3 Days in Vancouver: Day 1 (Afternoon)

Setting Off

In the afternoon I decided to hire a bike to cycle around the Stanley Park Sea Wall, Now it is important to note I probably haven’t ridden a bike properly since I was roughly 13. So with some very rusty cycling skills I set off on my adventure. I hired the bike from along the waterfront and was pleased with the conversion rate as I paid on my debit card. It is law in Vancouver I believe to wear a helmet so these are supplied to you as well as a bike lock. Now I must say the bike was super comfortable and after a few wobbles I was off.

My first stop was going to be Klahowya village. Well I got a little lost that resulted in the purchasing of some delightful blueberries and stumbling upon the Beaver Lake in the middle of the park. In the end I reached the village with its artists market area displaying First Nation craftwork. The craft workshops are run at set times so I opted to take the story train ride. The year I visited the theme was Salmon and through dance actors interpreted the story being piped to us through the carriage speakers.  I would say it is more aimed towards children than adults but it was interesting nonetheless.

Next stop Vancouver Aquarium:

I managed to get a cheaper entrance fee with my international student card so that was a bonus. Inside the jellyfish exhibit and the area on Canadian ecosystems were very interesting. I was also surprised to see birds and small monkeys in the tropical area. The Aquarium is also home to Beluga Whales, which I had mixed feelings about. They also house Harbor Porpoises and Seals that have been rescued from the local area that I felt better about. Then there were the cheeky Sea Otters who seem to draw a lot of visitor attention. The sight isn’t huge but it is worth a visit.

 

It was then back onto my bike to visit the wonderful totem poles. There is ample parking and bike storage in the area. I spent a while taking in the amazing craftsmanship before looking in the great near by gift shop. The next point I came across where I stopped for a while was under the Lionsgate Bridge. This green bridge joining Downtown with the North shore is impressive. I watched people fishing, a tour boat whizzing through the rapids and large container ships whilst I took a few minutes rest. Then it was on past Siwash Rock to Third Beach. This is where I made friends with a Crow who seemed to have stolen part of someone’s sandwich.

      

I then cycled back towards the city, making it in time to watch the Disney cruise liner leaving the docks. Heading back the bike I then spent some time taking in the sight of seaplanes coming in and out of the harbor. Dinner was a grilled cheese and a doughnut courtesy of Tim Horton’s. Having eaten it was a short wander back to the Vancouver Lookout where I had begun the day. I headed up and spent a good hour or so watching the light change as the Sun set and the city lights turned on. Having had my fill of the view and not wanting to be out too late I walked back to my hotel room, grabbing a hot chocolate on the way to enjoy with some of the blueberries brought earlier. With that it was then time for bed ready for another day of adventure.

3 Days in Vancouver: Day 1 (Morning)

 Day 1, Part 1:

I got up pretty early with the worry about money on my mind. This was my first experience with the idea of paying up front for a hotel stay; so the previous night I had to hand over a substantial amount of my spending money for my time in Vancouver. However the hotel, the Vancouver YWCA  (see picture to left) turned out to be a perfect base, within easy walking distance of all the places I wanted to visit. Also the air conditioning and mini fridge were wonderful allowing me to cool down from the heat, as well as to have cold water to drink. My room had a view out at the Stadium which I found out when I arrived lit up various colours at night. I set off for my first day in Vancouver just before 10am.

The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen public garden.

I started walking to China Town in Vancouver. I wanted to see the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Chinese Garden. I didn’t know that you have to pay to enter some of it. I decided to stick with the public areas that were lovely and tranquil. The only thing giving away you were in a city, being the large blocks flats on the skyline.

From China Town I began walking back towards the downtown district. The night before the hotel receptionist had given me a city map and promptly scribbled out an area I shouldn’t go. Well in typical fashion it seemed I had wandered there. It seem perfectly ok to me. Like most places in a city I feel it might have been a little more daunting at night, rather than in bright summer sunlight. On my wanderings back towards the city I came across the Jimmy Hendrix Shrine, passed by BC Place Stadium and took in this new and exciting city).

A friendly face in Vancouver

 My next stop was Gas town where I took in the famous clock and as you can see met myself a cheerful Mountie Moose (see above).  Then onwards to the Vancouver Lookout. Now this is a place that I would recommend to anyone visiting Vancouver. I got a student ticket that was less than  $10 (about £5), which allowed me to return at any point during the day.

View of the docks from the Vancouver Lookout.

The lift takes you up to a circular viewing room, which can be seen as a distinctive marker in the Vancouver skyline. One thing to note is that a certain point the lift moves from inside to outside which gives a little bit of a thrill. I noted that guides were on hand to point out sights and give further information to visitors. I headed back down after taking in the views and made plans to return later in the day.

Information on Day 1 in Vancouver will continue in my next post.