Saturday, 11 May 2019
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Vancouver once again puts on magnificent weather. Yet another bright blue sky. Have had sensational weather now since…way back when. Can’t remember the last time I had poor weather. Can’t remember the last time it rained on this trip when it mattered ie. a day’s sightseeing. Had bad weather driving from Dallas but that didn’t matter. Nope. Struggling to remember. If you can think of a time when I mentioned rainy weather on a sightseeing day, dear reader, please let me know, as I can’t think of one.
Yet two more new cruise ships moored up below the hotel. The three that were there yesterday unloaded and loaded in about 10hrs and departed yesterday evening. All horns blaring as they set sail. It’s a quite a sight to see these mammoth cruise ships gracefully glide out of port.
Free shuttle from outside the hotel to Grouse Mountain. The cable car glides up 2,600ft to the top of the mountain for fantastic views over Vancouver and surrounding areas. Bit hazy though so visibility reduced in the distance. Grouse Mountain peaks at 4,000ft and the remnants of winter snow still lies about piled up quite deep in places. Much more developed since I first came here in 1995, and there’s now a grizzly bear refuge. Two rescue bears roam about an enclosure surrounded by electric fencing. Which is surprisingly close to the public. The upshot is that the bears can easily be seen and are only a few feet away from where you can stand. They’re quite big and surprised how long the claws are. Remember an old friend telling me about the time she and her little sis were out hiking in the wilds of north America one time, with their little bear bells on their rucksacks, when a grizzly bear crossed their path ahead. A frightening experience apparently!
On the way back down to Vancouver is Capilano Suspension Bridge. Again, substantially more developed since I first came in 1995. Such is tourism. The suspension bridge is a footbridge linking two sides of the canyon. Originally built at the turn of the 19th century you need a head for heights and like swinging from side to side as you walk across. One bloke takes one step on it and quickly gets scared. Has to ring his friend who is already halfway across, “I can’t do it.”, he says, “It’s freaking me out!” There must be a 200ft drop down to the river below.
Pleasant walk along the gangways that have been built in the tree canopy so you can get up close and personal with a branch. And across the river is the cliff edge walk. Certainly not for those without a head for heights.
Having the choice of a free shuttle back to downtown or a couple of dollars for a public bus followed by a ferry across the harbour, opt for the latter. The local bus is full and the group of waiting Chinese at the bus stop are told to get on the next bus. Sod that. Jump on the full bus as it’s only me. It is full so stand by the driver’s cabin leaning on the post to steady myself. Off we go down the hill. Every so often the bell rings for the next stop. Bus pulls in but no one gets off. Off we go again. This happens a couple of times and can only assume it’s the bunch of students at the back of the bus dicking around. Can tell driver is getting fed up with this phantom bell ringer, as I’m right next to him.
Well, dear reader.
It’s only after a few miles that the phantom ringer is discovered.
It’s me.
I’ve been leaning on the post and have been unknowingly nudging the bell button as I’ve shifted my frame from one side to the other as the bus went around corners.
Think I might have gotten away with it as well.
Short ferry hop across the harbour reminds me of the packed Star Ferry across Hong Kong harbour. Pack ‘em in and go.
One of the cruise ships is about to leave port as I near the hotel. Quite a majestic sight to see these mammoth ships slip their ropes and glide away.
Very graceful.
That’ll be me this time tomorrow.
