I got up at 2:30am, checked out by 2:45 and walked to the bus stop. Vancouverians know how to party. The streets were filled with people scarfing down pizza and stumbling home. It was quite entertaining and nice not to be on a desolate street by myself. I had lots of people come and go at the bus stop before my bus arrived. I chatted with quite a few of them, particularly a cute early 20s Australian who just moved to Vancouver 2 months ago. He was waiting for the same bus to head home. After chatting for about 30 minutes he matter-of-factly asked if he could kiss me. You only live once, right? I can officially cross "kiss random Aussie on public bus" off my bucket list.
I got to the airport and tried to help a drunken Asian girl figure out how she should get back home. She meant to get off the bus well before the airport. Good times.
Once I made it into the airport I came to the wonderful realization that my flight is delayed...apparently the plane never showed up last night. So YVR and I will become great friends, for 7 hours. Good thing I have two new books on me.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Demons from hell? I think not.
After a quick breakfast at the hostel I walked across the Granville bridge back over to Granville Island where 'Wild Whales Vancouver' is located. I checked in, signed my life and belongings away, gave them my money, and then headed into the public market for a second coffee and a sandwich to take on the boat.
Drank my coffee overlooking the False Creek and was immediately chatted up by a mom with two small kiddos. On the walk across the bridge two people (males) said "good morning" to me. It's amazing how much attention one gets while alone. I don't think I get this much attention walking around San Francisco though. Maybe I just block it out. I will have to see once I get back.
Anyways, after my coffee I headed back over to WWV to get suited up. They make you wear this space looking jumper suit. It's for the cold and also helps with flotation if you happen to fall into the freezing Pacific. I actually don't think we got to the Pacific. We mainly stayed in the Straits. We were in between Victoria and the San Juan Islands, I know that. Actually I think that's where all the magic happened. On the way to where the whales were sighted very early this morning we saw a seal and a porpoise. Then all of a sudden after close to two hours of mostly water and maneuvering through islands, we arrived. There were several sailboats, yachts, tankers, and other whale watching tours. Near pretty much all of the boats, in between them, around them, EVERYWHERE were Orcas. Or the "Demons from hell" as it so translates. Just 50 years ago we were terrified of these beautiful creatures and it was law to kill them, and now we pay money and spend an entire day just to catch a glimpse. They were so beautiful! I will admit, my eyes got teary. A few times.
Boats aren't allowed to follow the whales or get within 100 yards from them. But there were so many that when our captain would veer left trying to distance us from a set of whales, there would be another set on the other side. Orcas travel in pods, and there are three main ones in the waters that we were in by the San Juan Islands - the J, K, and L pod. Turns out we saw all three pods today, and therefore anywhere from 60-80 orcas! Our guide basically said that he was blown away. They've spent 7 hours before looking to see just two whales. He also said that the last two days they saw lots of whales (not as many as we did though), but that they weren't exhibiting their playful behavior like they were today. Lots of breaching, tail slapping, and even some backdives. So so cool. You could easily tell the difference between the males and females by the shape of the dorsal fins. There were some huge males in those pods. There were also lots of calves. Apparently it takes them a few years to realize that they don't have to stick their heads out of the water in order to breathe. It was fun to see them hopping in and out of the water. When our captain turned the engine off you could hear the blow hole sounds going off all around you. And then they turned on a hydrophone where we could hear all of the sounds they were making in the water. Fascinating. I kick myself now for not thinking to record a bit of the scene.
I could keep going about the whales - but you get the idea. Amazing day. A boat is only allowed to spend 30 minutes watching the whales, so once our time was up we started heading home. Lucky for us the whales happened to be going in the same direction that we were, so we got to watch them for a bit longer.
Then once we left their path we saw two bald eagles. And then two more! Followed by several seals and porpoises. Money well spent, if I do say so myself.
I then got home, said bye to Phil, and headed back out for a bit of exploring. I didn't want to venture too far because I'm pretty tired. This hostel is on Granville, which is a pretty hopping street. A few blocks up they closed the street off for "Viva Vancouver" and a band was performing. Apparently every weekend in the summer they close a few blocks on Granville and do something cool. Then on my loop back towards the hostel I got to watch four cop cars bust a dude in a minivan with lots and lots of drugs. They kept piling bags of weed and some sort of powder onto a roof of one of the cop cars. My guess is he was on his way to sell to the folks enjoying Viva Vancouver.
