Vancouver
Good vibes
It is a city with sculptures everywhere, surrounded by maple forests, with locals focused on getting out into nature and healthy living. Greenpeace was born there in 1969. On the other hand, the sportswear brand Lululemon was founded in 2000.
Today, it is the most expensive city in the country and the fourth most expensive in the world: monthly rent (for a one-bedroom apartment) averages around $2,100, and the cost of groceries exceeds $2,500.
Full of immigrants, 50% use English as a second language. Its port, the most important in Canada and the North Pacific, has a significant influence.
We landed in a seaplane that took us from Victoria. It was a phenomenal descent, truly unforgettable, with the magnificent city below, passing through the port, arriving very close to the iconic Canada Place.
As @tripticity_ usually travels light, with only carry-on luggage, we decided to walk to our accommodation, strategically located in the area.
On the way, we enjoyed the sculptures on the Waterfront. First, the Olympic Cauldron, ua torch evoking the 2010 Winter Olympics, designed by Bombardier Aerospace. Just a few steps away, The Digital Orca from 2009, by scientist and writer Douglas Copland, one of whose novels gave rise to a famous label: “Generation X” (those born in the early 1970s). Finally, The Drop, by the German artist collective Inges Idee, which resembles a raindrop like a meteorite. This is because Vancouver is the third rainiest city in Canada.
We checked in at the convenient Days Inn del Downtown and from there began our walk to the Anglican Cathedral - Catedral Anglicana with its Celtic cross and stained glass windows.
Nearby is the iconic 557-room Hotel Vancouver, managed by Fairmont. It closely imitated the style of the architect Francis Rattenbury, who had been fired from the company.
We continued along Robson Street, the most famous street in Downtown. Rent here costs about $300 per square meter, making it one of the 25 most expensive streets in the world.
Mr. @tripticity_ had prepared a glamorous hot dog lunch at Japadog. They are made with koro-buta sausage (a Japanese breed of black pig fed on sweet potatoes) and kobe beef (the highest grade of wagyu beef).
One block away is the Vancouver Public Library - Biblioteca Pública de Vancouver with its shopping arcade and collection of musical instruments. In the background is BC Place, the modern stadium where the Whitecaps play.
Turning right onto Homer St or Mainland St, we head towards Yaletown, the old railway and industrial district. It marked the end of the trans-Canadian network, where gold prospectors arrived in droves. Abandoned, it was chosen as the venue for Expo 86 and became a place for shops and restaurants.
From there, we turn onto Davie St. towards the port to take the False Creek Ferry to Granville Island.
After passing through the parking lot, we enter the Granville Island Public Market. An indoor market with a wide variety of food stalls and artisans from different communities. It's not cheap, but the quality is superb. It closes at 7 pm. On Johnston St, we passed under the highway to Old Bridge St, where we found the Giant Silos - Silos Gigantes, on either side, part of the city's concrete plant, painted by Os Gemeos, the duo of brothers Gustavo and Otávio Pandolfo from São Paulo.
We returned to the port and took the blue False Creek Ferry to the Vancouver Acquatic Centre.
When we got off, we walked along Thurlow St to Davie St towards Davie VIllage, the bohemian neighborhood with cultural cafes and vintage shops, the most liberal and gay-friendly neighborhood in Vancouver. As the weather was good, we turned left onto Nicola St and walked for about ten minutes to end the day at English Bay.
There, we enjoyed Engagement, sculpture by American artist Dennis Oppenheim, installed in 2005, which replicates others scattered around the world. A few meters ahead is the Inukshuk, a stone structure that serves as a landmark, in a version by local artist Alvin Kanak.
And then we enjoyed A-maze-ing Laughter, , by Chinese artist Yue Minjun, the most highly regarded contemporary artist in that country. It is an ensemble installed in 2009 that has become one of Vancouver's favorites. Then we decided to stay at English Bay Beach to watch the sunset. It is a classic spot to go and watch the sunset over the Pacific.
The next day we planned to visit Gastown, Chinatown, and Stanley Park.
We had been warned to be cautious as we were going to some slightly rough areas
That day happened to be a national holiday. July 1 commemorates the Constitution Act of 1867, which created Canada through the union of several colonies. The name of the country was chosen from an Iroquois word, Kanata, which means settlement.
On the way back from the hotel, we set off for Vancouver's oldest neighborhood, Gastown. First, we passed by the Marine Building, the 1930s Art Deco skyscraper inspired by the Chrysler Building in Manhattan. Then, we continued on to WaterFront Station. This is the station for the Transcontinental Railway, which connected the two ends of the country. Vancouver Lookout has an impressive 360-degree observation deck.
