Advertisement
Published: October 4th 2006
Gelato
This is the WASABI icecream I tried. Look closely at the label.Isn't it the worst when you just finish typing something really long and then click "delete" by mistake? Yeah...
So, well.
Yesterday I met this really cool guy. For lunch I stopped for fallafel at this little Middle Eastern restaurant, and as we devoured our Veggie platters, we got to talking. (Vancouver has the BEST fallafel...and sushi...and coffee...and crepes...so yeah I guess everything just tastes better in Canada.)
He told me to give him a call later on if I wanted a real tour of the city, and after five hours exploring the Vancouver Art Gallery, I decided to give it a shot. I hadn't really seen much of this place, anyways. I figured that I deserved my moneys worth.
So I walked about, I'd say, 5,000 miles back to the dump of a hostel I was sleeping at, and risked my life by taking a shower. The door wouldn't lock, it actually wouldnt't close, the water nearly fried my skin off, and I could have contracted one of the many diseases that I'm sure were just flourishing on the peeling, stained, and grimy brown floor.
I'm getting used to this.
I got dressed and met up with Mike,
a full-blooded Vancouverite. I learned more from him in the few hours we spent together about his country that I ever could by reading a Lonely Planet guide book or even watching the news.
First stop: Amazing, spectacular, delicious, cheap: SUSHI. He took me to his favorite place, a crowded little spot called Samurai Sushi, and talked about his backpacking adventures in Europe, running with the bulls in Spain, about our time spent in Maine, the differences between "the States" and Canada; the citizens, and Australians, amoung other things. He told me about how even though the Canadian people try to convince themselves that their country is so great, with recycling bins next to garbage cans on the streets, their mountains in the distance, and many trees growing throughout the city, deep down inside they all know the truth of the matter: Canada is no better at saving the world than the Us. Infact, they may be better at polluting it.
So anyways, that was the most delicious sushi I have ever had. We ate a yam tempura roll: I know, sounds yummy! After we had a sip of warm Sake in our little tea cups, we left the
restaurant and headed for the Gay Clubbin' District.
It was just a few blocks of gay bars, nothing I havn't seen before, until...the bus stops! They were painted bright pink! And the garbage cans! It was too cool, and actually lit up the city, making all of those grays seem a little less drab.
We turned down another street and Mike asked "Tell me you've never experienced Gelato?"
After I answered that I hadn't, we rushed to the closest place. As I held the door for a little girl, her face indistinguishable for all of the melting colors plastered to it, I knew that this could be heaven.
"Wasabi" "Balsamic Vinegar" "Cream Cheese" "Chocolate Chili" "Dragon Fruit" "Coconut and Olive Oil"
As I passed all of the disgusting and fantastic flavors of ice cream, I tried every one. And after 15 minutes of free samples, we left for the beach.
We stood silent for awhile. The lights of the city across the bay twinkeld "like everyone was flicking their switches on and off," and the mountains loomed in the distance, their sillhouettes dark and mystical. The waves sleepily licked the shore, and the floating lights of Grouse mountain looked like
Totem Poles
Vancouver had many Natives back in the day, and their leftover art is displayed everytwhere throughout the city. a city in the sky, greeting the stars with their artificial light.
It was then that I realized that this could be the most beautiful place in the world. Where you could sigh at the sight of the mountains, the ocean, the dazzling city, and watch the sunset all in the same instance. Almost like Vashon Island, but bigger and more alive.
Advertisement
Tot: 0.087s; Tpl: 0.011s; cc: 6; qc: 47; dbt: 0.0542s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
Darlene
non-member comment
Yes, Nik you truely are in a magical place. The first time I visited Seattle, I thought the very same thing. It just mystified me. How you could be on the beach, view the mountains and watch a magnificent sunset was beyond my most imaginable dreams. Thanks for emailing about your blog. You're a terrific writer. I feel as though I am there with you.... Love, Aunt Darlene