BC fires

Massive bush fires are burning to the north and east of Vancouver across British Columbia, with temps in the 30s for a few more days. Vancouver is covered in smoke, and we are heading east today to Fraser Canyon where we will cross desert and it will be up to 40 degrees today and overnight temp of 22.

We have met our tour companians, a family of 4 from Holland.

Vancouver Sightseeing

The locals are melting, its 30 degrees C and they don’t have aircon in their homes. Our sweet tour guide this morning was a little distressed. We had to just smile to ourselves!

We went into town today on the bus,  only $3.00 each for a 25 minute run.  All fares are $3 regardless the length of the journey. The buses run every 15 minutes, and are full...which eases the congestion on the roads.....and a bargain too.

We took a “free” 2 hour walking tour of Vancouver city centre which also included the old working/lumber mill district of Gastown which is now totally heritage listed. We had about 37 in our group and learnt alot about the colonial history, as Vancouver was settled the same time as Australia was....basically around the mid 1800s. You meet outside the art gallery, and just tip at the end of the tour, as much or as little as you like.

There were too many interesting buildings to photograph, but this moulding was unusual.

Steam clock which toots and blows steam every 15 minutes, picturesque streets throughout the city, Gasy (Gas bag) Jack, had the first drinking bar on this very site now known as Gastown.

Vancouver is a pretty city, we felt very comfortable, although we struggled to find some ordinary department store type shops, and everyone is polite and friendly to pedestrians and bike riders.  Although they take their parking regulations seriously.

We spent the rest of the day walking around the harbour and Canada Place the cruise terminal built in the shape of a cruise ship.  Royal Caribbean Radiance of the Seas was in port, it was the ship we sailed around NZ on for 14 days.  

Lighting the 2010 Olympic Cauldron and Canada Place.  

Also spotted a blue seal again today but it was too quick for us, still didn’t get a photo.
This is what the Vancouver Harbour seals look like....so pretty

The harbour is as busy as an international airport with sea planes taking off every 5 minutes....awesome sight!

The fancy Fairmont Hotel’s water feature........ the bikes were revolving over a pond.....

Typical tourist shop

The current Council have moved the cars over and allocated half the road to bikes throughout the city centre.

Vancouver by Bike

Keen to see some of Vancouver we headed off on the bikes supplied by our host, and followed the coastal track around English Bay east towards the city, across the bridge over False Creek, and into Stanley Park where the one way bike and pedestrian traffic move counter clockwise to circumnavigate the park on an 8.5km track. 

Stanley Park

It was hot, sunny, crowded at times and a splendid day out. Total of 30km round trip from our Air BnB. Tons of people ride bikes, and very fast. 

No-one seemed like they were out for a leisurely stroll/ride like us.  Derek didn’t have gears, but just as well as I wouldn’t have kept up with him.

We saw a blue seal, black squirrel and rescued a turtle from the bike track and relocated him to a nearby lagoon and found a great spot for lunch overlooking the cruise terminal.  Three Indian tribes were the original inhabitants of this region, and are represented by their totems. Pop up food carts are dotted everywhere, even supply free air for cyclists.  Snack food and cold drinks are cheap.

Sculpture is of a woman in a wet suit, representing Vancouver’s dependance on the sea.

Kitsilano Pool. Canada’s largest pool, 137m and salt water.

Seriously? #13

Vancouver Canada, BYO pool to the beach!

Bags in Transit

We have arrived safe and sound in Vancouver after a delayed flight from Melbourne. Our economy section only had 40 passengers so we all got 3 seats each to spread out across, and excellent attention. A fabulous start to our trip.

The delay caused us to arrive late in Hong Kong so we received an escorted 2km sprint up, down and along escalators, plus a train ride, to another gate for our connecting flight to Vancouver where the plane was already boarded...just sitting waiting for us. We could never have done it on our own. I knew my treadmill workouts at the gym  with a 5kg back pack would get me fit, but I didn’t expect I would be tested on day 1. Our 12 hour flight to Vancouver was full, so we made good use of the in flight entertainment until our eyes could stay open no more, then managed to get 7 hours sleep somehow. 

The last time we saw our luggage.

The fast turn around was too quick for our luggage which did not make it on to the Vancouver flight. Cathay Pacific were ready with customs paperwork already completed for when our bags arrive, which minimised the missing luggage drama.  I can totally understand why many people just travel the world with carryon bags. I don’t know if I could survive on 7kg.  I struggled doing Cairns and Darwin on 7 kg.

So we have arrived at our cottage Air BnB in Trimble Beach, suburbia near the water, walked 1.5 km to get some groceries just like a local, and back via Jericho Park, showered, eating nachos and waiting for a taxi to deliver our luggage at midnight tonight. We are grateful for our safe arrival, lovely weather and soothing hot shower.  Note to self...pack a spare change of clothes in carryon bag. End of day one!

Our next Adventure

We are getting so excited about our next adventure, after enjoying our last 6 weeks in Finley spending time with family.

We are still trying to carry as little as possible in our cases, but I am up to ‘packing attempt 4’. Derek is just watching me and laughing to himself.

We are off to Canada and Alaska for 6 weeks. Temperatures will range from 2 degrees C when visiting National Parks and Glaciers in the Rockies (where we will be on a camping tour for 2 weeks) and Alaska to about 30 degrees C in Vancouver. 

We will be camping, (yes, taking our own sleeping bags, but tents are provided), staying in Air BnB’s, floating lodge at Great Bear Lodge, House Boat, NP lodges in Alaska, a Ranch, Hotels and Cruising for 7 days. A total mixture of accommodation and temperatures has made for a complicated packing routine.  Oh,  and don’t ask me about shoes! 

Thank you for following along with us. We will try and post “where we are”, as often as possible, but I have read that wifi is pretty hard to get outside of cities.

Finley...Cold and Crisp

We are having 5 weeks down-time in Finley whilst we prepare for our next adventure at the end of July. 

We are not enjoying the cold, winter has definitely arrived.   Overnight temps have been down to minus 1 and frosty mornings. We are more prepared this year with a room heater/inverter to take the chill off the air whilst we sleep, and for that matter watch tv.

We are at the gym 6 days a week to work on our fitness, which is working, and able to spend time watching Jenna play netball ( 3 degrees last Saturday morning), and Jordan’s soccer, which was icy cold yesterday. It has been great spending time with the J’s.

This use to be me watching Derek, then watching Jessima or Craig,  now watching Jordan!