We continued along Water St. to the Gastown Steam Clock. Every day at noon, it whistles 12 times. The antique Victorian-style steam clock is actually quite deceiving. It dates back to 1977 and was commissioned by the street merchants, who placed it over a steam grate where many homeless people gathered to keep warm.
We continued on to Blood Alley, Vancouver's second largest tourist trap. There are no records of butcher shops or any sensational murders to justify its name, which was given by a journalist in the 1970s to boost its tourist value.
Next is the Hotel Europe, lthe local version of the Flatiron Building on 5th Avenue and Broadway in NYC. We walked down Carral Street towards Chinatown. Along the way, in the alleys, there were people under the influence of drugs, although there was also a significant police presence. To be clear, they mind their own business and don't bother anyone.
Once in Chinatown, we arrived at the Sam Kee Building. Built in 1913, it is 1.50 meters wide at the base and 1.80 meters wide at the top, which is why Guinness lists it as the world record holder for narrow commercial buildings. Sam Kee, a Chinese immigrant, bought the land, but the city council expropriated almost all of it, so he built the premises on the small strip that remained. For 85 years, the city council charged the owner fines for trespassing on the upper part..
We continued on to Sut Yat Sen Garden, Jardin Sut Yat Sen, the first Chinese garden opened outside Asia, in 1986 for the Expo. Obviously, it was built according to the philosophical principles of feng shui and Taoism: harmony and balance of opposites.
We also visited the Storytelling Centre, the community's cultural center.
At 3 pm, we had a reservation at the Top of Vancouver Revolving Restaurant, at the Vancouver Lookout. Happy hour was starting, until 5 pm. We ordered a local white wine and some snacks to go with it. Delicious. While we enjoyed the impressive 360-degree view, the structure rotated around the city for an hour. Truly unmissable. We celebrated our seventh anniversary there.
When we left, we took a bus to Stanley Park, getting off at Stanley Park Loop. From there, we began a walk through the 405-hectare urban park. It is natural, not designed by any landscape architect. There are two-century-old trees, 200 species of birds, and even coyotes, which occasionally attack visitors. In 2013, it was voted the best park in the world on Trip Advisor.
Highlights include the Seawall, a breakwater built to prevent sea erosion; the Aquarium building, the largest in Canada; and the Hollow Tree, in the oldest vegetation area. You can rent an e-bike or Segway or do the entire circuit on foot.
When we finished, we took a bus back to the hotel to rest.
For the last day, we planned to visit Grouse Mountain y Lonsdale.
In the morning, we walked along the Waterfront, from where we took the Seabus to Lonsdale Quay. The ferry leaves every 15 minutes.
That day, we bought a DayPass with a ComyPASS card from the vending machines at the central station. The pass offers unlimited use of buses, SkyTrains, SeaBuses, and HandyDART during the day.
The ferry crossing offers an extraordinary view of the city skyline.
Upon arrival, we walked through the Lonsdale Quay Market. We decided to have an oriental-style salmon burger for lunch. Delicious.
Then we visited the Polygon Gallery, a contemporary photography exhibition gallery, with an interesting and well-curated exhibition.
In the afternoon, we took a bus to Grouse Mountain. It is a ski resort in winter and a nature reserve. From the top, it offers a panoramic view of Vancouver, especially on a clear day like the one we had.
We chose the Sunset Special ticket, which costs a third of the regular price, for after 6 pm and includes the Skyride ride up. Many people take it and then go downhill biking or trekking. At the top, the Altitude Bar offers a variety of drinks and a café.
Here's an anecdote. Once at the top, you can take chairlifts that go even higher up the mountain. We were so enthralled by the views that we lost track of time. By the time we wanted to take the chairlift back down, it had stopped running. Luckily, Canadians from the west are so chill and cool that they sent a 4-wheel drive to pick us up, and that's what happened. What a relief! Otherwise, a walk of at least 45 minutes would have taken us back to the base where you take the Skyride down.
After the tour, we took the same bus back to Lower Lonsdale, again using the ComyPASS card, and from there the Seabus to Waterfront, which leaves every 30 minutes. Once at the hotel, we decided to rest, as we had an Air Canada flight to Toronto waiting for us the next day.
We took the Canada Line train to YVR Airport, which took only about 30 minutes, two blocks to Waterfront Station.
In a fairly quick visit, without paying too much attention to the incredible variety of outdoor tourism opportunities that Vancouver offers, we ended our tour of the city, admiring its surroundings, location, and good vibes.