Oh Canada

This Jeep is located in an exhibit at the Ottawa Civilizations Museum on the history of the Canadian postal service. I snapped the quick pic mainly because I like Jeeps. We own one and I just thought it was cool.

This is a photo taken from the Civilizations Museum looking across the river at Parliament Hill. For those of you that don't know, Ottawa is the national capitol of Canada.

I find it interesting how little we (US citizens) know about Canada and their history. Fact: Canada is our largest trading partner. There is a lot in the news about China, but Canada is our #1 economic friend.

As I drove around Ottawa I noticed the English influences. From the narrow roads to their form of government to their road signs.

The drive from Ottawa to the western edge of Montreal was like a drive on rural interstates in the U.S. (The only difference were the Moose crossing road signs.)

The main thing I noticed while driving into Montreal was that the English disappeared. If my Canadian friend hadn't told me about the Montreal road rules I'm sure I would have broken a few. We met at a bookstore, grabbed a bite at a sports bar, and walked around a mall. It was almost like being at home. Except...the French.

Overall, I was reminded that we (world citizens) have a lot in common. We may be separated by boundaries and language but we all have some of the same issues and concerns. It makes the world seem a little bit smaller to me. This realization is one of the things I enjoy about traveling.