I woke up about 6am today, and spent a couple hours typing on the computer, transcribing notes and filling in the blanks in things I'd already written. I figure I don't want to get too early of a start walking around, so doing this leaves time for the day to warm up a bit. And I realized that we've passed the Equinox, and are officially autumnal now. And last night was a full moon. Hrm. I'm feeling a bit less adrift in time.
The plan for today is to do the Dr. Sun Yat Sen Classical Chinese Garden first thing in the morning, and Chinatown, then either back to the waterfront to catch a free shuttle to Stanley Park, or perhaps a walk down Robson St, which is supposed to be "Rodeo Drive North". Béla recommended the Antropology Museum at UBC, but I'm not sure of the transit situation, so I'll see what develops over the course of the day.
And that gets the typing back into real-time, so I guess it's time to take a shower, get some breakfast and get on with the day.
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| The Chinatown Gate |
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| Chinatown Parking Ramp |
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Early morning in Chinatown. I stop by the garden and discover a sign saying it doesn't open until 9:30, so I wander around a bit. There are a few shopkeepers and such heading off to do their morning things, but most of the people on the streets at this point are the street people who've been awakened by the sun and are looking for a smoke to start the day. The grocery stores and such between Main and Cole on Pender and Keefer and along Main are opening about 9am. The smells of the produce and fish that they're putting out on display are fairly strong. I also spend a bit of time writing in the courtyard near the garden, watching all the little kids scurrying to something that starts about now. Looking more closely at the sign, the park near the garden opens at 9am during tourist season, which runs June 15th - August 31st. During the rest of the year, it opens at 9:30.
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| Pagoda in the Chinese Garden |
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| Stand of bamboo in Chinese Garden |
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The park is kinda nice, if small. It's got a few paths to walk, and some water, but most of the noise in the park is from the pumps and aeration equipment used to keep the water from stagnating. It only takes about ten or fifteen minutes to wander through the whole park, since it only takes up about half of a block. There's a stand of bamboo in here that's fairly impressive. I didn't know bamboo grew this far north, but it obviously does. The classical garden doesn't open until 10am, and has an admission fee, so I decide to get on with the day and just skip it. The free park is nice enough if you have it to yourself.
Andy Livingstone Park has a nice little artificial stream with water running through a rock course that rolls down the side of the hill. It's a nice little park, except for the bums and the garbage. There's a guy out picking up the garbage and complaining about it. He's got a point. It's a beatiful setting here in front of the moving water, except for all the crap that people have thrown all over (some of it in the water).
Walking up Keefer Place to the Stadium SkyTrain station, there's more moving water as you enter the station. This sort of touch makes me like Vancouver a lot.
A short ride on SkyTrain, and I'm at the Waterfront. I find that I've just missed the free hourly shuttle to Stanley Park, so I step inside the nearby shopping complex for a bite. There's a shop called La Tortelleria which has an okay looking menu. Since I've already breakfasted, I'm just looking for something light and order a quesadilla. The two people working are both Asian, which makes me wonder about the authenticity of the Mexican food here, but the gal who's cooking gives me some of her special hot sauce
which isn't bad. It's not a cheap break, but it gives me a chance to stop and ponder a bit and watch the woman eating a few tables away who has the body of a 16-year-old, but the hard face of a 50-year-old divorcée barfly. Harsh.
I decide to walk along Coal Harbor to Stanley Park. It's a nice day, and seems a good way to pass some time. I'm followed for a while by a pair of women, one of whom never stops talking. Have you ever noticed that people who say Long story short
, especially more than one in a breath, never seem to get to the point or stop talking?
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| Statue of Lord Stanley |
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At Stanley Park, I pause for a while at the info booth. There's some tables, and I grab a bottle of water to wet my whistle. The stream of people going by is nearly non-stop plus I've caught up to Ms. Long-Story-Short again. I'm wondering if the Aquuarium is going to be packed, and I start to fear it will be. I've decided to walk along the shore up to the Girl in Wetsuit Statue
, and then double-back to the Aquarium. Ms. LSS's gal-pal is back and they're off, so I'll wait just a bit longer to let them get enough of a lead that I don't have to hear any more stories.
Ah-hah. The reason for all the people becomes clear. It's the AIDS Walk today, and there are a lot of people out. Some are very determined walkers, but most just seem to be out for a stroll on a nice day. Once in a while a huge knot will go by, tying up both the walking and biking path, and I see more than a few cyclists who don't seem to appreciate it much. The group mentality of things like the AIDS walk is one of the reasons I usually avoid such things. People get out and there are always a few who seem to think I'm walking/running/biking for a good cause so get the hell out of my way.
I don't think anyone means to, but it has the same effect that Critical Mass does, without really meaning to.
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| Beluga and Calf |
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At the Aquarium, the Beluga calf who was born a few months ago is out in public. Check out his progress at the Vancouver Aquarium's Website.
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| Spinnaker the Dolphin |
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Spinnaker the Dolphin puts on quite a show, too. The most impressive part is when he jumps. Apparently when he came here about a year ago, he didn't know how to do that, and it was one of the first things they taught him. Now he seems to thrill at breaching and does it repeatedly.
The highlight of the Vancouver Aquarium is definitely the marine mammals. That's what I remember from my previous visit here, and it still holds. But for the 15 CAD admission fee, you'll probably want to look at more than just the mammals. Lunch will easily run another 10, so plan on spending some money here.
Outside the aquarium is a fool (complete with jester's cap) standing on his head, playing The Star Spangled Banner on kazoo, and slapping together the swim-fins on his feet for punctuation. That earns him a loonie.
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| Girl in Wetsuit statue |
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Leaving the aquarium, I head north. I figure I'll backtrack and see the bits I didn't when I detoured to get away from the AIDS walk. The Girl In Wetsuit apparently signifies Vancouver's dependence on the water.
The 9 O'Clock Gun is fenced in, and is fully automated, it appears. Maybe it's gas-fired? It's an old 12 pounder, and there are warning lights that are supposed to blink ten seconds before it fires so you have a chance to cover your ears. Apparently it's pretty loud, but I never heard it fire while I was in Vancouver, so I don't know.
I take the free Stanley Park Shuttle partway around the park. The driver mentions that this might be the last day for the shuttle, since the contract for the year is done, and there still isn't a sponsor for next year. If it is still running, note that each driver has slightly different patter, but they all pretty much talk their way around the park. If you don't like one driver, you can get off and wait about 15 minutes for the next one.
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| Looking to Vancouver Island |
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| Sea Lion on Rock |
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I ended up getting off the shuttle at Ferguson Point and then walking all the way around almost to the Girl in Wetsuit
again. Along the way, there was a sea lion basking on the rocks. Fewer than 5% of the people walking past even noticed. Are they so used to them, or are they just so intent on walking that they don't notice? Then I continued walking, all the way back to the hotel. It was a long haul, but I end up feeling pretty good about my ability to navigate, since I don't make any wrong turns along the way. As you'd expect on a Sunday evening downtown, things are pretty dead, except on the blocks where tourist shopping is a big draw.