Vancouver 2019

It is just over 3 weeks since we left NZ heading for Vancouver and for the first time I am writing our blog on my cell phone. This has come about by our decision to try to travel lighter which almost, but didn't quite, work....we are still towing our good old Kathmandu bags behind us albeit only half the weight.
The flight to  Vancouver...13hours....from Auckland was long and arduous but we got to our pre booked 'Home and Away' accommodation as planned and on time.
Dropping us off the taxi driver drew our attention to a huge notice on the door (think now he must have known what it was) and believing the notice was possibly instructions for us we said all was ok....at this point he seemed reluctant to drive away which did have us wondering!!
Dragging our bags up the front steps what were we faced with? A huge eviction notice, dated the day of our arrival, to the tenants of the property who were subletting their rented house without the landlord's  permission....and we were part of the problem!!!
We were aware our host was not going to be there when we arrived, she had left a key, so we let ourselves in and made ourselves comfortable. We were booked to stay 4 nights, all prepaid, so we just hoped all would be well. The accommodation was really lovely and comfortable (apart from  the continuously blocking toilet that is) but, needless to say, the notice disappeared from the door the following day and we never saw or heard from our host family during our stay whatsoever.
Vancouver we enjoyed greatly....it is an easy City to commute to....is fresh, green and clean and appears to have the health and welfare of its inhabitants foremost in its mind....well the governing bodies do anyway.
It didn't take us too long to sort out the bus system (Gary is a great compass) and getting around daily seemed extremely easy. We often were given free bus rides by the drivers, rather than being concerned about how they were going to charge us which is definitely not the norm, and we explored Vancouver City well.
The hop on hop off bus is a must, the little taxi boats on the river too and of course Granville Island. Gas town with its charming steam clock was very interesting too with so much history....fires, pubs and people!!
And look!!!! This is new....PICTURES!!!

A full day is needed at Capilano Park a heritage site that you can access by taking a free bus from Canada Place. It is very busy but also very famous for it's suspension bridge, cliff walk and treetops walk. Oh..and Owls, plenty of gorgeous

Owls. We did all the exciting stuff here and got a certificate as proof!!!!!

                       

       
Obviously the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver in 2010 is something the City is very proud of and a lot remains of it happening here. The Olympic Flame is still fired up once in a while but each time it is at a cost of thousands of Canadian dollars. The Olympian athletes villages are now used as dwellings and sculptures commemorating the occasion are everywhere.

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We happened to stumble across one done by my very favourite artist of all time.....Salvadore Dahli.

A day trip to Whistler marked the end of our stay. What a delightful village full of vibrant young people still being able to hit the snow in late May. It was very cold for us....Vancouver City having turned on amazing weather.....but we hit the slopes as well albeit in the cable car. The views were breathtaking....the cable car trip long.....we were cold but happy to be right there....Gary claiming his gold medal for audacity.

Many years ago my youngest son came to Whistler with all his college friends for a snowboarding/working holiday staying in Creekside and all working in Joey Changs chinese restaurant. Joey's has since closed but it seemed strange realising I was walking in his footsteps many years later!!

A WORD OF WARNING IF VISITING VANCOUVER. 

Stay away from Chinatown...the hop on hop off bus stops there....it is a HEARTBREAKER!!!

The pavements are lined with drug addicts and the homeless. For whatever reason they choose or fall into this life they are still someone's child, brother, sister, mother or father. It is not a pleasant sight to see so many broken people. ..some their only form of comfort or maybe responsibility, a potted plant among their few grimey possessions.  

WHILST THE POT PLANT LIVES.....SO DO I??

GOODNIGHT

Next stop Switzerland