I was going to eat at a quick and easy spot, but decided to treat myself to a dinner at Sanafir, which is two doors down from the hostel. It was recommended in the guidebook as an international restaurant - kind of a mix between Arabic, Mediterranean, and Indian food. Hands down the best meal I've had in a while. To the point where I'm going to take the time to write them a good review on Yelp. I sat outside and faced the street so I could people watch. A friendly couple chatted me up most of the dinner. We mainly talked about how great the food was, and the similarities and differences between Vancouver and San Francisco.
And now I'm packing up and getting ready for bed. Need to leave the hostel at 3am to catch my 6am flight back to California.
Overall a great trip!
Drank my coffee overlooking the False Creek and was immediately chatted up by a mom with two small kiddos. On the walk across the bridge two people (males) said "good morning" to me. It's amazing how much attention one gets while alone. I don't think I get this much attention walking around San Francisco though. Maybe I just block it out. I will have to see once I get back.
Anyways, after my coffee I headed back over to WWV to get suited up. They make you wear this space looking jumper suit. It's for the cold and also helps with flotation if you happen to fall into the freezing Pacific. I actually don't think we got to the Pacific. We mainly stayed in the Straits. We were in between Victoria and the San Juan Islands, I know that. Actually I think that's where all the magic happened. On the way to where the whales were sighted very early this morning we saw a seal and a porpoise. Then all of a sudden after close to two hours of mostly water and maneuvering through islands, we arrived. There were several sailboats, yachts, tankers, and other whale watching tours. Near pretty much all of the boats, in between them, around them, EVERYWHERE were Orcas. Or the "Demons from hell" as it so translates. Just 50 years ago we were terrified of these beautiful creatures and it was law to kill them, and now we pay money and spend an entire day just to catch a glimpse. They were so beautiful! I will admit, my eyes got teary. A few times.
Boats aren't allowed to follow the whales or get within 100 yards from them. But there were so many that when our captain would veer left trying to distance us from a set of whales, there would be another set on the other side. Orcas travel in pods, and there are three main ones in the waters that we were in by the San Juan Islands - the J, K, and L pod. Turns out we saw all three pods today, and therefore anywhere from 60-80 orcas! Our guide basically said that he was blown away. They've spent 7 hours before looking to see just two whales. He also said that the last two days they saw lots of whales (not as many as we did though), but that they weren't exhibiting their playful behavior like they were today. Lots of breaching, tail slapping, and even some backdives. So so cool. You could easily tell the difference between the males and females by the shape of the dorsal fins. There were some huge males in those pods. There were also lots of calves. Apparently it takes them a few years to realize that they don't have to stick their heads out of the water in order to breathe. It was fun to see them hopping in and out of the water. When our captain turned the engine off you could hear the blow hole sounds going off all around you. And then they turned on a hydrophone where we could hear all of the sounds they were making in the water. Fascinating. I kick myself now for not thinking to record a bit of the scene.
I could keep going about the whales - but you get the idea. Amazing day. A boat is only allowed to spend 30 minutes watching the whales, so once our time was up we started heading home. Lucky for us the whales happened to be going in the same direction that we were, so we got to watch them for a bit longer.
Then once we left their path we saw two bald eagles. And then two more! Followed by several seals and porpoises. Money well spent, if I do say so myself.
I then got home, said bye to Phil, and headed back out for a bit of exploring. I didn't want to venture too far because I'm pretty tired. This hostel is on Granville, which is a pretty hopping street. A few blocks up they closed the street off for "Viva Vancouver" and a band was performing. Apparently every weekend in the summer they close a few blocks on Granville and do something cool. Then on my loop back towards the hostel I got to watch four cop cars bust a dude in a minivan with lots and lots of drugs. They kept piling bags of weed and some sort of powder onto a roof of one of the cop cars. My guess is he was on his way to sell to the folks enjoying Viva Vancouver.
I was going to eat at a quick and easy spot, but decided to treat myself to a dinner at Sanafir, which is two doors down from the hostel. It was recommended in the guidebook as an international restaurant - kind of a mix between Arabic, Mediterranean, and Indian food. Hands down the best meal I've had in a while. To the point where I'm going to take the time to write them a good review on Yelp. I sat outside and faced the street so I could people watch. A friendly couple chatted me up most of the dinner. We mainly talked about how great the food was, and the similarities and differences between Vancouver and San Francisco.
And now I'm packing up and getting ready for bed. Need to leave the hostel at 3am to catch my 6am flight back to California.
Overall a great trip!
