long. probably close to the length of day 1ne.
(let me know if these need to be shorter and i'll go day by day instead).
part 2wo: vancouver to the border. photos all over the place. two short videos hosted at youtube.com (i linked rather than bog your browser with loading video on top of the too many photos.)
day 6ix: so, umm... where was i? oh yes, picked up the car and rolled into vancouver around noon.
and to be honest, it was new westminster, south-east of the whole "greater vancouver" area. we managed to find our way through the street systems and arrive unscathed at our friends place, where we visited for a couple of hours and made plans for the next day.
interested in our friend? he's better known as "litotes" in his blog. feel free to stop on by and watch how his mental state unravels. truly frightening at times.
at his suggestion, we sought lodging at a location recommended by someone he knows. the dutch dog. a quaint european styled bed and breakfast located in a historic house. selling point?
A formal dining room features a full, gourmet breakfast daily, served by your Host, Rose Nadon, herself a graduate of the famous Dubrulle Culinary Art and Hotel Institute.
let me tell you, sleeping in a king size ‘heavenly bed’ series pillow top, and eating a gourmet breakfast cooked by a classically trained french chef was one of the highlights of the trip. and the price was extremely reasonable. if this sounds like i'm endorsing this place, you're right. i am. highly. she was fabulous. the place was fabulous. the food was fabulous.
anyway... after setting up 'home' in the dutch dog we headed out to see the capilano suspension bridge. this is in essence, a bridge that goes nowhere. "vancouver's oldest tourist attraction, originally built in 1889, stretches 450 feet (137m) across and 230 feet (70m) above capilano River." why? it seemed pretty cool. they have a haida, first nations cultural living exhibit, some great history displays, the bridge, largest private collection of totem poles, and the treetop adventure walk "seven suspension bridges through the evergreens taking you up to 100 feet (30m) above the forest floor." plus in all the times we've been to van, we'd never been there.
the bridge is long, and high, and moves. there were a fair number of people who came with others, and refused to cross. it was quite the view of the canyon from the bridge.
if you're interested in how bad the motion is, i shot some short video - the quality isn't great, but you get a good idea. (click here to view) and remember, i am not moving. your medication just wore off.
the treetop adventure walk was pretty good as well, though not as long or as high as i had hoped. still a lot of fun. there are a couple places in north america that have 'canopy' walks, which is what i was hoping for, but not really expecting.
day 7even: the next day we met with our friend and his 4 1/2 year old and headed out to stanley park for the day. we spent most of our time at the aquarium and managed to catch the show for the beluga whales, and the dolphins. there's some beautiful salt water fish in the exhibits here. however the one i really wanted to see, the jellyfish exhibit was closed for a major remodel.
how could i forget the lovable sea otter?
the trip home also took us by the famous "la casa gelato". home of over 508 flavours of gelato, including garlic, pear/blue-cheese/gorgonzola, fig, pumpkin/walnut, apple pie, and more than you could think possible. samples to help you decide are free and plentiful. the pear/blue-cheese/gorgonzola was good, but a little more than i was looking for that afternoon so i went with the fig in the end. great gelato.
the day wound down with dinner and long hours of visiting. we headed back to the b&b for the night.
day 8ight: we got up, packed, loaded the car and then ate a fabulous breakfast. it may have topped the breakfast of the first day.
we hit the highway taking the 99 down to the border at peace arch. the border crossing was fairly smooth. although i am a little disappointed. after seeing this sign, i expected everything to be accessible just beyond the border. who knew the country was that big? we managed to find the pointy thing on the right side, but the rest... no where near this sign. bastards. i curse your false advertising.
the border agent's primary questions were the standard. where you from. where are you headed. purpose of your visit. what are you bringing across. apparently sneaking this last question in catches large numbers of people. drugs. doh! i mean... come on, does that really work?
i was well behaved and bit my tongue to refrain from making stupid comments that would land me in trouble. although i had to laugh as we left the place....
while the interrogation was quick, we lost too much time waiting in the line up for any kind of hump that day. of course, this may have been advertised falsely as well.
and so ends the saga of terrible long prose, many many photos (i thinned, really) and bad video footage. i'll cover the gourmet breakfasts in another post if anyone is interested.
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