There isn't much to report from this day because I spent most of it alternating between writhing in bed in a delirious stupor and hovering over the bathroom toilet everytime I tried to keep down even a sip of water.
So you're probably thinking by now, "Man, Vancouver, what a deathtrap! I'm never going to go there!" But don't think that! Vancouverians are a very friendly people and everywhere people seem healthy, happy, smiling and friendly. There is a vibrancy of life there that is almost tangible in the air. No matter where you go, there always seem to be crowds of people out and about, enjoying the fantastic weather (at least in the summer). I also like the diversity of the inhabitants - there seems to be a very large asian and mixed race population and from what I saw everyone seemed pretty open and accepting.
Even though Vancouver is a large, metropolitan city, you also get the feeling of a closeness to nature that is lacking in other big cities. Instead of fanatically paving over each square inch of greenery, there are actually grasses and trees visible. It is also surrounded by water and cradled by mountains to the north. Vancouver is still one of my favorite cities and if I have a chance to go back there, I definitely will. Just no sushi.
I came here as a result of a bad case of sushi food poisoning, but I'm glad I ended up here rather than somewhere else. Everyone here was exceptionally friendly, from the nurse who brought me 8 additional blankets because my blood vessels were dialated from my body going into shock and I was cold, to the doctor who fixed me up. To give another example, Angie wanted to get some food and water from a vending machine, but it would only take canadian money, and we had none. We also needed money to put into the parking meter for the car parked outside the hospital. The lady lying down next to me in the ER overheard our little dilemma and immediately offered to give us 20 canadian dollars, no strings attached. Even when we tried to convince her not to and offered her american money in exchange, she wouldn't have it, and insisted we take it for free. It must take an extraordinary amount of compassion to worry about other people when you yourself are lying sick in a hospital bed, but this is the type of vibe I got from everyone here.