Friday, August 19, 2011
Vancouver
I flew up to Portland on the 8th, had a nice time touring the city, had a great visit with my great uncle Bill in Bandon, and then went up to explore Seattle for a few days and met up with several friends and family members for various good-time adventures. Then one of the friends, Phil, and I took the train up to Vancouver on Wednesday the 17th (yesterday).
Once we got into the city and checked into our hostel we went on one of the Frommer's guide book walks - Downtown & the West End. The highlights were English Bay Beach where we sat and people watched for quite a while, and walking around the West End which appeared to be the gay district of town. We settled into a Malaysian restaurant for dinner and called it a pretty early evening.
We spent most of today (Thursday) walking around the city as well. First we followed the Yaletown, Granville Island & Kitsilano walking tour. Took most of the day. The public library looks like a modern Colosseum which I found interesting. Then we had a coffee break after petting the big Great Dane sitting next to the 'Big Dogs' hot dog stand. So cute. We read and sipped coffee by a little marina. Then we hopped on a tiny aquabus on False Creek that took us to Granville Island where we had a nice lunch at the public market. Such a fun spot to people watch. Walking along the water we saw several fishing boats cleaning their daily catch, and a few seals begging in the water. One of them hopped up on the dock for a bit, trying to inch his way closer.
It's amazing how similar Portland, Seattle & Vancouver feel. They have their own character, but lots of similarities. With one last full day on this trip I don't want to jinx myself, BUT the weather has been gorgeous. I did not have to buy a rain jacket (because I forgot mine) or umbrella, nor did I feel the need to buy a "Seattle makes me wet" t-shirt.
Next we strolled over to Kitsilano beach which was very pretty. Has tons of logs that people lean against on the beach. We walked over the Granville bridge back to the hostel for a quick nap. Then we went towards the beginning of the last guidebook tour - Gastown & Chinatown. We didn't follow the entire tour but saw the highlights - the Canada Place where all the cruise ships dock, and the Sam Kee office building - which is 4 feet 11 inches wide. Tiny. We had dinner at a brew pub to sample some of the local beer. Twas good. Then we walked back to the hostel.
I don't know if I'll sleep well tonight because I am SO EXCITED about my day tomorrow. I've been whale-watching several times in my life, but haven't been in about 10 years. And have been wanting to go for quite some time. And I'm finally going! I've seen several types of whales, but I've never seen an orca (well, at least not in the wild), which is most of what I should see tomorrow. So pumped. Phil will spend the day renting a bike and exploring Stanley Park.
Once we got into the city and checked into our hostel we went on one of the Frommer's guide book walks - Downtown & the West End. The highlights were English Bay Beach where we sat and people watched for quite a while, and walking around the West End which appeared to be the gay district of town. We settled into a Malaysian restaurant for dinner and called it a pretty early evening.
We spent most of today (Thursday) walking around the city as well. First we followed the Yaletown, Granville Island & Kitsilano walking tour. Took most of the day. The public library looks like a modern Colosseum which I found interesting. Then we had a coffee break after petting the big Great Dane sitting next to the 'Big Dogs' hot dog stand. So cute. We read and sipped coffee by a little marina. Then we hopped on a tiny aquabus on False Creek that took us to Granville Island where we had a nice lunch at the public market. Such a fun spot to people watch. Walking along the water we saw several fishing boats cleaning their daily catch, and a few seals begging in the water. One of them hopped up on the dock for a bit, trying to inch his way closer.
It's amazing how similar Portland, Seattle & Vancouver feel. They have their own character, but lots of similarities. With one last full day on this trip I don't want to jinx myself, BUT the weather has been gorgeous. I did not have to buy a rain jacket (because I forgot mine) or umbrella, nor did I feel the need to buy a "Seattle makes me wet" t-shirt.
Next we strolled over to Kitsilano beach which was very pretty. Has tons of logs that people lean against on the beach. We walked over the Granville bridge back to the hostel for a quick nap. Then we went towards the beginning of the last guidebook tour - Gastown & Chinatown. We didn't follow the entire tour but saw the highlights - the Canada Place where all the cruise ships dock, and the Sam Kee office building - which is 4 feet 11 inches wide. Tiny. We had dinner at a brew pub to sample some of the local beer. Twas good. Then we walked back to the hostel.
I don't know if I'll sleep well tonight because I am SO EXCITED about my day tomorrow. I've been whale-watching several times in my life, but haven't been in about 10 years. And have been wanting to go for quite some time. And I'm finally going! I've seen several types of whales, but I've never seen an orca (well, at least not in the wild), which is most of what I should see tomorrow. So pumped. Phil will spend the day renting a bike and exploring Stanley Park.
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