Walking Around Vancouver

I had another restless night and after tossing and turning, decided to just get up and get ready before the bathroom got crowded. I went down to the dining room and it was already packed. A lot of people take advantage of the free breakfast which only goes until 9:30 or so. The hostel was full of people from all over world who were basically living there while they worked in Vancouver. It can be a little intimidating coming into that situation when you are by yourself. At the front desk, I signed up for a hostel pub/club night. I figured it would be a good way to meet some people and experience Vancouver's nightlife.

I looked over a Lonely Planet Pacific Northwest book I had borrowed. What I deduced from it was that there wasn't a whole lot to "see" in Vancouver, especially if you only had a day or so there. I decided I would just walk along the seawall, go into Stanley Park and then just enjoy whatever stumbled upon after that.

Seawall and Stanley Park

From the hostel it was just a few minute walk to English Bay Beach. I walked along the seawall until I reached Stanley Park. It was a really pretty day and both locals and tourists were out running, walking dogs, cycling, and rollerblading. It reminded me of walking along the edge of the Marina and the Presidio on a sunny day in San Francisco. After awhile, I decided to go inside the park when the sea breeze became unbearable for my ears. My earmuffs would have come in handy if I had brought them on my trip! A chunk of Stanley Park is forest area that was left in its natural state. I wandered along some trails but didn't want to go too far by myself.

Retail Therapy

I left the park and walked along Davie Street and popped into the cute little boutiques that all seemed to be having sales. It was about $1 US to $1.25 Canadian, so shopping in Canada was slightly more cost effective than shopping at home! If you use a card to pay for everything, you don't have to worry about getting ripped off with exchange rates. I turned left when I hit Burrard Street, another main drag. I was walking aimlessly, thinking I might head to the historic Gastown district, when I came across a Roots store. There are very few of these stores in the US so I had to pop in. My Vancouver friend called just as I walked in and said she would not be able to meet up for lunch as we had tentatively planned. She was recovering from the previous night's festivities and then heading up to Whistler for the rest of her long weekend. She recommended shopping on Robson Street. I didn't realize I was already there. I spent a little time on Robson Street which is comparable to Rodeo Drive, but with more affordable options.

Canada's Next Top Model?

I continued wandering until I reached water and Canada Place which appeared to be an event center. I wanted to find coffee and something snack on until dinner. In a businessy looking area, I saw a Blenz Coffee shop. Blenz is like a Canadian Starbucks, but not as annoying and prevalent. The guy running the shop was extremely pleasant and treated all of the patrons like we were regular customers that he'd known for years. I've discovered that sitting in a little coffee shop and reading local publications is one of my favorite travel past times. I could've spent hours there but I had limited time so I had to move on.

I headed towards Gastown where I saw a steam clock, poked around in a few stores, and stumbled upon a photo shoot in alley mural covered alley. It had become increasingly overcast and even colder as the day went on. The guy model was topless and the girl model was in pasties and a short skirt. The girl was clearly freezing and trying to suck it up. Wow, the things people will do for fashion... and a paycheck.

I walked down Granville Street until I reached the bridge. I was hoping to get the same view that I had gotten driving over the bridge the previous day but I should have been on the other side. Oh well, I didn't feel like walking around to get to the other side, my feet were worn out by that time. And I still had some nice views of the city. I headed back to Davie Street to eat dinner at a Singaporean restaurant I had walked by earlier in the day. I had a nice booth to myself that looked out onto the street. Once again, I experienced that great Vancouverian hospitality. I rushed back to the hostel to get ready for the outing.

Vancouver at Night

We all met up in the lobby of HI Vancouver Central which is in the middle of the Granville Street party area. It's right above a bar and across the street from another hostel. I was glad I had chosen not to stay there, because besides the lack of parking, they were doing a ton of street work in the area. Roads were closed and the sidewalks were basically dirt and rocks. I had seen a poor girl struggle to get her XXL suitcase down the sidewalk to the hostel earlier in the day.

A few girls walked in who I recognized from my hostel. I chatted with them a lot as well as guy from France who was the epitome of the American stereotype of French people. We had a diverse group of people from Australia, Japan, Argentina, France, England and many more places. We first went to a pubby bar with live music. Getting into night establishments in Canada is almost like going through airport security. They check your ID, scan it, take a picture of you, pat down the males, and look through females' purses. I thought that maybe that particular bar was a little anal, but every other place had the same protocol. The volunteer who was leading our group said that it didn't used to be that strict but it has become that way to prepare for the 2010 Olympics.

After awhile we left the pub to go to a dance club where they were playing electronic music. Over the past year I've learned to like electronic dance music, but can't usually handle house music for an extended period of time. Some of the others were over it as well, so a group of us took off to check out a Top 40 club down the street. All in all it was good night!