Vancouver British Columbia
“Vancouver is the square root of negative one. Technically it shouldn’t exist, but it does. I can’t imagine living anywhere else.” - Douglas Coupland
We arrived in Vancouver in the late afternoon and did a bus tour of the city with some scenic photo stops. After checking in at our hotel I walked to the Olympic cauldron at Canada Place and then Gas Town to the Gas Clock.
Since I had been to Vancouver before I elected not to spend any extra time here, what a mistake. The Vancouver of my memories had changed considerably. Ah well! Vancouver is not far so perhaps now that I’ve rediscovered it there might be a chance to re-visit.
The glass and steel cauldron mounted with a view of the water is an impressive sight. I can just imagine the flames shooting up with the crystalline effect of the supports showcasing the fire and ice theme of the Olympics.
Soon, the Olympic Flame will be lit once again in Paris and then four years later in my hometown of Los Angeles.
The Lions Gate Suspension Bridge. With the beautiful mountains towering behind it and the graceful span across the river and the lions gracing the front it is a sight to behold.
The Totem Poles in Stanley Park, along with the two gates these are an impressive sight.
As I wandered through this area, I was again reminded of our visit so many years ago and a picture of me and my kids right here. That picture too is a part of a collage of family pictures in my home. I had to send these pictures to my older son asking him if he remembered these.
Connections, I’m once again reminded of our family who hosted us in Vancouver and showed us around especially my niece Sonu Warna who showed us her beautiful hometown.
The 9 O’clock Cannon one of a few gifted to Canada, was once installed here to allow the ships to set their chronometers and clocks. After being stolen a couple of times it’s now bolted down and enclosed in a cage but still dominates the water and the Vancouver cityscape.
The SS Empress of Japan once known as the Queen of the Pacific crossed the ocean over 400 times during its lifetime.
The colorful figurehead was saved and mounted here in Stanley Park to emphasize the deep connections between Vancouver and Asia.
Vancouver’s own version of a Little Mermaid, The Girl in the Wetsuit is perched on a rock in the water along the north shore of Stanley Park.
I remember my first visit to Stanley Park, there used to be sketch artists who sat with their easels doing pencil sketches. My younger son wanted one but not my older one. I still have that sketch framed hanging on my bedroom wall. In retrospect what a wonderful souvenir it turned out to be of our visit.
There are a lot of hiking paths and tall shade trees that dot the center of the park even as you have the trail that cars and tour buses trundle along.
Vancouver’s pedestrian area is called Gastown. I put in Gaslamp district in my navigation app, and it tried to map a path to San Diego. I couldn’t figure out why it would want to give me walking directions from Vancouver to San Diego. It pays to understand the subtleties of names when you are trying to interface with technology. What’s the difference between Gas Town and Gas lamp? well apparently quite a lot according to my oh so particular application.
All’s well that ends well, I did find it and managed to walk there in 15 minutes from where I was and was spared routing myself through San Diego.
A tired dock walker takes a nap in the shade of an angel. This area smelled so strongly of weed and other intoxicants that I felt I might have just gotten intoxicated just from walking through the area.
Fortunately, I was able to enjoy my glass of wine with dinner and didn’t stumble over my speech, too much.
Vancouver has a steam clock that covers the steam grate here in Gas Town. No chance of that iconic moment with Marilyn Monroe’s dress flying over a grate. However, it has its own shenanigans with sound and steam at the quarter hours.
Hurrying home (to the hotel) and a planned farewell dinner with the group I barely had time to admire the graffiti along the way. It’s amazing how this has been transformed from a nuisance to an art form that every big city now proudly displays and even offers tours of.
The city side view from my room. Asta La Vista Vancouver. I am sorry my time was so short, but I will definitely try to return and explore more of how you are today instead of the yesterday I remember.