Our first day in Ottawa was relaxing. We didn't get in til really late last night. My first encounter with Customs was interesting. I was carrying a can of peaches and wasnt sure if I had to declare it, so I asked. I got a very sarcastic answer. The trip was off to a great start. We got a shuttle to take us to our hotel. I was looking foward to the hotel. It advertised very comfy beds. Well we walked into the lobby and noticed it was very warm. We get to the front desk and they informed us that the air conditioning was out and they weren't sure when it would be fixed. They changed our reservation to a hotel across the street. So we walked over and checked in, then find out their pool is broken. Can't seem to win.

We slept late and then got up and started walking. It wasnt very busy. About 10 minutes into our walk, we hear yelling in french and english, so we go investigate. On the stairs to the Parliment, there is a demonstration/rally going on. We never did find out what it was for, but the Lord and taking control was mentioned alot. Pete called it Bible revolution. We saw the locks on the Rideau Canal. It takes 3 hours to go up the lock system. We then went to a mall of sorts and had lunch at this really interesting restaurant. The food was really good and after paying I got back my first Candian currency. I really want one of the purple bills, but I have yet to get one. We found where Pete's conference was going to be.

We came back to our hotel and took a nap and then went out to dinner. There was an Italian restuarant right near our hotel that looked good. Pete was excited because he got to have lobster. It was the first Italian restuarant that I have been to that did have chicken parm, but the food was really good.

After dinner, we came to the lounge in our hotel for a drink, and the table we were at was soon surround with a group of people that we could only guess had just taken a test to judge figure skating. I never knew that you had to take a test to do that and surprisingly there were alot of guys in the group.

So far the thing that I like the most is how Candians talk. Thier accent is so interesting. I can't describe it, but it makes me happy. Some of the investigators I used to work with had the same accent, and now I am in a country where they all talk like it.

Thats about it for today. We have the internet thanks to IBM, so I can post most days. No pictures til I get home though.