SanDiego

Angus has arrived safely in SanDiego and set sail aboard the Mercury. He was knackered after his 20 hour journey from Scotland and has spent the first day eating, eating more and is now waiting to eat his dinner. It is a bit odd eating dinner at breakfast time, and the wine does not flow down too smoothly. However, this afternoon poo bear scoffed a load of wine at the wine tasting and slept it off in the brilliant sunshine.

Escape from Hibernation

Angus does not like the dark miserable Decembers in the bear house in Aberdeen, Scotland. Misery bear has been particularly miserable having being stuck each morning and evening in the abismal traffic jams heading around town from the Bridge of Don to Dyce, and spends his life complaining about the incompetance of the elected representatives in the council, Scottish Parliament, and Westminster who have done nothing for 30 years apart from build houses for 40,000 people and no supporting infrastucture. Aberdeen is now one of the most conjested city in the UK, the result of lack of vision in the oil boom days when it could have been easilly financed.

Angus has decided to escape to warmer parts rather than to hibernate or catch hypothermia. Misery bear, having watched the glaciers melt first hand in May, has reduced the bear house temperature by 1'C to save the planet, but maybe the government might have a bigger impact upon global warming if they were to help the farmers in Borneo to prevent deforestation and put out the peat fires that burn underground and generate more greenhouse gas than the whole of the UK. However, that is far too sensible, and it is easier for them to spout idealistic hot air and punish the UK citizens to keep them under the thumb.

Angus is planning to escape for a week at the end of November, pending retirement and permanent escape. That is of course provided Misery is allowed to retire before reaching 80years of age, or there is any pension pot left after the Brown Bear's raid of the honeypot.

Thu, Nov 29 Travel -to Hyatt Regency, Islandia Hotel San Diego - Aberdeen-->Gatwick-->Dallas-->San Diego, California

Fri, Dec 01 - San Diego, California - Boarding
Depart 5:00 PM

Sat, Dec 02 - At Sea

Sun, Dec 03 - Cabo San Lucas, Mexico - Tendered - Arrive 10:30 AM - Depart 6:00 PM

Mon, Dec 04 - Mazatlan, Mexico - Docked - Arrive 7:00 AM - Depart 5:00 PM

Tue, Dec 05 - Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Tendered - Arrive 7:00 AM - Depart 6:00 PM

Wed, Dec 06 - At Sea

Thu, Dec 07 - At Sea

Fri, Dec 08 - San Diego, California
Disembark 7:00 AM
Depart San Diego-->San Fansisco-->Heathrow-->Aberdeen

Sat, Dec 09
Home

Exeter Bears

Angus' friends in Exeter are keeping fine. CocaCola bear could not stop smiling. What's he been drinking?

Angus had the VIP treatment at Heathrow

Angus engoyed an exquisite meal at St Olave's Court Hotel with the Old Grey Bear, Nanny Bear, Grampy Bear and the rest of the family.

Misery Bear's 50th

Angus was so excited and talked so much with his friends on the bear shelf, that he was left behind for Misery's birthday trip to Galloway. Poo found a new friend at the Corsewall Lighthouse Hotel, Edward Bear, known locally as Teddie.

Misery had a few ales for lunch at Portpatrick, and had a nice tête à tête with Charmin bear later in the afternoon. Charmin is like a gentle giant - strong and soft!

On their way home Poo and Misery popped in to see the Bard's cottage and that of his friend, Souter Jonnie. It is no wonder Tam had a problem with his horse on the Bridge of Doon at Alloa, perhaps he had met the same stupid driver as Misery had met bolting onto the bridge that was not wide enough for two?

Chapter 1: Angus has a plan

Poo bear was tucked up in her den, snorring so loudly that Angus and his friends were rudely awaken and shaken off their shelf.

Angus decided that Poo-Bear needed a holiday and in the spring he took off to see his relations, Grisly Brown-Bear and Black-Bear

Chapter 2: Angus Arrives in Vancouver

Angus, Poo and Misery Bear all arrived safely in Vancouver after a long journey from Aberdeen. Poo bear and Angus were escorted to their seats and enjoyed a few glasses of champagne whilst waiting for the plane to take off.

They found it difficult to decide upon the eveneng meal menu, the best time to eat and which film or video to watch. Misery enjoyed several glasses of Chateau Talbot to wash down the medium rare rack of lamb that he chose for his evening meal at 1915pm. Misery then decided to sleep it off.

Poo did a little shopping in Vancouver before settling down in front of the TV at the bar to watch the Arsenal match over lunch. Training for the World Cup maybe? She was such a happy bear becuase she could watch the football, although misery bear was less impressed.


Angus was however quite impressed with the Hotel Georgia and the view from the room across downtown Vancouver

Chapter 3: Anchorage

Poo bear was so tired when she arrived at Anchorage at 0100hrs that she snorred loudly all night. Misery bear was particularly miserable as he had broken his glasses and had to find an optician. Fortunately, Angus found a Sears next door where misery soon cheered up as he found a 1gb Compact Flash card for only £35, and Poo found some cheap trainers so she bought the entire stock.


