Vancouver

**~ * ~ DAY 1 ~ * ~**

I took an early Quickshuttle bus ride from Seattle to Vancouver, on which I slept the whole way. It was two hours from Seattle to the border and one hour from the border to Vancouver airport. Crossing the border from the US to Canada was an interesting ordeal, as I got questioned by the customs official to the extreme, especially for my declared 2 day trip!
Official: Why are you going to Canada? (To visit a friend.) how do you know this friend? (From high school.) Did she go to high school in the US, or did you go to high school in Canada?
Official: How much luggage do you have with you? (I showed her my backpack and laptop.) Where is the rest of your luggage? (That’s it.) No, where is the rest of your luggage??
Official: Who’s paying for this trip? (I am.) With cash or credit card? (Er. Both? Would you like my credit card number as well? Okay I didn’t actually say that last part, but it’s kind of ridiculous.)

Monica, who I have not seen in 5 years since high school graduation, picked me

Bell Flowers

up and took me to her home (just 5 minutes from the airport), where I was (fur) attacked by her friendly huskies, Jimmy and Rika. We went with her mother to a great Chinese restaurant for dim sum and other delicacies that reminded me of Hong Kong.

Stanley Park

Our first stop was Stanley Park, a large recreational peninsula near downtown Vancouver. We parked then discovered a free shuttle that circled the park. As I was getting of the shuttle, I almost (literally!) ran into Alex and Robin, who had rented bikes and were cycling around the park. After getting over the shock, we saw the totem poles then climbed down on to the beach by the lighthouse, where there were great views of the different parts of Vancouver Bay. The majestic Lions Gate Bridge arched over the bay towards north Vancouver, high enough to allow large shipping containers pass (Vancouver is the port with the highest exports in North America!), as well as sailboats. There were several interesting sights around the park, such as the Lady in a Wetsuit statue (who was claimed by a seagull perched on her head) and a hollow tree large enough to

Bikers!

Stanley Park collision

fit a horse and carriage; but one of our favorite stops was the playground where Monica and I ran about and lamented the lack of innovative playgrounds such as this one during our childhood.

Iona Beach

We picked up Monica’s two huskies and had an interesting drive to Iona Beach Park with the two hyperactive dogs in the backseat (Rika trying to push her way up front to the steering wheel despite her seatbelt). The beach was extremely peaceful, with out the sound of the water lapping and airplanes as they landed at Vancouver airport. There were logs that had washed up along the beach (and the logging industry had come to a halt recently) and the tide had brought in a layer of seaweed that was drying in the sun. The dogs happily raced along the waterside. Rika bounced into the foam and seaweed-filled waves, despite having just been given a bath by Monica a few days ago.

Richmond Chinese Food
Richmond is an interesting town, very densely populated with Chinese - in some places there were even more Chinese signs than in Hong Kong! Grocery stores, restaurants, hair salons, even a Tom Lee Music store!