Rawkin' the River City

The Forks as seen from the French side of the river

Hokey smokes, this is long overdue.

I hadn't realized that I'd been just *that* busy to not post anything the last couple months I was in Japan. I don't believe I mentioned in this medium, but I completed my 2nd and final year of teaching English in Japan. It was a wonderful experience and I will remember it fondly, but it's time for a new adventure.

Before heading off to live out of a backpack, I needed to sort out a few things in Winnipeg before I felt I was truly free to enjoy exploring a new country. It's been a very busy visit filled with laughs, food and great beer.

View from Prarie 360's whiskey bar atop the Hotel
Fort Garry

Since I had sold my car prior to leaving for Japan, I've been getting around using Winnipeg Transit. Not terrible, as most of my friends are happy to meet me half way (and there are SO MANY RESTAURANTS!). All sorts of ethnic places (for some reason, I didn't crave Japanese at ALL while I've been here... how odd. :P), cafes, steakhouses, pizza parlours, burger joints (why did 'Unburger' change it's name to 'Nuburger'?) the list goest on and on and on. I hit up as many faves and new places as I could afford.

And then there's the Canadian beer. I'm sure every country feels that their brew is the best, but I've been picking up as many different types of this precious elixir as I can.

It's really neat coming back and looking at your surroundings though fresh eyes.

Red River from Chief Peguis Bridge

Fountain along Assiniboine Drive near the Hotel Fort Garry

I made sure to get out to the Zoo, The Forks, the WAG as well as my fave pubs, bars and stoops. I even crashed on a couple of my favourite couches. Summer is festival time in Winnipeg, and I was lucky enough to be able to make it to The Fringe AND Folklorama. While I'd love to take part in Festival, I'm going to do my best to stay away for the coming Manitoba winter. I keep hearing it's going to be a doozy.

When I left Winnipeg and was asked what there was in my hometown, I had just scoffed, as it didn't seem like much compared to the other, much more famous, Canadian cities. I'm glad I got to take the time to enjoy a lot of what it has to offer this time around. I'm not really sure what else to say about it, so I'll let a sampling of the photos I captured do the talking for me.

Fishing along the Red River
in St John's Park (WHYYYY!?)

West K bunnies!

Die Roten Punket @ the
Pyramid Cabaret for the Fringe

GEESE!

POLAR BUTT!

Monarchs in the butterfly garden @ the Zoo

Redwood Bridge from St John's park

Very skinny Bison

I'm on a horse, muthatrukka

Giddy up, Li!

All of the children...

Dad, Mum and a deliriously Jetlagged me

Post Fringe show pint with J-Ho

Arwen and Dad chillin' in the backyard

Winnipeg representing ink by Marc

Arwen

WAG roof inukshuk

Planet of Sound pitstop (I STILL HAD TRADE!!!
... ((I no longer have trade)))

View from the Chief Peguis

Bathroom stall widsom... plus a cock'n'ballz in a heart

West. St. Paul strawbale fire @ JR Flamers

(apologies for the slopping photo formatting, I just don't feel like arguing with blogger at the moment, so you're stuck with the strangely staggered placements)