A holiday report in Canada

I　have　ａ　friend　who　is　staying　to　study　English　in　Canada　now．Her　name　is　Michiko．Ｉ went　to　Canada to　see　her last　November　with　my　two　friends，Yuka　and　Naomi．We　flew to　Canada with Air　Canada．　

We stayed　for　6 days，2 days　of　them　in　Vancouver，another　2 days　in　Banff，and　the　other　days　in　the　plane．We stayed　in　two　kinds　of　　hotels　in　Vancouver，and　Banff．Both　hotels　were　on the　main　streets．They　were　cheap　and　classical，but　very　clean　and　nice．　

The　first　day，We　arrived　at　Vancouver　in　the　afternoon．　Then　we　walked　around　the　downtown　of　Vancouver．We　took　ａ　lot　of　photos．

At　night，Michiko　came　to　our　hotel　after　working．　She　took　us　to　　ａ　very　good　restaurant．We　had　beer　and　wine　with　many　kinds　of　fatty　foods．The　second　day，we　walked　around　the　city，and　went　shopping．　We　love　shopping　anytime　anyway．I　bought some　very　beautiful　pierced　earrings　made　of　silver　and　amber　in　ａ　jewelry　shop．Naomi　and　Yuka bought　very　nice　rings．We　often　said　“We　sometime　have to reward　ourselves　better， don’t　we？”．We　had　a　good　time．

In　the　afternoon，we　went　for　ａ　walk　to　ａ　small　island　called　Granville　Island．We　heard　that　it　was　near downtown，but　it　took　over　ａn　hour．We　got　lost　 in　spite　of　having a map！ When　we　walked　all　over　the　same　place，ａ　man　asked　us “Can　I　help　you？”　The　man　taught　us　the　way　to　Granville　Island．As　he　spoke　slowly　and　kindly　with　our　map，we　could　understand　him．　When　we　arrived　at　Granville　Island，It　was　about　３o’clock．There　were　many　kinds　of　shops　such　as　clothes，foods，jewelry，beer．As　each　shop　had　ａ　pretty　exterior，the　whole　of　the　island　was　like　ａ　toy　town．　

We　had　lunch，and　enjoyed　shopping．I　bought　ａ　postcard　for　Jim．　　　

I　gave　myself　ａ　reward　again．　I　bought　ａ　pair　of　pretty　gloves．　On　our　way　from　there　to　downtown，　we　got　ａ　public　bus．We　were　anxious　to　get　the　bus　because maybe　we　couldn’t　understand　the　information　in　English　and　arrive in　ａn　unknown　place．But　we　tried．　As　ａ　result，　we　could arrive　without　problems．It　was　a　very　good　experience　for　us. That　night , we saw　Michiko　again，and　went　to　ａ　good　Korean　restaurant．

The　third　day，we　went　to　Vancouver　airport　to　arrive　at　Banff．As we had　checked　in　foreign　domestic　airlines　for　the　first　time，we　were　very　tense．

About　an hour and a half later，we landed at Calgary airport without incident．Then　we　went　to　Banff　by　bus．It　took　us　two hours　from　Calgary　to　Banff．We　arrived　at　the　hotel　in　Banff　at noon，then　went　around　the　town　of　Banff．It　was　ａ　beautiful　 small　town．We　enjoyed　taking　photos　and　shopping．I　bought　some　pretty　pins　for　my　family　and　friends，and　ａnother　postcard　for　Jim．

That　night，we　went　to　ａ　restaurant　and　had　steaks,　which　were　famous　Alberta　beef．They　were　very　good，but　expensive．Then　we　got　to the　hotel．We　enjoyed　talking over a few 　beers．The　fourth　day，we　went　to　Lake　Louise　by　bus．It　was　the　coldest day　of　the trip　in　Canada，maybe　–15℃ or lower．

We　saw　the Canadian　Rocky Mountains from　the　bus．We　wanted　to　climb，but　couldn’t　climb　because　of too much　snow．We　saw　some　rivers，lakes　and　wild animals　too．They　were　very　beautiful．We　returned　to　the　town，then　we　got　a　Gondola．Ｗe　saw　the　mountains　and　whole　town　of　Banff　from　the　top．At　night，we　went　to　ａ　Thai restaurant　for dinner．On the　last　day，we　got　up　early　in　the　morning，and　prepared　to　return　to　our　country．We　transferred at Vancouver airport, and went home．

We　had a great time．Canada had a very good view. Many people were very kind．We had a good time for studying English．When they　understood　my　broken　English，I　was　so　glad．We had some problems： we couldn’t see Michiko easily　in Vancouver, because　we were having a hard time getting through on the phone．We lost the way in Vancouver．It was so cold that we caught colds after getting home．　

Posted for Kaori