Montreal is a world class city.  Last year, when I was up there for UFC 83, it impressed me as clean and professional.  The people were friendly, polite and engaging.  This year was no different.  For a city that has as many smokers as it does, people butt out in the proper places instead of casually tossing their cigarette away.  You can see the difference.

Truly, I would have little problem living in Montreal.  In addition to the aforementioned qualities, the city feels safe and has a lot of culture and history to it.  Perhaps it is a case of “familiarity breeds contempt,” but in my humble opinion these traits are lacking in Toronto, which is the closest major city to me.

This year, there were three of us who went up for UFC 97.  We made the drive in a little over five hours, despite stopping to grab some grub.  We probably averaged about 130 km/h there.  We made great time by leaving at the right time, avoiding rush hour in both Toronto and Montreal.  Listened to Russell Peters, Chris Rock and more as we headed up, all the time on the lookout for cops (and surprisingly there were plenty).  One highlight of the trip was unexpected.  In the opposite direction on the “Highway of Heroes” the Canadian Forces were delivering the body of a soldier recently killed in Afghanistan.

It makes one proud to see Canadians display their respect and patriotism.  It makes me sad to think that it takes the death of a Canadian soldier to bring it out.  On every bridge from Toronto to Trenton there were people from all walks of life.  Police parked on the side of the highway waiting.  Fire trucks with ladders fully extended, at the top of which was a Canadian flag.  Honor Guards from retired detachments and bands from the local cadet corps.  It was a moving and powerful display to be sure.

We stayed at the Travelodge on Rene Levesque Blvd.  It was a great location, but the room and the shower were the smallest that I have ever been in.  The place looked like it had recently been renovated, as each room had a new paint job, new air conditioner/heater, free high speed Internet, and a 26″ LCD television.  The hotel was next door to Chinatown, not that that made much of a difference.  It was 1.5 km from the Bell Center.  One could not argue with the price, however.

A walk up and down Rue St. Catherine will yield dozens of restaurants catering to all types of culinary delights.  From fast food to fine dining (and even a stripper buffet or two), it’s all there.  For those who are into shopping, especially clothing, it is hard not to label Montreal as the hub of North America.  Even a crappy dresser like me can find decent clothes in this city.  Truly, to get some decent threads I need to save a bit of money and make a return trip.

We did a lot of walking.  Surprisingly, I did not have any troubles with my legs, feet or back, despite being horridly out of shape.  We made a number of walks up and down Rue St. Catherine, Blvd. Rene Levesque, and numerous side streets.  We hit the TapOut Party at Clup Opera which turned out to be a tad disappointing (it was a sausage-fest, if you get my meaning).  Joe Rogan was supposed to appear, yet they had posted on the door that he was not appearing.  Ah well – you never know unless you try.  The music was pretty good though.  It was also the first time I’ve seen a bottle of water cost seven dollars.

Continuing on…one highlight of the trip was meeting Wanderlei Silva.  Got a pic, too!  He is a very humble and respectful individual outside of the octagon, and I wish I had had more time to spend with him.  He thanked me for posing with him and is genuinely appreciative of the fans.  Most fighters that I have met are like that, however.  Unlike most boxers and professional wrestlers, mixed martial arts fighters are down to earth and more than happy to sign autographs and pose for pics.  They always make the time to interact with their fans.  On a personal note – Wanderlei’s forearms are bigger than my thigh muscles.  The man is absolutely jacked.  You can see the effect of thousands of hours in the gym, especially up close and personal.

I had a great time, wandering the city prior to UFC 97, hanging out with friends, and taking in the culture and history of the city (and the occasional lap dance).  One of the guys I was with acquired a bit of food poisoning (after eating Chinese food which he was warned about eating prior to eating it!), which forced the other guy to consume his half of the beer keg (since I do not drink).  I have witnessed many things, but consumption of over eight litres of alcohol within a fifteen hour period was a new one.  Scary enough, it only produced a four-star hangover.  Next year we have to remember to bring a cooler or two as well.  As it stood we filled the garbage cans with ice creating our own redneck swamp coolers for the booze and my juice.

The drive home wasn’t bad either.  We listened to more comedy but had to make a couple of extra stops as I needed some energy drinks.  Nodding off at the wheel is scary shit indeed.  We still made good time though, and everyone arrived home safely and in one piece.