| Some time ago I noticed these odd shaped
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| | about Old Toronto City Hall, where a
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| colourful bus-type vehicles in the
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| | famous architect took revenge on Toronto
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| streets of Toronto, and I was wondering
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| | city counsellors who criticized him for
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| what they were. I caught a second glimpse
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| | his cost overruns by depicting their
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| and I saw "Toronto Hippo Tours", and I
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| | likenesses as ugly gargoyles. We then
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| realized that these buses carry
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| | headed up University Avenue past Queens
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| sightseeing passengers not just on the
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| | Park (the provincial government
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| streets of Toronto, but also in the
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| | buildings) and on to the University of
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| waters of Lake Ontario. Considering that
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| | Toronto campus.From there we snaked our
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| this form of intermodal transportation is
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| | way down through the Garment District,
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| definitely unconventional, it just
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| | admiring all of Toronto's loft
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| recently came to me that I should do an
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| | conversions and condo developments past
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| interview with this company and go on one
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| | the CNE grounds (the Canadian National
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| of the vehicles myself.They are
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| | Exhibition grounds) to a ramp near
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| definitely funny looking vehicles with a
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| | Ontario Place, where we were getting
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| rounded snout, bright painting saying
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| | ready for THE BIG SPLASH - the Hippo's
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| "Ride the Hippo", and an entry at the
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| | entry into the water.It sure was a weird
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| rear where you board walking up a set of
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| | feeling, being on a bus whose windshield
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| retractable metal stairs.Today I met with
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| | is all of a sudden fully submerged by
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| Drew O'Gilvie who is the Director of
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| | water. But the vehicle straightened
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| Sales and Marketing for Toronto Hippo
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| | itself out pretty quickly and we started
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| Tours. Drew used to be a Director of
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| | chugging slowly into the waters
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| Sales for Delta Hotels and obviously has
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| | surrounding Ontario Place. "Happy the
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| a lot of tourism-related marketing
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| | Hippo's" top speed is about 5 knots, and
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| experience.1. Please tell us who came up
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| | the vehicle has a single engine that
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| with the idea of creating a company with
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| | propels the bus' transmission on land as
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| a bus that floats? How long has the
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| | well as the propeller in the water. At 20
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| company been in business?Geoffrey Lind
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| | tons it's a pretty heavy vehicle and a
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| founded Toronto Hippo Tours 5 years ago
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| | special ramp had to be built to give it
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| since he wanted to bring the "duck
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| | access to Lake Ontario.We took a little
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| concept", the famous amphibian vehicle
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| | spin over off the west end of the
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| tours in Boston, to Toronto. Last year
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| | Exhibition Grounds where we had a good
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| the company had 25,000 passengers and we
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| | look at Toronto's only wind turbine (we
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| expect to far surpass that number this
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| | are finally making baby-steps towards
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| year. Rather than calling ourselves a
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| | greener energy production....) where we
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| sightseeing company, we consider
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| | turned around and headed back towards
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| ourselves an "urban safari", a true urban
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| | Ontario place.While Dan was driving
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| adventure.2. How many Hippos are there?
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| | during the water portion of the trip,
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| What makes them special?We currently have
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| | Catherine, the other captain, and I stood
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| 2 vehicles in operation with a 3rd one
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| | at the back of the vessel and had a great
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| that was just recently completed and is
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| | conversation. Catherine is a former
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| just waiting for final licenses, a
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| | insurance sales expert and after being
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| complicated process that involves federal
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| | laid off she went into a completely new
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| and provincial authorities and safety
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| | career - first as a Hippo tour guide, and
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| checks. The vehicles are
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| | she has also become a fully certified and
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| Canadian-designed and built, based on a
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| | licensed Hippo captain. Catherine also
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| school-bus platform. Contrary to other
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| | knows lots about fixing the vehicle and
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| places, they are not recycled WWII or
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| | doesn't mind getting her fingers greasy
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| Korean war amphibian vehicles. They are
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| | when she performs maintenance duties on
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| carefully safety-checked and greased
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| | the bus on a daily basis. In her off
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| every morning. We affectionately call our
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| | -months from November to April Catherine
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| 3 amphibian vehicles Harry, Happy and
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| | does some cool things, such as
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| Henrietta, our newest addition.3. Please
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| | volunteering her services to an animal
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| tell us about your route and your
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| | conservation area to protect sloths in
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| schedule. Are the tours narrated?The
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| | Costa Rica, or travelling extensively to
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| Hippo tours are 1.5 hours long and spend
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| | Cuba. As a matter of fact, Catherine is a
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| about 1 hour on land covering the major
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| | pretty cool and interesting individual
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| Toronto sites, all professionally
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| | herself and I will be doing a follow-up
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| narrated by a tour guide who is also
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| | intereview with her in the near
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| licensed in first-aid. We run tours from
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| | future.Back on land we passed by
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| the beginning of May to the end of
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| | Harbourfront and headed back up towards
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| October every hour from 11 am to 6 pm.4.
