With Victor Thomas Caleb and I trying to get the attention of a large Koi in the university reflection pondin Vancouver

Caleb and I trying to get the attention of a large Koi in the university reflecing pond

Part of the historic Gastown District in Vnacouver. All they need now is to develop the Waterfront of this district.

The steam powered Gastown Clock.

Plaque on the Gastown Steam powered Clock. It works too!

Victor and my selfie at the Clock.

One of the retro buildings in the centre of downtown with very interesting steel 'earthquake' and concrete structures as a part of the construction. The steel plates have interesting patterns which are like Victorian 'broekielace', but a modern version.

A First Nation Pan Flautist playing seriously beautiful and haunting music at the Waterfront Market.

Just another view and a few more hairs gone due to Canadian driving!

Farmers Market with some truly magnificent organic vegetables and for once, real Shoulder Bacon and thickly cut. Yummy! I had a wonderful scrambles egg and bacon wrap.

Just another view of the market. A lot of amazing food stalls with delicious options, not Fast Food!

Another selfie with the Canadian flag in the background for Victor. Part of downtown behind us.

The famous old bridge behind me. A smaller version of a cross between the Sydney Bridge and Ponte Vecchio with very Italinate architectural details. Now you can see my SACS OB jersey and Blue shirt!

The steel bridge again with the requisite flag of Canada, the famous Maple Leaf. For me, Maple leaves signifies Maple Syrup on my breakfast!

A different view of downtown Vancouver with Seagulls and Pigeons vying for food scraps include a packet of 'slapchips' and Hot Dog and Roll that were dropped by a child. Manna for the birds

At the Cement Fcatory at the Water Front. A mechanical device That drops steel balls onto a series of variously shaped spirals and runnels that eventualy delivers it to another device that lifts them back up to follow a second course and then repeats the process. Ingenious.

My eye was caught by the canoe at the top. Tunnel Hull with a window. I would love this. R9000!

View of the inside with the glass window to see what you are catching or how close the rocks are!

We visit the University of British Columbia Museum of Anthropology. A recent copy of a First Nation sculpture. Beautiful design.

On the left, a new version of First Nation hand weaving using modern dyes. Next to it a family pole which indicates their story. Each firgure represents an episode that is personal to them. Using the term 'Totem' pole is incorrect. The lady was amazing in her telling of the history of the First Nation People who are still legislated against in some respects. There was a protest while I was there against forced educational systems. Not unlike SA in 1976! Just not violent.

These boxes which held personal items or food or became funral boxes, are made with a single piece of wood which is steamed and folded. There are no joins in the box section. The lid is seperate. Ingenious and beautifully carved.

A number of gifts from the Potchuck (sp) (pot luck) where gifts are made and food is prepared for the time of the choosing of the new chief. The food is whatever is available in the pot as are the gifts. This was banned by the British authorities from 1921 to 1953 as it did not fit in with the so-called 'assimilation' policy to force First Nation people to 'become like' the British! Yeah right! They still suffer from this today through 'forced' education!
So much for allowing people their cultural rights.

A fairly large canoe made by cutting and carving, then filling it with water heated by putting steaming hot rocks inside and stretching the wood as it softens to get a wider bowl and smoother hull. again, very ingenious.

A part of the over 4000 items from Canada First People as well as Africa, the Middle East and a number of South East Asian and Far Eastern cultural items. The African-Cuban exhibition was especially interesting.

A modern sculpting of a typical Haita people sculpture by Brian Reid, a Fisrt Nation Haita person. He has revived thei traditional way of sculpting with each sculpture having a cultural message, The wood is Cedar and is laminated to get the size.

A part of the African-Cuban exhibit. Very recognizable by the Cuban Artists use of Invictus in creating this story on canvas.

One more Victor and Geoff selfie with downtown in the background. I had a wonderful stay with Victor and Candice and he and I had a magic morning together in town and Stanley Park as well as the afternoon visit to the Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Colimbia.
Thank you Victor for being such an amazing, selfless and generous host. You have become a great example of a kind, generous and compassionate SACS man. I commend you for all you are doing for the troubled youth and the forgotten and neglected men and women of Vancouver as well as for the students that you love so much. 

Leslie Sank, Vancouver, the Tex's and Warren.

