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Love it, love it, love it!
Admittedly i did get good weather which, apparently, is relatively rare for Vancouver but I have thought my way around this for if I can move here....when it rains in the city it snows in the mountains - Perfect!
I arrived to bump straight in to Pheobe - who i had met in Seattle - and opted to go out for a few wee beverages......there were some fab deals on at the bar beneath the hostel - so we made full use of the opportunity! Needless to say the next morning was a late one - but when we finally got our acts together it was still in need of a lovely leisurely day! (with the illustrious Jon from Fraser Island coming too!) Thus we opted for Gastown - the historic centre of Vancouver where the first pub was built and the city developed from. Lots of cutsie buildings, plaques of interest oh, and the 'famous' steam clock! From there it was on to Chinatown, where the sights, sounds and (rather pungent) smells took me back to the streets of China (well....wherelse?!) Via a few treats....well, breather spots....in the form of gardens
and dim sum markets! mmmmm yummy!
Then it was down to the estuary to go over to Granville Island in search of some much needed lunch (ok,ok munchies satisfiers!!) The Market there was just awesome - from chocolate dipped toffee apples to pastries to hats to photos. It was so intriguing wondering around - I noted it for a return! Lunch consisted of a pot-pie - essentially a bowl of sup with a pastry lid! Yum! Perfect stodge for the hangover! After a (brief) period of rest it was on to Kitsilana - the quirky bit of Vancouver. Opting to take the coastal path around we passed many a beach and boat - and feeling in true holiday mode opted to treat ourselves to a pint or two - well....they had pear cider (although in all honesty it wasn't quite up to Koppaberg standards!) We completed our circle going back through Yaletown - the upper class region of town - where many a stare (at our oh-so smart clothes) soon had us outta there!
We decided that dinner there wasn't really an option - unless we wanted to be refused entry to a restaurant and opted instead for
a burger bar (I know...burgers - haven't had one of them for years!) and more alcohol - they kind of forced it on us - honest grandma!!!! Admittedly though they didn't have any control over our subsequent activites - in fact enough bars to constitute a pub crawl! However - since then - NEVER drinking again! Well, til next time anyway! Discussions over the drinks led us to plan to hike the Grouse Grind the next day! (I should mention here that the Grind is often referred to as Mother Nature's Stairmaster and ascends 853 metres over 2.9km - with an average time of 1 1/2 hours!) Oooooooppppsssss!
The next morning, with memories of our vow to hike the hike we set off..........headaches, legaches and extreme queasiness not putting us off at all - no really!!!! We took the seabus and then caught the transfer - we really were going for it.......only to find it was shut - despite us having checked at the hostel! Appalling! So no up hill yomps for us! What a shame! (TBH the relief was probably apparent in our faces - but it was still quite disappointing as I think it would have been
quite a feat!) Instead we walked down to a nearby dam which took us a good hour then returned to the other side of the water to go out to Stanley Park, walking the sea wall track until we made it to an extremely pleasant beach and were able to pull up a log! Where we rested our weary eyes and feet for the afternoon - before heading back. Pheobe was off the next day - and the thought of more alcohol really wasn't appealing so we opted for an early night!
With Pheobe packed off, the day was mine. Victoria Place, the seafront and marina, the seaplane dock and other vantage points all with the stunning mountains in the backdrop! No complaints at all! Feeling energetic I then decided to hire a bike and do the complete circuit of Stanley. I set off with all the best intentions - only to discover that they charge you extortionate amounts for a day's hire - so you guessed it - I walked. 5 hours later, in the middle of the park and facing a steep (well-ish) climb I was really regretting that little bit of money saving! But I survived it, although my feet were killing me and on my return route factored in Robson Street known for its shopping and funnky eateries.
My final day in Vancouver was dedicated to my return to Granville Island and Market where I strolled around at leisure sampling all sorts of speciality meats, fruit and recipes. After all that lunch was fairly unnecessary and I opted to hit the sea wall again, find a patch of grass and work on my tan! With only 5 days before my return to the UK - it was time to start relaxing!!!
My return to America was painless (well, if you discount the fact that I had ended up on a bus AGAIN to Seattle) oh, except for the 5am start - as the hostel I had booked emailed me to inform me that they had made an error with processing and I no longer had a bed guaranteed! So, they pleasantly informed me, if I arrived at check out time (11am) i could
probably get a bed. Fantastic or what! Anyway, I was safe - i got there at 10.45 and hounded them til they relented and said no worries! Pheeeeww!
I only had the afternoon in Seattle before flying the next day so opted for more leisurely strolls as I was covering ground I had already done - electing to head to the waterfront and watch the boats coming and going! Hard life or what! That evening the hostel put on free food and I met a heap of people doing an agricultural exchange to the US - chatting with them was intriguing - and the evening fast disappeared! Before I knew it, I was catching my plane! But not before spending 1/2 an hour first thing in the morning at the Pike Place Fish Market - where there is the BEST fish stall which is not only fishy but also throws fish around and chant in time - quite the toursit attraction and really quite a spectacle!
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