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| | the famous Royal York hotel. Shortly
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| Please tell us about the prices. Is it
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| | after we made a quick turn left and
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| possible to book the vehicles for a
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| | headed back to the Hippo Tours parking
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| private outing?Prices are very reasonable
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| | spot at 151 Front Street, just a tiny bit
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| at C$35.00 per adult, or C$30.00 for
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| | east of the CN Tower and the Rogers
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| seniors or students, and C$23.00 for
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| | Centre (formerly called the Skydome),
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| children 12 years and under. The vehicles
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| | Toronto's multi-purpose stadium with the
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| can also be chartered and are frequently
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| | retractable roof.Catherine and I had a
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| rented for special occasions both by
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| | chance to catch up for about 10 minutes
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| business organizations and private
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| | after the tour was over, and we briefly
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| individuals for birthday parties. At
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| | talked about doing a language study trip
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| C$500.00 per outing, which holds 40
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| | to Cuba, something that Catherine was
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| passengers, this can be an extremely
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| | interested in. I shared some information
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| affordable special event.5. Please
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| | with her since I have had the opportunity
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| comment on the special training that your
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| | to study Spanish at the University of
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| captains and tour guides receive.Our
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| | Havana earlier this year.It seems to me
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| guides are certified in St. John's
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| | that Catherine is a bit of an adventurer
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| Ambulance and CPR, and are all restricted
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| | and I am really looking forward to
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| engineers. They undergo strict testing
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| | catching up with her to find out more
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| with government authorities as marine
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| | about her new, unconventional lifestyle
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| captains and they have to obtain licenses
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| | that went from corporate sales to being a
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| to become school-bus drivers for
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| | road/lake captain for 6 months of the
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| operating the vessel on land.After
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| | year, and doing some other cool stuff in
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| interviewing Drew, I had a chance to
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| | the months between..Thanks again to Drew
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| actually sample the Hippo experience
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| | and the whole crew at Toronto Hippo Tours
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| myself and I got on board, plunking
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| | for spending their time with me and for
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| myself down right behind the Captain, who
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| | giving me the opportunity to explore
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| in this case was a sporty-looking lady by
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| | Toronto on a bus - on land and on the
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| the name of Catherine. We had another
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| | water.......Susanne Pacher is the
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| tour guide who competently and
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| | publisher of a website called Travel and
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| entertainingly mentioned the major sights
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| | Transitions( Travel and Transitions deals
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| along the way and cracked some dry jokes
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| | with unconventional travel and is chock
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| in between. Another guide by the name of
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| | full of advice, tips, real life travel
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| Dan also accompanied us. He is just
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| | experiences, interviews with travellers
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| finishing up his road licensing and has
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| | and travel experts, insights and
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| already completed the marine portion of
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| | reflections, cross-cultural issues,
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| the licensing process.The vehicle passes
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| | contests and many other features. You
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| through the streets of Toronto at a very
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| | will also find stories about life and the
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| leisurely pace. Our route included major
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| | transitions that we face as we go through
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| sites such as the Royal York Hotel, Union
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| | our own personal life-long
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| Station, Yonge Street with the Bay, the
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| | journeys.Submit your own travel stories
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| Eaton Centre and Dundas Square. We then
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| | in our first travel story contest( and
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| headed over on Elm Street and down on Bay
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| | have a chance to win an amazing adventure
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| Street past Old and New City Hall. I
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| | cruise on the Amazon River.
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| particularly enjoyed the gargoyle story
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