Thanks to Leslie Sank, I was able to spend an entire day with Dennis seeing his and other guys classic cars of the West Coast Hot Rods of Canada. This is a superb Model A Ford. It runs and is awesome.

1955 Ford Thunderbird. Fully restored and running. Just beautiful.

1937 Ford 5 Window Coup. Lovingly restored from a pile of parts off a farm. Strret Rod of note. Love the colour combo.

Hand built from scratch. No existing parts. 1932 Ford Duece Coup Replica

Rear view of this amazing project. The engine is a Buick V8 and runs beautifully. Full throated V8 burble.

Perfect '38 4 Door Sedan.

One of 3 in existance. This is the first Schlitz made. Runs perfectly.

Beautiful Ford 2 Door Sedan with new running gear. Used in the summer as a daily commuter when there is no rain. Perfect colour. Starts up first turn of the key. Newly upholstered comfortable seats (not original either). All these cars are in Langley South of Vancouver. The day out to see them was organized by Leslie Sank who I have known since the early 1970's and was one of his teachers at Rondebosch Boys High in 1976/7. He has a 4 Doctor practice in Langley and one of them is David Chapman (SACS 1982) who I had for Rowing as a cox thanks to Dave Swingler (1979). Leslie is an amazing person and he has fingers in many pies of the community as well as doing woodworking and unusual jewelry design using silver cutlery and other odds and ends. Hugely inventive. He gave me much sage advice about my 'retirement' and this crazy trip I am doing.

With Simon and Jundre Texiera and they took me to Cedar Mountain where the Olympics were partially held in 2008. Snow and some skiing still in May!

Some of the ski slopes at Cedar still open.

The view from Graham and Jundre Texiera's home in West Vancouver. Stunning.

View of Vancouver from the road above the city near the Tex's home. Bit misty 'as usual' for Vancouver if not rain!

One of the little waterfront villages in the Vabcouver area near the Tex's home.

View up one of the Fjords of Vancouver. It seems to go on forever.

The two Thomas children. Victor and Candice's two babies. They are about to move into a bigger and better apartment near the university. very nice area. New and growing.

Community garden near Victor and Candice's home just below the university. Beautiful black soil. My fingers were itching to dig and plant.

Ethan, Candice and Victor near their allotment. They are about to start the garden and I gave them a Black Cherry Tomato plant to start their 2014 garden.

Another view of the community gardens. Many Chinese and Korean ladies garden here for their restaurants.

Trees planted along the university lecture rooms and laboratories for shade and clean air..

Victor and I in the shade of a blossoming Cherry tree.

Victor and I in front and in the sun with the blossoming Cherry tree. So very good to be with him again and with Candice and to finally meet the children. Victor is doing amazing work both at the universoty in the Multi-faith Centre as well as community projects including nurturing the children of drug addict parents who don't care for their children. He also goes down into the city where there are a multitude of drug addict people within a few blocks of the centre of Downtown. I was totally gobsmacked to see drug dealing and taking and prostitution conducted openly on the streets. So incredibly sad in such a wealthy city.

On the raod to Creston. The first mountain range.

Not turning here, just heading for those mountians and the pass ahead!

Up into the snow again and the altutde gets higher and the car sucks air!

Nearing the high point of the passes. Luckily no rain! Poor Camry was 'sukkeling' at this point, but pulled through.

Destiny Bay on the road to Warren Clarke's home on 12006 Highway 3A! My GPS never let me forget what road I was on!

Warren's studio in his vast basement. His good lady's glass studio is also down here. It is really beautifully done by Warren. He and I were at UCT together doing Graphic Design at Michaelis School of Art. We have not seen each other for about 40 years. It was just so incredibly great to be together again.

One of Warren's amazing corrugated cardboard sculptures. It is 3D and just beautiful. He has a number in the studio and is thinking of an exhibition one day. Go Warren. They are just beautiful. They have Warren's signature cartoon character look about them. I love them. He also carves wooden salad spoons and he gave me one which I will treasure.

So, who knows what this is? Specific details please.

Another view in case you cannot work it out!

Warren's Koi pond. They built it themselves. The fish have produced a multitude of young this early in the Spring.

The Clarke home. They have done an amazing amount of work on it. The veg garden also has Hops for Warren's Beer making. And, I might add, it tastes very good. Rich and strong. Now that we have reconnected, I am going to miss him so very much. But, the journey continues.