Angus and Poo met up with lots of friends at Anchorage and went snow ball fighting in the hills.







Poo likes to shout at sport and the the ice hockey was no exception.

Angus' kind friends took them all to Seward to meet the ship and on the way he also met Mr Grissly Brown-Bear and Mr and Mrs Black-Bear.

Misery Bear found poo, mousse poo.

The US Coastguard popped in at Seward for a display for the Seward Yacht Club Opening Weekend who had welcomed Poo, Misery and Angus to their opening weekend party at Saling Inc. and to the BBQ in their clubhouse. Poo enjoyed relaxing aboard the boat Razmataz in the Seward small boat harbour prior to boarding MS Veendam. Poo would have bought Razmataz, but Misery was very pleased that it was too far away to sail home as he did not have enough dollars in his wallet. That's his excuse and he is sticking to it.

Chapter 4: The Floating Den

Poo had a good view from the cabin onto the promenade deck, but she forgot that the silvered windows allowed people to look into the den at night if the lights were on and the curtains were open. There were a few frightened people outside.



Poo was really pleased that Mr Elephant and Octopus had popped in to meet her, although she was a bit surprised that they were still in their bath robes.

Chapter 5: College Fjord

Angus enjoyed watching calves be born at College Fiord.

Chapter 6: Glacier Bay

Misery-Poo bear overslept this morning so Angus was in a rush to get on deck to see Mr Whale float by. Captain Bear almost knocked over Mr Humpback who was resting just in front of the Vandeem. The Marjorie Glacier was creeking and groaning before calfing icebergs, just like mummy bear I suppose.





Misery-Poo bear got rather excited about the whales and wanted to go whale watching in Vancouver when she gets there.










After lunch, Angus saw Grisly Brown-Bear walking along the beach looking for his dinner, and wondered if too was getting a five course dinner today.

Chapter 7: Wilderness Safari

Angus was exhaused and had to take early hibernation during the afternoon. The day started with a trip across a fjord on the fastest pasenger catamaran in North America to Icy Point. Angus had to dress in wellingtons just like his friend Paddington, and after a treck across the wilderness dressed in wellington boots, life jacket and fisherman's trousers, Angus paddled to the face of the Davidson Glacier in a canoe where he floated amongst the icebergs that had broken away from the face of the glacier.



Angus was hoping to see his wild cousins today, and he was lucky becuase misery-pooh bear had sat along side him on the journey.

Chapter 8: Juneau Icefield

Angus was fed up of being on water so he took a helicopter trip to the dog camp high up on the Mendenhall Glacier on the Juneau Icefield and went mushing with his canine friends.

The dogs were very excited and could not stop barking at his arrival, and with a hundred dogs or more Misery found it difficult to listen to the musher explaining how to operate the sleigh brake.


The dogs took them for a ride as the photographer took and printed a picture as they glided along the 12.5 mile long glacier. Poo did not quite grasp the brakeman's job and stood on the brake all the way up the hill making the dogs work hard and pant a lot. At least that is what she says, but after she was asked to declare her weight for the helicopter, Misery was not quite so sure why the dogs were out of breath. Nevertheless Misery was charged with operating the brake back down the black run, but Poo complained, as normal, about the speed as he never found the brake.




Poo needed a drink to calm her nerves and Misery found a nice bar at Juneau, home of the largest finds in the Gold Rush in era. Unfortunately the saw-dust on the floor stuck to their wet clothes so Misery found an internet cafe to upload some pictures to the blog. Somehow he knew more about the technology available than the manager who had said it was not possible with their machines. Meanwhile, Poo found a nice whale-tail trinket in the local jewellers for $25, but Misery arrived just in time to wizz her out of the shop before she bought the $10,000 bracelet that the salesman had conveniently placed on her wrist.

Chapter 9: Misty Fjords Float Plant

Angus was feeling a bit under the weather today having drunk too much and mixed together too many different wines at the sommeliers dinner last night. Six courses in 90 minutes and a different wine for each course was a challenge. Poo had to be assisted out of the Pinacle Grill to the theatre to sleep it off as she could not have made it herself further than the carpet.

However, Angus was feeling better for his float seaplane flight to the Misty Fjord National Monument, where the most dramatic scenery in Alaska can be found






Angus spotted his friend Mr Brown-Bear out for a stroll in the afternoon sunshine and the pilot kindly did a quick spin around for a closer look. Poo bear was a bit nervous and wished she could bail out

Chapter 10: Paying for it

Angus said there's gold in them there hills, so Poo bear decided to help pay for the holiday

Chapter 11: Grouse Mountain

Misery-poo wanted to see the Grouse-Mountain Bears, but she was feeling too tired to hike up the mountain, and did not have her bear bells with her, so she took the cable car to the top.
When she got there, Mr Inland Grissly-Brown unfortunately had other things on his mind as he could smell his girlfriend who was sheltering further down the mountain. Coastal Grissly-Brown bear was sharpening his teeth ready for dinner - Poo-Bear maybe?