Vancouver 16-19 July 2016

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Vancouver 16-19 July 2016



On leaving Victoria, Vancouver Island, we caught a bus from our hotel which drove to Swartz Bay ferry terminal where the bus drove straight onto the ferry. We sailed for 1.5 hrs to Tsawwassen ferry terminal to downtown Vancouver. This whole journey cost $84 – great value, particularly due to the convenience. We walked 3 blocks to our Holiday Inn & Suites, checked into our very comfortable rooms.



We had arranged with a great friend of mine Annie Grant who worked with me in Darwin at the Heart Foundation. We hadn’t seen each other for over 28 years but had kept in touch each Christmas. She went to Canada for a holiday and never came back….after marrying Steve, a Canadian. Hey had 2 children.



After walking 10 minutes down Granville Street, we caught the Sea Bus which is a passenger ferry that connects Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver. It generally runs every 15 min except in the evening and on Sundays. Very efficient. In no time, we were the other side of the stretch of water where Annie picked us up. It was so good to see her.



They put on a beautiful dinner for us – BBQ spicy salmon steak – and we didn’t stop chatting, reminiscing and learning about Canada. We got back to our hotel just before 12MN, walking along Granville Street which is closed off on Saturday nights because this is where all the night clubs, restaurants and strip-joints are!!!! It was a hive of activity.



After a fantastic sleep, we hit the tourist mode after a leisurely breakfast. The Hop on, Hop off bus was the easy way to go.



Vancouver is the largest metropolitan area in Western Canada, and third largest in Canada, with a population of 2.6 million. Located at the southwestern corner of the coastal province of British Columbia, it is well known for its majestic natural beauty, as it is nestled between the Coast Mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently ranked as one of the "best cities to live in" and is certainly a beautiful destination to visit.



On the bus trip, we visited the City Centre which included the financial, shopping and entertainment centre of the city.



We saw the impressive Museum of Anthropology at the University of British Columbia, which houses several thousand objects from BC's First Nations. We didn’t have time to go inside. The Vancouver Public Library, located downtown at Homer and Robson Sts, is modelled after the Roman Colosseum, and houses the city's largest library.



Another downtown sight is the small Contemporary Art Gallery on Nelson Street, which features modern art. Also located nearby, on the east side of False Creek is the shiny geodesic dome of the Telus World of Science (commonly known as Science World), which has a number of exhibits, shows and galleries aimed at making science fun for kids.



Another great spot we checked out was the BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum located at Gate A of BC Place Stadium. The BC Sports Hall of Fame and Museum preserves and honours BC's Sport heritage by recognizing extraordinary achievement in sport through using their collection and stories.



The city has a wealth of parks and gardens scattered throughout. The most famous we visited was Stanley Park at the tip of the downtown peninsula. Its miles of trails for walking and cycling, beaches, magnificent views and the attractions (including totem poles) within the park gives it something for everyone. The most popular trail we walked was the Seawall, a paved trail that runs around the perimeter of Stanley Park and now joins with the seawalls in Coal Harbour and Kitsilano, totalling 22 km in length. The other beautiful park we visited was the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in Chinatown downtown.



The Yaletown-False Creek area was also interesting. This is reclaimed industrial land that is now modern trendy neighbourhoods with some fantastic views along False Creek. The district hosts Vancouver's major spectator sports and is home to the Athlete's Village from the 2010 Winter Olympics.



The second morning in Vancouver, we headed for False Creek again to hop on a little ferry to go across to Granville Island for breakfast at the Market. After fantastic coffee, yummy salmon paninis, large fresh croissants, fresh fruit salad we staggered out and wandered around most interesting, arty markets as well as retail outlets for kids and adults (the latter being a brewery – but it was too early for that!!!). We came across one of the most colourful, fresh (non-smelly) markets ever …. And we have seen many throughout the world …and spent a bit of time here.



What we learned was the for many, Vancouver truly "arrived" in 1986 when the city hosted the Expo 86 World's Fair. Media attention from around the world was consistently positive, though many saw the resulting gentrification of poorer areas as being harmful to Vancouver's lower-class citizens, with many residents of the Downtown Eastside being evicted from their homes. Vancouver also hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, which was largely seen as another success, though it brought some similar criticisms.



We also visited Canada Place, with its distinctive sails, the Vancouver Convention Centre located just beside it, the intricate Art Deco styling of the Marine Building and the old luxury railway hotel of the Hotel Vancouver (which is where our first bus dropped us).



Canada Place included the “Fly Over Canada” theatre. Wow, was that fantastic. We were all strapped into our seetw while we watched a pilots-view of the best scenes of Canada. We were even sprayed with misty water when we ‘flew’ over Niagara Falls and other water features. We all felt very over whelmed at the beauty we saw and couldn’t wait for the remainder of our journey.



In the later afternoon, we went to the Vancouver Tower after having a yummy meal at the Steam Works Brewery. The 360-degree view of Vancouver was awe inspiring. Our adventure started with a 40-second elevator ride, whisking up 168m to the panoramic observation deck. We stayed there until after dark (sun didn’t set until 9.45pm) when the city of glass really came alive. It was one of the most spectacular cities at night I have seen. The sunset was beautiful also, particularly with a few clouds around.



Very satisfies, we walked back to our hotel with lights in our eyes!!!!



So Vancouver was certainly a city of beautiful fresh food, friendly, clean, ‘open’ city (due to the way buildings were positioned and with their glass walls), easy to get around. Sheryl said it also had the LuLu Lemon outlet!!! We found their history interesting as well as their town-planning culture positive with their aim to green their city. All new buildings must incorporate a garden roof or other means to increase plant-cover. Over 43% of people cycle in the city also. It seemed a young peoples’ city which we enjoyed.



The next day was our departure day, starting our Rocky Mountaineer 10-day trip. We were satisfied with our Vancouver adventures, knowing we will be back for 4 days at the end of our journey and will explore the northern areas of the city.

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