Vancouver: Juxtaposition of Opinions

Granville Island Marina

Vancouver had been billed as the place to be in BC – well, if you’re not on a mountain somewhere. To say it didn’t live up to the hype would be a little harsh, but it just didn’t quite mesmerise us as we had been lead to believe. Don’t get me wrong, Vancouver is a beautiful city, I think it’s just a case of end of the trip blues.

I should clarify, Nic and I are considering this as the last stop on Part 1 of our trip. We have finally reached Whistler and shall be staying put for a couple of months at the least. For us, that is like signing a mortgage and settling down!

But back to Van, I believe we didn’t get the best out of it because we knew our time on the road was nearing an end. Like all trips, the last stop you never really get everything out of it. You have sort of swapped out of that travel mode and are thinking of things you need to get done when it’s all over. Instead of just rolling along like you usually do on the road.

Still, Vancouver did have a lot to offer, and we hardly scratched the surface. We started with a trip out to Lynn Canyon, which offers a pleasant hike through the forest up to Rice Lake. The trip is worth it due to the fact that it is practically free, but I’m sure there are a hell of a lot better ways to spend a day in Van.

Lynn Canyon and Rice Lake

The trip back, via public transport, was worth the price of admission if you are coming back as the sun is setting. The final leg of the journey is a ferry ride across False Bay, and watching the city skyline come to life as the last light of day disappears beneath the horizon is always a cool way to get a feel for a city.

Downtown Vancouver at Twilight

Sunday, like most Sundays of the trip revolved around drinking froths! It was a good mate’s birthday and we just happened to be in town on the right weekend. Benny had picked out a sweet local brewery which just so happened to have some Sunday specials on. And like all pubs, the FOOTBALL was on, so I was all over it.

A cheeky stop off at a second pub and a liquor store on the way home ensured we all woke up the following morning suffering…at least we didn’t have work to go to!

Monday was an admin and run around day but Tuesday, Nic’s friend Hannah had the day off and took us on a tour of Vancouver. It is always great getting to see a city through the eyes of a local, and Hannah seems to know her way around Van pretty well for only being there for 6 months. I don’t think I could do a similar tour in Perth and I have lived there for over 10 years. Apparently I’m just not that observant.

The day took us all over the city, with each stop providing a different perspective to the city as a whole. The first stop was out at Deep Cove and a quick hike up to the quarry not only got us out of the frigid wind, but gave a beautiful overlook of the cove and surrounding waters.

Deep Cove

A short drive from here got us to Cypress Mountain, one of 3 skiable hills in the Van area, and the view from one of the lookouts was incredible. The photos don’t do it nearly enough justice, but there would be no need to do a scenic flight over Van, given you can get such views for free from the side of a hill! You really can see the whole city, from Stanley Park, to Downtown Vancouver, to Burnaby, to Surrey, there doesn’t seem to be a part of the city you can’t see. On a clear day (which we had but couldn’t capture with the camera) you can even see ‘MERICA!

Stanley Park, Downtown Vancouver and Greater Vancouver viewed from Cypress Mountain

A quick drive through Stanley Park gave yet another view of the city and its downtown skyline. Stanley Park seems to be Vancouver’s equivalent to Central Park in NY, and it does seem like a perfectly good way to while away the sunshine hours of a summer day doing whatever it is that floats your boat – swimming, running, riding, sitting on your arse drinking froths, whatever!

Exiting the park we made our way to Kitsilano Beach, one of Van’s favourite summer spots. But like most Australians, it’s hard to get excited about a beach. Still, it does seem like one of the better spots to swim in Van if the temp permits.

Kitsilano Beach

So far, Van had offered us what most cities offer and a bit more, but we hadn’t quite got the feeling most people get when they talk about it. Well our last night was to deliver a part of what most people mention when describing Vancouver, and it’s not the good part.

For those who don’t know, Vancouver is renowned for its homeless population and certain areas have a very seedy, underground vibe! It just so happened that we were staying in one of the said areas. With that in mind, we practically emptied Rodge of anything of value to us, without bringing the kitchen sink with us. Well, he went untouched for 3 nights until the last…it’s always the last!

On our final morning we were woken rather early (for us) to be informed that Rodge looked to have been broken into. As mentioned before, we had emptied him of most valuable possessions (passports, computer, snowboards, etc.) but we had, you know prior planning and all, done a big shop in Van stocking up on the essentials before getting to the exorbitant prices of Whistler. So instead of unpacking what seemed like 6 months’ worth of food (yeah we stocked up alright) we left it in the car, hidden away as best we could.

So to cut a long story short, there is some homeless fella getting around with a fair supply of our food, pimped out in a brand new tent, complete with blow up mattress, and don’t worry he nabbed the pump as well, so there won’t be any breathless nights trying to blow the bastard up either! But by far the worst was the esky. Seriously, who steals a man’s esky? An esky is sacred, and that my friend is sacrilege! And to top it off, I still had a few froths left in it!

We were able to get the smashed window partly fixed (for the time being she is permanently closed but only a crazy man would have his window down in this weather) and made it up to Whistler the same day we planned, and hopefully travel insurance comes through with the goods, cos that what you have it for, right?

So Vancouver was both good and bad, a real comparison between the best a city has to offer, and it’s downright dirty, drug infused side. Still, if that’s the worst it has, I’m OK with it. No one was hurt, and now I don’t feel the need to donate to any charity for a while. I’ve done my good deed for some lucky bastard!

Downtown Vancouver