In Toronto

I arrived in Toronto around 10:00 p.m.. After some waiting time it turned out that my second bag did not land in Toronto and that although I had checked in more than 2.5 hours before departure in Edmonton. The bag was supposed to arrive the next evening. We drove home to Hamilton to Peter deSouza and stopped at an A&W on the way to get something to eat.

The next day after breakfast we went straight to the convention. There I could check in at the hotel in the morning and move into my room. So I could make the last corrections at my lectures. We also tried to search for my luggage at the airline, but that was largely unsuccessful. Allegedly my bag should arrive with the next plane from Edmonton and we would be informed immediately. Well, as was to be expected, nobody contacted us and nobody responded to our calls. Since a long weekend was approaching in Toronto, it was to be feared that I could see my bag again only on the return journey….

After all, the CAOAC organizers really made every effort to create a great evening. First there was a Pizzaparty, and after the meal, we speakers were there for the participants then on a panel for question and answer. Afterwards we were pleased to take turns sitting at the tables with the participants and talking to everyone. What at first sounded very stiff and annoying turned out to be a great idea and we all had a lot of fun together. Afterwards we went to the usual hospitality suite where we ended the evening with beer and high-proof…

On Saturday I was the second one to hold my first lecture, and that was also my favourite topic – the Rio Xingu in Brazil. Due to the environmental problems there, including the Belo-Monte dam, the title was “Rio Xingu – a lost paradise?”. Afterwards, of course, there was also the opportunity to ask questions, which the audience also did. Later I finally had the chance to drive with Peter to the airport again and to continue my search for my lost bag. Unfortunately I couldn’t find anyone at the Lost&Found counter of the airline, but luckily people from other airlines were still working there and so I got the private mobile phone number of an employee who could actually help us. So we found out that my bag had flown to Winnipeg instead of Toronto, but has now arrived in Toronto. Since the lady was sitting in Winnipeg, she couldn’t give us the bag herself, but talked to a colleague in Toronto who was supposed to hand it over to us. She promised us that this would happen in the next hour – but even after 80 minutes nothing happened. So we called her again. It then turned out that her colleague simply did not feel like it. We had to go back to the convention because I still had to give my second talk. It was about “Perú – Expeditions in the amazonian lowlands“. At the end of the lecture Peter stood suddenly with me and informed me that he had again contact to the airline, and they wanted to bring now the bag in the next hour by taxi. And indeed, after a good 90 minutes the bag was finally there.

In the evening at the big dinner I was even allowed to present my art prints. The pictures really inspired the people, and I could tell you that they will soon be available in Canada at Spencer Jack aka aFISHionados. But the evening ended quite early for me, because a cold had really caught me.

In Edmonton – Monday, May 13, 2019

The flight to Edmonton went without a hitch and John Tummers welcomed me right there. We did some sightseeing in Edmonton before we went home to John. After I had settled down there we went to a Diner for lunch where we met Paul, Michael and Bill. Afterwards we drove to Paul’s home and could visit his fish room. He has a really interesting selection of fish there, the highlight was probably the Corydoras sp. “Ancestor” (CW004). Beyond that I could discover there also once again a new tip for the BSSW-Report.

The time passed much too fast and so we had to start again after a few hours, because we wanted to meet Michael, Kenneth, Eugene and John in a Thai restaurant for dinner.

Tuesday, 14 May, 2019

On Tuesday we had breakfast with Michael at John’s in the morning. John served some scrambled eggs and bacon before we made a trip to Roman. Roman is a Canadian of German descent who keeps and breeds numerous cichlids in addition to some interesting livebearers. Later Michael picked me up and we looked at his fish room. In the evening we went to dinner first in a bar, but we couldn’t stay there, because Michael’s son (8 years) wasn’t allowed to stay there. So we spontaneously changed the location and found a nice diner where we could eat well.

Afterwards we went to school where I was supposed to give my first lecture in Edmonton. We had a high-tech classroom available for the meetings. After some small alterations we could start. On the first evening the topic was wood eaters, so that I could introduce all my favourite fish. Also here I was able to present my art prints and the Aquarium Club of Edmonton will also place a collective order.

