Saturday, 5 June 2010
Vancouver, Canada
Miss Vancouver is a morning person.
I. On the other hand. Am not.
You all know the drill by now. Do. Not. Disturb. The. Grumpy. Ogre. Who. Is. Asleep.
Woken from a deep sleep at 0530hrs by that well known phrase, “Get your sorry ass off that pillow and come and look at the sunrise.”
Call an ambulance.
There’s been a murder.
Eventually emerge from my jet lagged hibernation. At a reasonable time. Not the middle of the night. For that all important brew. Sitting on the deck for the final time. Admiring the view of sea and snow capped mountains. Eagles soaring overhead. Tide is out revealing rock formations forming the local oyster beds. Further up the beach is evidence of First Nation fishing pools dating back hundreds of years.
After an amazing and blissful few days, we’re to catch the ferry to Denman Island at 1000hrs. Leave the cabins at 0945hrs. It’s a 2 mile drive to the ferry landing. All of four minutes. Were it not for the fact that we have to drop a sack of accumulated recyclable waste off at the Free-Cycle Centre in the other direction. You bring your waste here and it’s either recycled, such as plastics and tin cans or it can be left to be picked up for free by someone else, such as clothing, books, equipment and other detritus.
Arrive at ferry terminal literally as ferry is departing. Having missed the ferry, an hour to kill. Which means a brew and sticky bun at the coffee shop. Naughty but nice. Which means a later ferry than anticipated from Denman Island back to Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island. Which means racing down Vancouver Island to Departure Bay at Nanaimo to catch the 1245hrs ferry back to Horseshoe Bay on the mainland. Miss Vancouver’s elder sister was a successful motor racing driver. Miss Vancouver has been taking tips.
Bloody hell.
I know I can drive fast. But this. Not a nervous passenger at all. Nope. Not at all. They’re not my white knuckles.
No time for a lunch stop now so end up making lunch on a small chopping board on my lap. Feeding Miss Vancouver as we drive at high speed. Overtaking everything in our way. We’re on a mission. Wacky Races like.
The pace only slackens when we realise that, despite best efforts, the 1245hrs sailing is going to be missed. Plans changed to a more relaxing 1500hrs sailing from the other ferry terminal at Nanaimo, Duke Point. Which actually works in our favour. A 2hr sailing that takes us in to Tsawassen on the southern side of Vancouver closer to where we want to be. Rather than Horseshoe Bay on the northern side.
Incredibly sad to have left Hornby Island.
It really has been the most perfect few days. Thank you Miss Vancouver!
Approaching the mainland the sky is blue and the snow capped mountains overlooking Vancouver are clearly visible. No wonder Vancouver consistently tops the charts of best cities to live.
Driving off the ferry see an SUV which just sums it all up.
The spare wheel cover on the rear door has ‘Life is good’ imprinted on it.
Registration plate is simply ‘WHA WHO’.
Yes.
Life is good!!
WHA WHO!!!
Return to Richmond. I first came here in 1995 to visit Miss Vancouver. Warned there has been an influx of Chinese to this suburb. Bloody hell. Not kidding. Since Hong Kong was handed over in 1997, Chinese immigration to Vancouver has increased. The southern suburb of Richmond in particular. Truly is like Chinatown now. Massive pagoda structure is a place of worship. Shop signage with only Chinese writing. [Return to visit on my Antarctica to Alaska trip in May 2019 and the Chinese takeover of Richmond has increased exponentially. Quite startling to see the transformation in nine years.]
Dinner with Mr & Mrs Vancouver. Family friends and formerly residents of the village I live in, Mr Vancouver travelled here on business in the mid 1970s. Loved it so much the whole family emigrated. And been here ever since.
Mrs Vancouver asks if I’m still jetlagged. No. I’m Miss Vancouver lagged. Fun and full on few days.
Drive the coast road around the headland of the University of British Columbia. West of the city. To Jericho Beach. To see the superb spectacle across the sea and snow capped mountains of the sun setting. A real buzz. Plenty of people partying on the beach. Sitting around small fires. Chatting. Joking. Drinking.
At the planetarium, having seen sunset, stop to see Saturn circling the sun majestically in the night sky through a large telescope. Rings clearly visible.
Life is good!
WHA WHO!!
