Vancouver: sunshine, bikes and totem poles

Vancouver Stanley Park 3

Vancouver Seaplanes

Vancouver Stanley Park

Vancouver Stanley Park 2

Vancouver Aquarium

Vancouver Aquarium 3

Vancouver Aquarium 5

Vancouver Aquarium 4

Vancouver Capilano 5

Vancouver Capilano 3

Vancouver Capilano 4

Vancouver Capilano 8

Vancouver Capilano 10

Vancouver Capilano 9

Vancouver Capilano 7

Vancouver Capilano

Vancouver Capilano 2

Vancouver Capilano 6

Vancouver Gastown 2

Vancouver Gastown

Vancouver Sea to Sky

Vancouver Shannon Falls

Vancouver Granville

Vancouver Granville 2

Vancouver bike 2

Vancouver Beach

Vancouver Grouse Mountain 2

Vancouver Mt Baker

Vancouver Grouse Mountain 3

Vancouver Grouse Mountain

Snow-capped mountains, the glittering ocean and lush green hills where the first things we saw while landing in the city of Vancouver, British Columbia. In a city that has an average amount of 57 inches (1457 mm) of rain a year, we were insanely lucky to have such a clear view for miles. Three days of sunshine and record-breaking temperatures made our stay very pleasant and the impressions of the city probably better than usual.

Even though it is far from 'pretty', it does have a unique position and the city is therefor dominated by an outdoor culture, rain or shine!

The possibility to ski, sail and hike through rainforest all in the same day, makes it very expensive though. A hostel-like hotel with shared bathroom was all we could afford. It might also explain the number of homeless people on the streets. We got unpleasantly surprised when we were suddenly surrounded by hundreds of them in Chinatown (turned out to be their 'spot'). The difference in wealth is visible everywhere. You look up the first time you see a Porsche drive by on the streets, but not the fiftieth time. The most popular vehicles in Vancouver are followed closely by BMW. And are mostly occupied by Asians...

We preferred (well, not preferred duh) the bike to move around. The streets are steep like in San Francisco so you do need to be up to date with your cardio workouts. Coming from a car-oriented overheated desert, I wasn't prepared at all and ended up walking more times than I'd like to admit...

But the bike lanes are well maintained and safe so it's the best way to explore the city.

Our first stop was Stanley Park and the surrounding Seawall. The fact that it was designated as a military reserve in 1863 saved this huge area from urban development, and in 1886 it was leased from the government to use as a park. It still has that status and is now one of the largest and most popular urban parks in the world. The surrounding bike path and walkway, the Seawall, is almost 9 kilometers long and has great views of the harbor and the ocean. One of the main attractions in the park is the Vancouver Aquarium. We're always interested to learn more about the local wildlife and since Vancouver is surrounded by water, the aquarium was an obvious choice to start with.

Following the Seawall further takes you underneath the Lions Gate Bridge, passing several beaches, and very randomly placed totem poles. These are a clear reminder of the history of the Native Americans in this part of the country.

As mentioned before, Asians now dominate the population. The first sign of their presence was noticeable at the airport, where literally hundreds of young Asian students were waiting for their Visa. Besides money and smart people, they also bring their amazing cuisine to Vancouver. Like in most cities along the West Coast of North America, there are Japanese restaurants on every street corner. Luckily, this happens to be our favorite food! We ate plenty of Udon noodles, sushi and fresh fish. And also a typical Vancouver snack: the Japadog. This is a hotdog with toppings like seaweed, cabbage and yakisoba sauce. Doesn't sound great, but it was delicious.

Because we needed to give our legs (and our sore behind) some rest, we rented a car the next day to drive North. After crossing the Lions Gate (only 1 lane each way, joy) it was a short drive to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, the Salmon Hatchery, Grouse Mountain and the Sea to Sky Highway. Capitano Park was a bit crowded, but absolutely worth the trip. Suspension bridges and walkways lead you through a dense rainforest with huge trees and steep cliffs. The feeling of being in the wilderness so close to the city is pretty impressive.

Further down the road is the Capilano Salmon Hatchery. Here they try to control the local salmon population and show the process of the 'salmon ladder'. You won't believe how much fun it is to watch jumping fish...

Leaving Capilano Park and driving further for a couple of miles we got to the entrance of the cable car up Grouse mountain. It is a little overpriced but with the beautiful weather, the view of Vancouver below was worth it. On the mountain they have a nice restaurant, two orphan grizzly bears (luckily not in the same place), a lumberjack show and the option for helicopter rides.

The sun was out once again the last day in the city, so it was back to the bike. The Seawall doesn't stop at Stanley Park but follows the coast further South for another 10 kilometers (sore behind, here we go!). When coming from downtown, it first gets interrupted though by an island. Granville Island is only reachable by little ferry boats that take you across for a couple of dollars. Granville has a very alternative vibe, with a farmer's market, local art galleries, a brewery and a couple of restaurants. After buying our local, healthy lunch at the market we biked further on our way to the Anthropology Museum, stopping along the way at Kitsilano Beach. The museum focusses on totem poles, carved by modern artists with a native heritage. Besides the totems, the museum has an exhibit about indigenous people of South America and Asia. I mean, makes sense.

At the end of the day, we were just very lucky with the weather. We were able to bike everywhere without getting soaked, enjoy the views up Grouse Mountain and the outdoor patios of the bars in Gastown. I realize that if it had rained the three days we were in Vancouver, I would probably not have liked it that much. This is, after all, an outdoor city. Biking and hiking is what makes it fun. Weird as it is with their weather pattern.

Sunshine or not, that night we packed our bags and got ready to leave Vancouver and board a cruise ship for the first time in our lives.

I will tell you about our experience onboard and our impressions of our destination, Alaska, in my next blog!