware of this as there were a few times when I was quite close to a mistake and my heart was literally in my mouth with a huge dose of adrenaline whizzing through my mind, body, and soul (which I think left my temporal existence a few times!).  This was not because of my lack of focus, just simply because there were certain parts of the drive that were a bit tricky and needed a lot of caution.

There was also something very, very special about the sky on this day, the beautiful blue was dazzling, at times mesmerising and hard to believe.  I was told about the vineyards, they were amazing and it was quite refreshing to see, not because I drank any wine, but because I was now driving on a much lower, safer level!  Apologies if I have said this before, for example, when I was driving through the Icefields Parkway, but this is one of the most fantastic and buzzing drives I have ever, ever experienced…and there is more to come in part 2…

http://www.kamloops.ca/index.shtml

                  

  
  
  
  
  

The weather is changing…

On By mubeenazamIn UncategorizedLeave a comment

Just a short note to say that the weather is changing in Toronto, it’s getting much colder now!  Prevention is better than cure they say, so some things just have to be covered, especially the outdoor swimming pool, and other things have to be put away.  We have had a tiny bit of snow, not very much really, but I think we are just being teased, the cold is coming, oh yes it is!  

Also below are some photos from my parents in laws apartment, they live in a penthouse apartment on the 30th floor, the views are fanatastic, and on top of that, there is a gym and swimming pool we have access to.  The trees are all changing and there are fantastic colours on display at the moment, I suppose it’s  natures way of telling us the cold is coming!  In a couple of the photos you can see downtown Toronto and just about make out the famous CN tower (in the night shot  it is difficult to make it out) and Ontario river in the background in the daytime photos, beautiful scenery to adorn the windows in your apartment!