Bears! and other distractions.

Having safely negotiated a good nights sleep I ventured out into the Vancouver sunshine, got hold of the Globe and Mail newspaper and settled in for a morning cup of coffee. Well, there at the bottom of the front page, one small paragraph under the heading "Bear mauls fisherman" - not the headline story or even a lead-in story - just a brief reference to a story buried in a later section of the newspaper? Obviously this got my attention. I really need to quote to you from the story for full effect - a witness who ran to help said "When I got there the victim was being thoroughly gripped by the bear with his paws and it was chewing on his back." It was what? (Message to self - check pockets for fish or raw meat before going outdoors in Canada).

There were 7 men trying to get the bear off, including one stabbing the bear with a 10cm knife and one hitting the bear on the head with a hammer repeatedly (this was clearly a determined bear) until one of them eventually managed to kill the bear with a 30cm knife!

The report goes on to say "the bear swam a short distance across an estuary where the marina is located and vaulted straight over the back of the boat at the man". As if Jaws wasn't enough reason to stay out of boats.

In a side story one expert placed the blame for the increasing number of bear attacks on a poor season for berries - berries! In Australia if we have a poor berry season we have to make our pies with apples or apricots - we don't think 'it hasn't been a great season for raspberries - I better be careful outside today in case a starving bear chews on my back!

On a lighter note I got a look at the 1st hole, a 165 m par 3, of what I think is planned to be an 18 hole championship golf course on the harbour at Vancouver.

The 2nd, a par 5, will be a tough hole because no matter how well you hit your drive, my experience is that it is hard to get a good solid stance for your second shot whilst standing in silt on the bottom of the harbour.

Well I should be joined tonight by the rest of the Australian contingent. We start with a welcome dinner and then tomorrow morning our 1st visit to a camp.