Wednesday, 15 May, 2019

On Wednesday morning I went with Michael to a diner for having breakfast. There I chose a really good burger. Afterwards Paul picked me up and we drove to the West Edmonton Mall. This is really an impressive building with a roller coaster, a huge aquapark, a restaurant mile, an aquarium, a big ice skating rink and of course endless shops. Now I understand why the kids in so many TV-series wanna go to a Mall….
In the evening we met with some club members in the KEG (Steakhouse) before I held my second lecture “Caring and breeding installations all over the world“. Afterwards we went with some guys into a bar for some socialising, but we stopped really early, so I was then still before 1 a.m. in the bed…

Thursday, 16 May, 2019

On Thursday I used the time to have a closer look at John’s fish room and took some photos of it. At noon I went to a diner with him and Michael and we had some really good hamburgers. Later Paul picked me up and took me to the airport from where I flew on to Toronto. We were even at the airport at 14 o’clock and I was able to check in my luggage, although my flight didn’t leave until 16.20 o’clock!

Hannover to Winnipeg

My lecture trip through Canada began with the flight from Hanover to Winnipeg. And here I almost got the first problems. We landed in Toronto on time, but then we had to wait more than 30 minutes on the taxiway until our plane got a place at a gate. But then it got really close with the boarding for my flight to Winnipeg, because I had to wait for my luggage (despite the “priority” label!), to go through customs with it, to check it in immediately…
But luckily my flight to winnipeg had enough delay, so I even had to wait at the gate.

In Winnipeg

In Winnipeg I was already warmly welcomed by my friend Spencer Jack and his girlfriend Jenn at the baggage carousel. Since I had been on my feet all day and there was nothing good to eat in the plane, we made our way to the next Hooters 😉 Strengthened we went home to Spencer & Jen. In my room a huge welcome in Canada plate full of sweets, Canada socks and a Canada coffee cup awaits me. That was really great.

The next morning we went to Spencers store. There I was able to settle in comfortably. After visiting the whole shop I started to prepare the lectures (I learned too much from Ingo 😉…) in my “canadian office”😉. In the evening we were going back home, and after a nice BBQ I went to bed early. After the long journey (more than 25 hours) this was urgently necessary.

After a hearty breakfast at McDonalds we went back to the shop on Thursday. In the afternoon/evening we made a round trip through Winnipeg.
Friday Spencer has arrange to have some freetime, so that we could drive to Lake Winnipeg. Our friend Chris Biggs accompanied us and I spent the next day with him… On the way to Gimli we also arrived at St. Andrews Lock and Dam. The funny thing was, that this weir is equipped with a fish ladder, which brings only little advantages to the fish, because the pelicans looked at it as a covered food table and ate themselves full. At Lake Winnipeg we could even admire the ice remains of this winter, which were blown by the wind. There is also a Viking statue to remind of the former inhabitants.

On the way back we stopped at the Half Moon Drive Inn and ate a real Poutine. Afterwards we went on to Spencer’s shop, where we only dropped of Spencer and then drove on to Ste. Anne and the Biggs family. Here Biggs prepared some great steaks. Then his friend Ray stopped by and we discussed fish, aquaristics and the world until late into the night.

On Saturday we got up quite early, because we had a video shoot on the program in addition to the visit of his fish room, but we also did that well and confidently, the result you can see later on his Youtube-Channel.

So in the early afternoon we could show up again at Spencer’s store – just in time for the DFO-Meeting – where I was supposed to give my first two lectures in Canada. But before that we made a short stop at the center of Canada. I started – not unusual – with a talk about wood eaters. That are the plecos of the genera Panaque, Panaqolus and Cochliodon (or Hypostomus-Cochliodon-group). The people liked these animals so much that I could even sell some Panaqolus tankei (L 398) for Spencer. After that the suckling pig was ready, so that we were busy with feasting. After everyone was well saturated, we could continue with the second lecture. It was about the north of Brazil – the source of the ornamental fish. Almost two hours I could inspire the spectators with biotopes, species and places in the north of Brazil, no matter if it is in Pará or Roraima, or in Manaus, Belém or Altamira. There were numerous moments to smile about but also which made them think. Especially when it came to the Rio Xingu and the dam built in the Volta Grande…. At the same time I could also present my aquaristic art prints. They have been so well received that Spencer will also include them in his assortment.

Afterwards we sat together in smaller groups and discussed until late into the night. Then it was time to say goodbye to my friend Chris Biggs. Spencer and I drove back to his home, where we celebrated a big family party on Mother’s Day the next day.

On Monday morning it was time to say goodbye to Jenn and then Spencer took me to the airport where I went on to Edmonton.

Here are some pictures of these fantastic days in Winnipeg: